"Narrow Network" attack technically true, but few people seem to give a rat's patootie

OK, this one doesn't fall so much into the "another ACA attack debunked!" category as the "vastly overblown" category:

Narrow networks were a popular health insurance option on the exchanges in the first enrollment period, with half of all plans for individuals offering limited groups of lower-cost providers, and new research shows consumers generally aren't griping about the products.

...Health insurers have said the healthcare reform law is spurring them to offer more narrow networks, which they say save them money and lead to lower monthly premiums in exchange for a smaller number of in-network hospitals and physicians.

After speaking with several state officials and insurers that offer exchange plans, researchers found that few consumer complaints have emerged to date about the networks' offerings.

“Insurance companies calculated that consumers would be willing to trade greater provider access for lower premiums, and to a large extent, our research confirms that,” said Sabrina Corlette, the report's lead author, in a statement.

Advertisement