ACA risk programs level the playing field for insurers

Two of the Affordable Care Act’s programs meant to compensate health insurers who receive higher than average claims are working just as they’re supposed to, according to a new study.Of the insurers that sold plans on the individual market in 2014 and 2015, those that received the highest cost claims also received the biggest payouts from the healthcare law’s risk adjustment and reinsurance programs, a study published Wednesday in the journal Health Affairs showed.In the individual insurance market, some plans get lucky and enroll healthier than average members while others tend to attract sicker, costlier ones. The study showed that risk adjustment and reinsurance “help level the playing field so insurers can focus on other aspects of their business not related to risk selection,