It's mid-October and the exchanges have launched — clunkily, in most cases, and with many unknowns still to be answered. One question that has been answered is an important one: How much will health care cost under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA)?
The number looks very different depending on where you live and what type of plan you buy. For the second lowest silver plan, the average premium ranges from $192 per month in Minnesota to $516 per month in Wyoming. Across all states, the weighted average for the second lowest silver plan is $328 per month. And in three states (Kentucky, Massachusetts and Hawaii), the numbers have yet to be released.
See below for a more detailed state-by-state cost comparison. The rates given are weighted averages for the second lowest silver plan in their state. Each state uses a similar "age curve" to determine how much more older consumers pay. In most cases, a 60-year-old would pay rates that are roughly three times higher than what the 27-year-old would pay.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story described the rates given here incorrectly. The rates given here are weighted averages for the second lowest-cost silver plan for enrollees of all ages.
