June 21, 2012--Consumers and employers in Wisconsin will receive $10.4 million in rebates in August from health insurers who did not meet the new federal requirement that they spend a minimum percentage of premiums on medical claims and quality initiatives, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Thursday.

The Affordable Care Act, the health care reform law, requires health insurers to spend 80% of premiums for policies sold to individuals and small employers and 85% of premiums for policies sold to large employers.

The average rebate in Wisconsin will average $76 and will go to people who buy health insurance for themselves and their families or to employers.

The average rebate nationally is $151.

The Department of Health Services estimates that 12.8 million Americans, including 282,812 in Wisconsin, are covered by health plans that will issue rebates.

The rebates nationally will total $1.1 billion.

___

(c)2012 the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Visit the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel at www.jsonline.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services