Marketplace Plans' Networks Are Very Small, Study Finds

To keep premium prices down for individuals and small businesses buying coverage through new online marketplaces, insurers have created smaller networks of hospitals. But consumers and policy experts have wondered, just how small?

Turns out, many are very small.

“About two-thirds of hospital networks on the exchanges are narrow or ultra-narrow,” said Paul Mango, a director at the consulting firm McKinsey & Co., at a conference of insurance industry leaders in Washington Thursday.

Based on research he says it took his team weeks to develop, Mango said the majority of the lowest-priced insurance plans sold through the new online marketplaces use very small networks of hospitals. The study did not evaluate doctor participation in those networks.

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Source: Kaiser Health News