More choices and stable premiums for ‘Obamacare’ next year

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration says consumers will have more health insurance choices next year on HealthCare.gov and premiums will dip slightly for many customers.

The Department of Health and Human Services announced Tuesday that an additional 20 insurers will participate in the program next year.

Premiums for a hypothetical 27-year-old picking a standard plan will dip 4% on average in states served by the federal HealthCare.gov website.

About 10 million people are covered through the Affordable Care Act’s health insurance markets, which offer taxpayer-subsidized private plans.

But Tuesday’s announcement could be the calm before the storm. Even as the Trump administration is taking credit for stable “Obamacare” markets, it’s asking a federal appeals court in New Orleans to overturn the entire law as unconstitutional.

Sign-up season starts Nov. 1.