Health insurance may be out of reach for many individuals in poor health

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Health insurance may be out of reach for many individuals in poor health.

  • Findings from several GAO studies:

  • People in poor health: in several states, premiums for individuals with juvenile diabetes were as high as 300 percent or more of standard rates for healthy individuals.

  • Near-elderly people: in many states, carriers may charge premiums for a healthy 60-year-old male that are close to 4 times the premium for a healthy 30-year-old male.

  • Small employers with older, sicker workers: in Texas, premiums for a small employer with older workers—some in poor health—were 2-1/2 times to nearly 4 times higher than for an employer of the same size and location with younger, healthier employees.