News coverage about health care reform has focused on the increasing cost of health insurance premiums but fails to explore the link between higher health insurance premiums and hospital, physician, and drug costs.
The ACA and Colorado have enacted numerous insurance regulations – including mandatory medical loss ratios (how much of the premium dollar is spent on health care), required benefits, and rate review.
Yet, insurance premiums continue to rise because premiums are based on the prices charged by health care providers. It is the price of a surgery, a medication, a visit to the doctor that have the greatest impact on the price tag for health care and health insurance premiums.
