How do premiums vary by age and health status?
Under the status quo, people buying coverage on their own generally face medical underwriting, meaning that they can be turned down for coverage or charged a higher premium based on their health status. That is prohibited under the reform law. Premiums today also vary by the age of the policy holder, with the premium for a single 64 year old typically being five times or more the premium for a 19 year old. For families the variation in premiums by age is generally less pronounced.