In March 2016, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) proposed optimal “standardized” benefits that plans could sell in the individual marketplaces in 2017. Though standard options will not be mandatory in 2017, HHS encourages carriers participating in the marketplaces to offer standard levels of cost sharing on a set of defined services. This report illustrates the potential impact on premiums and out of pocket costs if some of the existing popular plans in the individual federally funded marketplace shifted to standardized benefits.

This report was commissioned by Families, USA.