PCIP Premium Decrease (HHS)

According to recent press, the federal government has indicated that it plans to decrease the premiums for the federal PCIP (temporary risk pools) by 20% in order to encourage greater enrollments.

Apparently enrollment in the new PCIP has been lackluster at best.

I do not yet know if the decrease will be applied to the CA PCIP as it is being run by the state (MRMIB) and not a direct federal risk pool.

Unless the government can find more $$$ to pump into the pools, this is going to likely create a reduced number of enrollment slots meaning less people will be able to be covered at the lower premium.

California's PCIP is scheduled to hold an average of 23,100 people at any given time with a possible increase in two years if scheduled federal funding is available. Obviously a 20% premium decrease under existing funding ($761MM) would likely lower the number of subscribers by that same percentage.