Skip to content

Check out area events, volunteer opportunities and more with AARP Local.

Content starts here

CLOSE ×

Red Membership Card

AARP MEMBERSHIP — $12 FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR AUTOMATIC RENEWAL

Get instant access to members-only products and hundreds of discounts, a free second membership, and a subscription to AARP the Magazine.

Go to Series Main Page

Protecting Affordable Health Insurance for Older Adults: The Affordable Care Act’s Limit on Age Rating

by

Jane Sung, AARP Public Policy Institute

Published January 12, 2017

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) established a 3:1 limit on age rating of health insurance premiums, meaning that older adults (ages 50-64 who are not yet eligible for Medicare) who purchase coverage on their own cannot be charged more than three times the amount a younger person is charged for the same health plan. This limit on age-related premiums is part of the ACA’s reforms that protect older consumers from discriminatory insurance company practices. This fact sheet from the AARP Public Policy Institute examines this important consumer protection and the potential impact of policy changes that weaken or eliminate this limit.

Read the full report.

MORE FROM AARP

Older District of Columbia Residents Face Health Disparities

The AARP District of Columbia Health Disparities Survey found that older DC residents east and west of the Anacostia River face stark health disparities.

Medicare Savings Program Enrollment Increases When States Expand Financial Eligibility Criteria

This AARP Insight reports findings from an analysis of MSP enrollment patterns in a sample of four states before and after the states expanded MSP eligibility criteria.

Policy Options to Improve Older Adults’ Health Insurance Affordability

Despite gains in health coverage and affordability under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), a significant number of Americans remain uninsured, including millions of adults ages 50 to 64, and affordability and access barriers remain. Policymakers can pursue a wide range of options to improve access to affordable health coverage and reduce racial/ethnic and other disparities in coverage.

Eliminating Access to No-Cost Preventive Health Services Could Affect More Than 12 Million Adults Ages 50 to 64

A Texas federal court recently ruled that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision of requiring most private health insurers to cover recommended preventive services without cost-sharing was unconstitutional, putting access to no-cost critical preventive health services in jeopardy for millions of Americans. That decision is now pending appeal.

Navigating the Medicare Coverage Maze: Challenges and Policy Solutions

Speakers discussed new research on people’s experiences with Medicare marketing, what factors and information influence Medicare coverage choices, and potential policy opportunities to better support consumers during open enrollment.

SUPPORTING MATERIALS

1. Infographic
(PDF)

SEE ALSO

1. Protecting Affordable Health Insurance Premiums for Older Adults
(Blog)

FULL REPORT (PDF)