"The ACA marketplaces have rebounded from a period of political and policy uncertainty, which caused premiums to spike last year and issuers to think twice about participating. Political stability, along with support for people with modest incomes, are key ingredients for lower premiums and more marketplace choices."

—Anne F. Weiss, managing director at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Claims costs for selected individual market health insurance plans were higher than expected in the early years of the ACA. From 2014 to 2015, the growth in per member per month claims costs averaged 13% nationally for these selected plans. However, some payers saw cost claims swings ranging from a 67% decrease to a 26% increase that year.

Excerpted from: GAO