Dems: O-Care premiums not skyrocketing

House Democrats are pushing back against predictions that ObamaCare premiums will skyrocket by pointing to modest premium increases filed for 2015 in two early states.

In a report released Thursday, Democrats on the Energy and Commerce Committee found that consumers on Virginia’s exchange are mostly facing premium hikes of 6.6 percent or less.

{mosads}In Washington state, most enrollees will see premiums rise by 9.5 percent or less, the report found. A plan offered by Molina Healthcare is cutting prices.

The increases are “below the healthcare insurance premium changes observed in the years prior to the Affordable Care Act and the premium increases experienced in Medicare Part D,” the report stated.

“There appears to be no basis for the dire predictions that health insurance premiums will skyrocket in 2015.”

The report noted that many state insurance commissioners have power over rates, lowering the possibility of dramatic increases, and that consumers can switch plans to get a lower price.

The size of premium hikes this year will vary around the country and do much to shape the political environment for November’s elections.

While most people will see modest increases, it is possible that some states such as Hawaii, West Virginia, Ohio and Iowa will see hikes that are more dramatic.