As congressional leaders continue to debate health-care reform, the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association has released a report that echoes the findings of the study commissioned by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) released Oct. 12.

The Blue Cross report, compiled by international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman Group, like the one written by PricewaterhouseCoopers for AHIP, advocates stronger individual mandates to ensure a large new pool of consumers in the health insurance system, A.M. Best Co. reported. The new report is based on the recent passage of a health reform bill by the Senate Finance Committee. Insurance groups have argued its individual mandate provisions in that bill are too weak.

“Young, healthier people are very price sensitive and are least likely to enter the insurance market without a strong mandate,” the report says, though getting them in the system is necessary for lowering premiums. Without the strong mandate, premiums in the new system would be “50 percent higher compared to today” within five years of reform, the report contends, though it points out that federal subsidies would alleviate the increases for some.

Under a reform system that carries a weak individual mandate, the report says that small employers purchasing new policies would see premiums rise 19 percent in five years.

“While lawmakers may have reduced penalties for not purchasing insurance because they are concerned about the risks of forcing people to purchase insurance if it is not affordable, failing to include an effective personal responsibility requirement could result in the failure of reform by causing premiums to skyrocket for all those who responsibly purchase insurance coverage,” the Blue Cross report concluded.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers report said that the current health care system – if left alone – would lend to consumer costs rising 79 percent over the next five years.But if the committee’s version of reform becomes law, that increase could be 111 percent, the report said, though it also admitted it didn’t examine all aspects of the legislation.

To view the Blue Cross report, click here.