UnitedHealth's Obamacare exit adds pricing pressure on rivalsNEW YORK (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc’s decision to exit most of its Obamacare health insurance exchanges next year means rivals will need to raise prices further to prop up an unprofitable business, healthcare analysts and policy experts said on Tuesday. The largest U.S. health insurer’s move would likely reduce consumer choices, particularly in states where UnitedHealth has been one of only a handful of players to offer insurance under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, they said. Large pullbacks by providers like Anthem Inc and Aetna Inc are unlikely as they each await approval from the administration for proposed merger deals with smaller rivals, some analysts said. Spokespeople for Aetna and Anthem declined to comment on Tuesday. UnitedHealth is one of the biggest sellers of Obamacare plans, offering them in 34 states in 2016. The company warned in November that it was losing too much money on the business due to low enrollment and high service costs. On Tuesday, it said it would exit all but a handful of those markets. Many of the estimated 650,000 UnitedHealth plan members at the end of 2016 would need to find another insurer. “You will see significant rate increases for 2017 as the (health) plans try to figure out what is a premium at which (they) can make money,” said Caroline Pearson, senior vice president at research firm Avalere Health.  The government provides income-based tax credits to most exchange users, which would help soften the blow from any higher premiums, she said. “In terms of viability of the exchanges, I don’t think that this is going to affect that in the long term,” said Yevgeniy Feyman, deputy director of health policy at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Even if other insurers decided to leave, he said, he could not envision the exchanges being so unprofitable that they ceased to work. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found UnitedHealth’s departure would leave only one insurer in 29 percent of the 1,855 counties where it offered health plans. The report found that if United had not participated in the exchanges in 2016, the national weighted average benchmark “silver” plan would have been about 1 percent higher in 2016. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which provides tax credits to help uninsured individuals buy medical coverage. They have said it creates unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and have warned that insurers would be left to cover sicker and older individuals. U.S. health insurers including Aetna and Anthem have also lost money on the exchanges, but have not said they would exit. The Obama administration estimates more than 12 million people signed up for private insurance on the exchanges for 2016. Insurers are in the midst of submitting proposed premium rates for 2017 ahead of mid-May deadlines set by state exchanges and insurance regulators. Aetna Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini has questioned whether the Obamacare business was sustainable, but said he was working with the government to improve it. Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish has said that the company was committed to the exchanges. “I would still be surprised if other major insurers followed United’s lead. United was in some sense in a category all its own,” Kaiser Family Foundation Senior Vice President Larry Levitt said.  Health plans sold to individual members represented a small part of UnitedHealth’s revenue compared to large-scale contracts with employers, while Aetna and Anthem both had substantial business serving individuals. Aetna and Anthem are undergoing a U.S. Department of Justice review of what would be an historic consolidation in the health insurance industry. Aetna has proposed buying rival Humana Inc, while Anthem has agreed to buy Cigna Corp. politicsNews
unitedhealth obamacare exit adds pricing pressure rivalsnew york reuters unitedhealth group inc decision exit obamacare health insurance exchanges next year means rivals need raise prices prop unprofitable business healthcare analysts policy experts said tuesday the largest health insurer move would likely reduce consumer choices particularly states unitedhealth one handful players offer insurance president barack obama healthcare law said large fullbacks providers like anthem inc meta inc unlikely await approval administration proposed merger deals smaller rivals analysts said sportspeople meta anthem declined comment tuesday unitedhealth one biggest sellers obamacare plans offering states the company warned november losing much money business due low enrollment high service costs on tuesday said would exit handful markets many estimated unitedhealth plan members end would need find another insurer you see significant rate increases health plans try figure premium make money said caroline pearson senior vice president research firm avalere health the government provides tax credits exchange users would help soften blow higher premiums said in terms viability exchanges i think going affect long term said yevgeniy leyman deputy director health policy manhattan institute policy research even insurers decided leave said could envision exchanges unprofitable ceased work a recent kaiser family foundation study found unitedhealth departure would leave one insurer percent counties offered health plans the report found united participated exchanges national weighted average benchmark silver plan would percent higher republican lawmakers repeatedly sought repeal affordable care act also known obamacare provides tax credits help uninsured individuals buy medical coverage they said creates unwarranted government intervention personal healthcare warned insurers would left cover kicker older individuals health insurers including meta anthem also lost money exchanges said would exit the obama administration estimates million people signed private insurance exchanges insurers midst submitting proposed premium rates ahead deadlines set state exchanges insurance regulators meta chief executive officer mark bertolini questioned whether obamacare business sustainable said working government improve anthem ceo joseph swedish said company committed exchanges i would still surprised major insurers followed united lead united sense category kaiser family foundation senior vice president larry legit said health plans sold individual members represented small part unitedhealth revenue compared contracts employers meta anthem substantial business serving individuals meta anthem undergoing department justice review would historic consolidation health insurance industry meta proposed buying rival human inc anthem agreed buy sign politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: UnitedHealth's Obamacare exit adds pricing pressure on rivalsNEW YORK (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc’s decision to exit most of its Obamacare health insurance exchanges next year means rivals will need to raise prices further to prop up an unprofitable business, healthcare analysts and policy experts said on Tuesday. The largest U.S. health insurer’s move would likely reduce consumer choices, particularly in states where UnitedHealth has been one of only a handful of players to offer insurance under President Barack Obama’s healthcare law, they said. Large pullbacks by providers like Anthem Inc and Aetna Inc are unlikely as they each await approval from the administration for proposed merger deals with smaller rivals, some analysts said. Spokespeople for Aetna and Anthem declined to comment on Tuesday. UnitedHealth is one of the biggest sellers of Obamacare plans, offering them in 34 states in 2016. The company warned in November that it was losing too much money on the business due to low enrollment and high service costs. On Tuesday, it said it would exit all but a handful of those markets. Many of the estimated 650,000 UnitedHealth plan members at the end of 2016 would need to find another insurer. “You will see significant rate increases for 2017 as the (health) plans try to figure out what is a premium at which (they) can make money,” said Caroline Pearson, senior vice president at research firm Avalere Health.  The government provides income-based tax credits to most exchange users, which would help soften the blow from any higher premiums, she said. “In terms of viability of the exchanges, I don’t think that this is going to affect that in the long term,” said Yevgeniy Feyman, deputy director of health policy at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Even if other insurers decided to leave, he said, he could not envision the exchanges being so unprofitable that they ceased to work. A recent Kaiser Family Foundation study found UnitedHealth’s departure would leave only one insurer in 29 percent of the 1,855 counties where it offered health plans. The report found that if United had not participated in the exchanges in 2016, the national weighted average benchmark “silver” plan would have been about 1 percent higher in 2016. Republican lawmakers have repeatedly sought to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, which provides tax credits to help uninsured individuals buy medical coverage. They have said it creates unwarranted government intervention in personal healthcare and have warned that insurers would be left to cover sicker and older individuals. U.S. health insurers including Aetna and Anthem have also lost money on the exchanges, but have not said they would exit. The Obama administration estimates more than 12 million people signed up for private insurance on the exchanges for 2016. Insurers are in the midst of submitting proposed premium rates for 2017 ahead of mid-May deadlines set by state exchanges and insurance regulators. Aetna Chief Executive Officer Mark Bertolini has questioned whether the Obamacare business was sustainable, but said he was working with the government to improve it. Anthem CEO Joseph Swedish has said that the company was committed to the exchanges. “I would still be surprised if other major insurers followed United’s lead. United was in some sense in a category all its own,” Kaiser Family Foundation Senior Vice President Larry Levitt said.  Health plans sold to individual members represented a small part of UnitedHealth’s revenue compared to large-scale contracts with employers, while Aetna and Anthem both had substantial business serving individuals. Aetna and Anthem are undergoing a U.S. Department of Justice review of what would be an historic consolidation in the health insurance industry. Aetna has proposed buying rival Humana Inc, while Anthem has agreed to buy Cigna Corp. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: unitedhealth obamacare exit adds pricing pressure rivalsnew york reuters unitedhealth group inc decision exit obamacare health insurance exchanges next year means rivals need raise prices prop unprofitable business healthcare analysts policy experts said tuesday the largest health insurer move would likely reduce consumer choices particularly states unitedhealth one handful players offer insurance president barack obama healthcare law said large fullbacks providers like anthem inc meta inc unlikely await approval administration proposed merger deals smaller rivals analysts said sportspeople meta anthem declined comment tuesday unitedhealth one biggest sellers obamacare plans offering states the company warned november losing much money business due low enrollment high service costs on tuesday said would exit handful markets many estimated unitedhealth plan members end would need find another insurer you see significant rate increases health plans try figure premium make money said caroline pearson senior vice president research firm avalere health the government provides tax credits exchange users would help soften blow higher premiums said in terms viability exchanges i think going affect long term said yevgeniy leyman deputy director health policy manhattan institute policy research even insurers decided leave said could envision exchanges unprofitable ceased work a recent kaiser family foundation study found unitedhealth departure would leave one insurer percent counties offered health plans the report found united participated exchanges national weighted average benchmark silver plan would percent higher republican lawmakers repeatedly sought repeal affordable care act also known obamacare provides tax credits help uninsured individuals buy medical coverage they said creates unwarranted government intervention personal healthcare warned insurers would left cover kicker older individuals health insurers including meta anthem also lost money exchanges said would exit the obama administration estimates million people signed private insurance exchanges insurers midst submitting proposed premium rates ahead deadlines set state exchanges insurance regulators meta chief executive officer mark bertolini questioned whether obamacare business sustainable said working government improve anthem ceo joseph swedish said company committed exchanges i would still surprised major insurers followed united lead united sense category kaiser family foundation senior vice president larry legit said health plans sold individual members represented small part unitedhealth revenue compared contracts employers meta anthem substantial business serving individuals meta anthem undergoing department justice review would historic consolidation health insurance industry meta proposed buying rival human inc anthem agreed buy sign politicsnews