Tough for Alaska!
http://www.aol.com/article/2016/05/30/h ... /21386004/The researchers found that there are a variety of reasons for the discrepancy in prices, but the biggest difference-maker was competition.
"However, the most important factors associated with lowest-cost silver plan premiums and premium increases are those defining the contours of competition in the market," the report concluded. "Rating areas with more competitors had significantly lower premiums and lower rates of increase than those that did not."
The paper also found that there was one player that had more of an effect on prices than any other provider.
"Those rating areas with a Medicaid insurer competing in the marketplace also have lower premiums and lower rates of increase than those regions without a Medicaid insurer competing," said Blumberg, Holahan, and Wengle.
This is an issue as insurance companies evaluate the profitability of the state exchanges. With political pushback against expanding Medicaid considerable, private insurers are going to have to carry most of the load and provide competition