Consumers in 60 Wisconsin counties will see ACA premium cuts of up to 42 percent

Health insurance premiums for ACA plans will be rising around the country next year, but tax credit-eligible consumers in 60 counties in Wisconsin will see premium cuts ranging from 1 percent to 42 percent according to an analysis for a sample consumer.

That’s according to the latest report from the Kaiser Family Foundation. The foundation notes that silver plan premiums are rising more than those for bronze or gold plans, because many insurers are compensating for the end of cost-sharing payments by increasing premiums for silver plans.

Because the premium tax credits go up as plan cost goes up, this means eligible marketplace enrollees on the silver plan will get much higher credits as well.

On a county-by-county basis, most consumers will pay slightly lower shares of premiums for the benchmark plan, although some will have more dramatic decreases in cost. The biggest decreases will largely be in the northeastern part of the state, while consumers in seven counties scattered around the state will have slightly higher costs. Five counties will see no change in costs.

The seven counties, where increases range from 1 percent to 4 percent, are: Green, La Crosse, Monroe, Rock, Shawano, Walworth and Waushara.

Kaiser provides data for a 40-year-old consumer at five different income levels: 207 percent of the federal poverty level, 249 percent, 290 percent, 332 percent and over 400 percent. Individuals with income over 400 percent of the poverty level are not eligible for tax credits.

See below for a list of each county’s 2017-2018 change in monthly premium after tax credit for the lowest-cost silver plan for a 40-year-old consumer purchasing an individual health plan who has an income of $35,000, or 290 percent of the poverty level.

*Adams County: $275 (2017); $269 (2018) – 2 percent decrease.

*Ashland County: $264; $252 – 5 percent decrease.

*Barron County: $264; $250 – 5 percent decrease.

*Bayfield County: $264; $252 – 5 percent decrease.

*Brown County: $249; $145 – 42 percent decrease

*Buffalo County: $264; $251 – 5 percent decrease

*Burnett County; $264; $252 – 5 percent decrease

*Calumet County: $245; $170 – 31 percent decrease

*Chippewa County: $263; $250 – 5 percent decrease

*Clark: $269; $268 – no change

*Columbia: $275; $242 – 12 percent decrease

*Crawford: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Dane: $276; $247 – 10 percent decrease

*Dodge: $275; $234 – 15 percent decrease

*Door: $249; $145 – 42 percent decrease

*Douglas: $264; $252 – 5 percent decrease

*Dunn: $263; $250 – 5 percent decrease

*Eau Claire: $263; $250 – 5 percent decrease

*Florence: $275; $252 – 8 percent decrease

*Fond Du Lac: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Forest: $275; $252 – 8 percent decrease

*Grant: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Green: $261; $270 – 4 percent increase

*Green Lake: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Iowa: $275; $271 – 2 percent decrease

*Iron: $265; $252 – 5 percent decrease

*Jackson: $264; $251 – 5 percent decrease

*Jefferson: $275; $242 – 12 percent decrease

*Juneau: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Kenosha: $266; $206 – 23 percent decrease

*Kewaunee: $232; $145 – 37 percent decrease

*La Crosse: $264; $272 – 3 percent increase

*Lafayette: $275; $271 – 2 percent decrease

*Langlade: $265; $254 – 5 percent decrease

*Lincoln: $267; $252 – 6 percent decrease

*Manitowoc: $249; $145 – 42 percent decrease

*Marathon: $267; $252 – 6 percent decrease

*Marinette: $249; $145 – 42 percent decrease

*Marquette: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Menominee: $274; $252 – 8 percent decrease

*Milwaukee: $265; $251 – 5 percent decrease

*Monroe: $254; $271 – 3 percent increase

*Oconto: $249; $145 – 42 percent decrease

*Oneida: $275; $252 – 8 percent decrease

*Outagamie: $245; $170 – 31 percent decrease

*Ozaukee: $270; $235 – 13 percent decrease

*Pepin: $263; $250 – 5 percent decrease

*Pierce: $262; $263 – no change

*Polk: $262; $248 – 5 percent decrease

*Portage: $267; $252 – 6 percent decrease

*Price: $269; $268 – no change

*Racine: $266; $206 – 23 percent decrease

*Richland: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Rock: $261; $270 – 4 percent increase

*Rusk: $264; $250 – 5 percent decrease

*St. Croix: $262; $263 – no change

*Sauk: $257; $247 – 4 percent decrease

*Sawyer: $264; $252 – 4 percent decrease

*Shawano: $249; $252 – 1 percent increase

*Sheboygan: $245; $170 – 31 percent decrease

*Taylor: $269; $268 – no change

*Trempealeau: $264; $251 – 5 percent decrease

*Vernon: $275; $269 – 2 percent decrease

*Vilas: $275; $252 – 8 percent decrease

*Walworth: $261; $270 – 4 percent increase

*Washburn: $264; $252 – 5 percent decrease

*Washington: $270; $235 – 13 percent decrease

*Waukesha: $270; $260 – 4 percent decrease

*Waupaca: $275; $251 – 9 percent decrease

*Waushara: $262; $271 – 3 percent increase

*Winnebago: $245; $170 – 31 percent decrease

*Wood: $267; $252 – 6 percent decrease

Follow this link to an interactive guide from the Kaiser Family Foundation to see change in premium cost for other plan types and for individuals with different income levels: http://www.kff.org/health-reform/issue-brief/how-premiums-are-changing-in-2018/?utm_campaign