Federal Officials Report Increased Competition On Wisconsin’s Health Exchange

Federal health officials released information on Thursday showing more insurers are offering coverage on the federal insurance marketplace.

In Wisconsin, 15 insurers are selling on the marketplace and the average number of qualified health plans per county, 67, is higher than in other states.

Covering Kids & Families, a navigator organization for southeast Wisconsin, says the increased competitions makes it important to shop around to get the best deal.

“For consumers that have plans (from last year), they can be automatically enrolled,” said the group’s Danielle Coterel. “But we really are encouraging them to sign back into their accounts just to see if they’re eligible for additional financial assistance. “

The majority of people who signed up for coverage last year in Wisconsin got federal subsidies to bring down the cost. Federal officials say the average cost of the second-lowest silver premium in Wisconsin is 2 percent higher than last year. Before the Affordable Care Act, people buying insurance on the individual market often saw double-digit rate increases.

Open enrollment runs through Feb. 15.