TPM: "Premiums do not reflect the full cost of coverage."

[ProSense]

18. In the piece linked to,

Obamacare does include some protections. For many low-income people, the ACA limits how much they'll have to spend on health care. Individuals with an income at 200 percent of poverty or below won't pay more than $2,250 out of their pocket annually. If those people get in a major accident or are diagnosed with a serious illness, Obamacare is still going to help protect them from catastrophic medical costs.

...Avalere Health is primarily addressing deductibles for unsubsidized plans.

Despite Lower Than Expected Premiums, Exchange Consumers Will Face High Cost-Sharing Before the Out-of-Pocket Cap
http://www.avalerehealth.net/news/spotlight/Exchange_Benefit_Design_Release.pdf

Yet Avalere Health put out an analysis that claims 80 percent of those participating in the exchange will be subsidized.

Avalere Analysis of Exchange Rates for 2014

As stakeholders prepare for the launch of open enrollment in less than a month, one of the key questions that remain is what pricing will look like in exchanges. Avalere Health analyzed public rate filings released by 12 states1—8 state-run and 4 federally-run or partnership exchanges. Based on the analysis, minimum premiums for a 40-year old, non-smoker averaged across states is $261 per month for a Silver exchange plan. Premiums for the lowest cost Silver products available in each state range from $197 per month in Maryland to $383 in Vermont—a difference of $186 across states. “Regardless of whether the state or federal government is operating the exchange, we are seeing competitive Silver premiums in the low $200 to $300 range in most markets,” says Caroline Pearson, Avalere Vice President. Furthermore, an estimated 80 percent of exchange enrollees will qualify for premium subsidies that will further reduce the cost of coverage.

http://www.avalerehealth.net/news/spotlight/20130904_Avalere_Rate_Analysis.pdf

Kind of hard to figure out what the point of the TPM piece is. The next study TPM cites is a by conservative organization, and then it debunks the findings.

There are some caveats. For a 27-year-old man making less than 400 percent of the poverty level, the law's tax credits will go some of the way -- though not always all the way -- toward offsetting those costs. In addition, the institute's analysis doesn't account for the fact that the health insurance offered through Obamacare is much more comprehensive than the existing plans that it used for comparison. Insurers must cover a wide range of medical services, so the consumer is getting more coverage for the increased cost. Plus, there are the aforementioned limits on how much lower-income people can ultimately be asked to pay out of pocket each year.

Tim Jost, a Washington and Lee University professor and Obamacare advocate, observed in Health Affairs Wednesday that insurance under the ACA will offer "bankruptcy protection" to young people who are paying more for coverage in a way that insurance before the ACA didn't.