1A

How Health Insurance Got So Expensive


Listen Later

It’s open enrollment season. And for the 20 million Americans who buy their own health insurance, prices are through the roof.

Rates are up an average of 30 percent for a typical plan in the 30 states where the federal government manages markets. In states that run their own markets, rates are up an average of 17 percent. That’s according to an analysis from the health policy research group KFF.

Meanwhile, the longest government shutdown continues in Washington. Lawmakers still can’t agree over whether to extend subsidies that would make health insurance more affordable. Without those subsidies, experts estimate that more than 4 million people could lose access to insurance.

How did health insurance get so expensive in the first place? And who stands to benefit from higher costs?

Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

1ABy NPR

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

4,440 ratings


More shows like 1A

View all
Fresh Air by NPR

Fresh Air

38,454 Listeners

The New Yorker Radio Hour by WNYC Studios and The New Yorker

The New Yorker Radio Hour

6,787 Listeners

Hidden Brain by Hidden Brain, Shankar Vedantam

Hidden Brain

43,549 Listeners

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me! by NPR

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

38,797 Listeners

The NPR Politics Podcast by NPR

The NPR Politics Podcast

25,772 Listeners

On the Media by WNYC Studios

On the Media

9,187 Listeners

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti by WBUR

On Point with Meghna Chakrabarti

3,984 Listeners

Reveal by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX

Reveal

8,429 Listeners

Here & Now Anytime by NPR

Here & Now Anytime

1,000 Listeners

Code Switch by NPR

Code Switch

14,616 Listeners

Up First from NPR by NPR

Up First from NPR

56,481 Listeners

It's Been a Minute by NPR

It's Been a Minute

9,047 Listeners

Throughline by NPR

Throughline

16,341 Listeners

Consider This from NPR by NPR

Consider This from NPR

6,387 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

15,853 Listeners