Health insurance agents and consumers may both benefit from the creation of state healthcare exchanges, according to analyses by The Urban Institute and other groups supported by The Commonwealth Fund.

Experts projected that health insurance benefits could be extended to cover an additional 25 million Americans through the combined impact of personal and small business insurance exchanges, with an additional two million if the exchanges are combined. This would even benefit those already insured, according to the Commonwealth Fund, because the larger pool of consumers would allow insurers to reduce premiums and coverage costs per person, by an average of $600 annually.

Consumers benefiting from reduced costs might be wise to re-consider what coverage they can afford. Better prices could make it more advisable to invest in broader insurance protection that applies to more situations, as opposed to restricting policies to covering crucial situations. For example, some choose not to purchase long-term care insurance to save money. If exchanges reduce costs as much as projected, this coverage could become affordable for those who previously avoided it.

State lawmakers have deferred planning a Virginia health insurance exchange for the time being in favor of waiting for the conclusion of Supreme Court proceedings concerning the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act which mandated the exchanges' creation.