Alaska News

AMA: Alaska health insurance market among least competitive

The American Medical Association has announced a new study that finds Alaska has the second-least competitive commercial health insurance market among studied states. The analysis looked at commercial health insurance market shares and federal concentration measures for 368 metropolitan markets and 48 states.

"New data presented by the AMA demonstrates the degree of anti-competitive market clout that some health insurers have gained through mergers and acquisitions," said AMA President Peter W. Carmel, M.D. in the announcement. "Our new report is intended to help regulators, lawmakers, researchers and policymakers identify markets where mergers among health insurers may cause competitive harm to patients, physicians and employers."

The analysis found that the state with the least competitive health insurance market is Alabama, Alaska came in second, and Delaware, Michigan, and Hawaii round out the top five.

Craig Medred

Craig Medred is a former writer for the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Dispatch and Alaska Dispatch News. He left the ADN in 2015.

ADVERTISEMENT