2017 Health Insurance Rate Requests

[MBSC]

I thought we could have a consolidated thread to post requested health insurance rate changes.

Virginia:
2017 average requested rate increases across all individual under age 65 plans and metal tiers.

Anthem Healthkeepers HMO: +15.80%
Aetna PPO: +13.00%
Aetna HMO (currently Coventry): New participant, not compared to 2016 Coventry rates
CareFirst BlueChoice HMO: +32.60% (**Bronze to Silver)
CareFirst BCBS: +31.60% (**Bronze to Silver)
Cigna: New participant, no 2016 rates
Innovation Health PPO: +16.60%
Kaiser HMO: +10.00%
Optima Health HMO: +37.00%
United HealthCare PPO: Discontinued for 2017
United HealthCare HMO: +9.40%

Not all plans are offered in all counties.
** CareFirst BlueChoice/BCBS is eliminating Bronze plans to reduce administrative costs. The premium increase reflects increased claim payments in moving members from $6,200 avg OOP Bronze to $3,200 avg OOP Silver Plans.


Oregon:
ATRIO Health Plans +15.0%
BridgeSpan Health Company +18.9%
Health Net Health Plan of Oregon 0.0%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest +14.5%
Lifewise - Withdrawing in 2017
Moda Health Plan +32.3%
Oregon's Health CO-OP +32.0%
PacificSource Health Plans +15.2%
Providence Health Plan +29.6%
Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon +17.9%
ZOOM+ Performance Health Insurance +22.6%

 

[Gotadimple]

Are these the requests, or the approved requests? A plan can ask for an increase, but the insurance commissioner can deny it, or only grant a portion of it.

 

[MBSC]

Are these the requests, or the approved requests? A plan can ask for an increase, but the insurance commissioner can deny it, or only grant a portion of it.

These are the amounts requested by the companies. The company may not receive the full amount requested and choose not to participate on the 2017 ACA exchange.

 

[MBSC]

Texas:

BCBSTX Blue Advantage HMO +58.60%
BCBSTX Blue Advantage Plus +57.33%

"There are currently 602,656 members on Individual ACA plans that may be affected by these proposed rates. Earned premiums for all non-grandfathered Individual plans during calendar year 2015 were $3,210,829,457 and total claims incurred were $4,086,834,265. In 2015, BCBSTX had a $770 million loss in the individual marketplace. The 2017 filed rates reflect our updated expectations around anticipated medical costs. Administrative costs as a percentage of premium have changed from 9.5% in our 2016 rates to 8.2% in the proposed 2017 rates."

Aetna EPO +15.19%
Scott & White Silver HDHP HMO +33.11%
Scott & White Bronze 6400 +32.68%
Humana has submitted small group rate increases but has not submitted the off-exchange individual plan with access to MD Anderson Cancer Center. Deadline is May 11th.

Texas does not have an effective rate review program. HHS will review the rates.
Reference: https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/rate_review_fact_sheet.html

Florida:

Aetna +28.87%
BCBSFL BlueOptions +9.83%
BCBSFL BlueSelect +11.61%
HealthOptions BlueCare +16.46%
HealthOptions MyBlue +10.16%

 

[MichaelB]

From KFF Obamacare Premiums In California May Rise 8 Percent Next Year, State Predicts | Kaiser Health News

Californias health insurance exchange estimates that its Obamacare premiums may rise 8 percent on average next year, which would end two consecutive years of more modest 4 percent increases.

 

[pb4uski]

Vermont's proposed 2017 individual health insurance increases just came out and seem relatively modest... more than inflation but not as outrageous as some of the prior postings in this thread. The proposed increase for our plan is 5.2%.

BCBSVT proposes an average annual increase of 8.2% over 2016 premiums offered on Vermont Health Connect. Proposed increases per plan range from 5.2%-10.9%.

MVP proposes an average annual increase of 8.8% over 2016 premiums offered on Vermont Health Connect. Proposed increases per plan range from 3.5%-13.5%.

 

[pb4uski]

One interesting thing in the filing:

This plan adjustment includes two components of the impact of the specific eligibility categories for the catastrophic plan. Both of these adjustments are based on the eligible population. The eligible population includes Vermont residents that are under age 30 and residents age 30 and over who would find the lowest cost plan to be more than 8 percent of their income. We used our current enrollment in the Catastrophic plan as a proxy for eligibility and adjusted the projected members that would qualify under the hardship rule to account for the increase premiums. We project that 94.4 percent of the population eligible for this product will be under age 30.

From the data provided in the filing it looks as if only 9 people over 30 are buying cat coverage, with 2 of the 9 being me and DW.

 

[ziggy29]

From KFF Obamacare Premiums In California May Rise 8 Percent Next Year, State Predicts | Kaiser Health News

Wow. They are making it sound like 8% is ridiculous but it's a lot less than almost everywhere else.

So much for ACA being the key that unbinds the shackles of health insurance with employment.

 

[AllDone]

This is the third summer that we've seen these types of articles. The first two years the actual increases were much more modest. I suspect that we'll see the same pattern this year. It's hardly surprising that they would ask for something higher than they would be willing to settle for.

 

[pb4uski]

....So much for ACA being the key that unbinds the shackles of health insurance with employment.

My impression is that both individual and group premiums are under the same pressures as they both are driven by rising health care costs.

 

[ziggy29]

My impression is that both individual and group premiums are under the same pressures as they both are driven by rising health care costs.

Group coverage has been far less affected. Not immune, but less affected -- because group plans don't have the massive adverse selection that individual plans have, and their members tend to be healthier and aren't as likely to be needing care and treatment after many years of being uninsured.

This is the third summer that we've seen these types of articles. The first two years the actual increases were much more modest. I suspect that we'll see the same pattern this year. It's hardly surprising that they would ask for something higher than they would be willing to settle for.

Yes, a standard negotiating tactic. But even if you compromise and are willing to take half of what you wanted, a 30% request turning into a 15% actual increase is hardly a win for consumers.

 

[explanade]

57% in TX? They might as well get out of the exchange.

 

[ziggy29]

57% in TX? They might as well get out of the exchange.

Texas has been as hostile toward everything related to ACA as any state in the union, and has not really indicated any desire to defend or protect its ratepayers as far as I've been able to tell. It has one of the most lax insurance regulatory environments in the nation, and that was true well before the ACA. It was one of the first things I noticed when we moved here in 2003.

 

[REWahoo]

Texas has been as hostile toward everything related to ACA as any state in the union, and has not really indicated any desire to defend or protect its ratepayers as far as I've been able to tell. It has one of the most lax insurance regulatory environments in the nation, and that was true well before the ACA. It was one of the first things I noticed when we moved here in 2003.

I tried to tell you not to move here...

 

[ziggy29]

I tried to tell you not to move here...

Yes, but you mentioned heat and scorpions and chiggers and all that stuff. Not insurance!

 

[MBSC]

Iowa:

Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield (Iowa) is sending letters this week telling about 30,000 customers it plans to raise their premiums by 38 percent to 43 percent next year.

Wellmark Executive Vice President Laura Jackson said about 10 percentage points of the increase stem from the costs of a single, extremely complicated patient who is receiving $1 million per month worth of care for a severe genetic disorder.

The increases being proposed this week don’t affect the hundreds of thousands of Wellmark customers who obtain coverage via their employers. Their premiums are expected to rise less, because they are in larger, more stable pools of customers.

Reference: Wellmark plans 38% to 43% increases for some customers

 

[Mulligan]

My impression is that both individual and group premiums are under the same pressures as they both are driven by rising health care costs.

Not in my situation... When I retired I could have stayed on company plan but it was $500 with $1k deductible. Outrageous! So I went on an
individual 5k deductible, HSA plan that in the 5 years I had it "skyrocketed" from $73 to $87....Such high costs...not...
Now our lovely new system I was forced into has jacked mine up $250 in 16 months with a 30 % higher deductible to boot.. Am I the only person paying for insurance and never using it ever? The plan I could have stayed on is only $50 higher than 6 years ago..
Oh...and besides the rate shock that is about to hit, it could get even worse.. Carriers are looking at getting rid of Bronze plans. Seems scumbags are helping cause my rates to explode by getting loaded up on treatment and then dropping plans. They need to confiscate a kidney during surgery and hold it until they prove they kept paid insurance for full term... Below came from CNBC website.

Bye-bye bronze plans?

Consumers on the lowest-tier "bronze" plans could see some of the biggest jumps in prices if preliminary requests are ultimately approved. In some cases, insurers are abandoning the low-premium offering altogether.
A unit of CareFirst Blue Cross in Virginia said it will transition all of its bronze plan members to mid-tier, or so-called silver, plans in 2017. The switch will mean a 70 percent price hike for those customers, according to the company's rate request filing.
Bronze plans have been some of the biggest sources of losses for insurers because the low rates attract sick patients who cost more, but often drop coverage during the year.
"Tons of people came in, got what they needed and left. And they ended up 20 percent — in some cases 30 percent — more expensive than those who came in and stayed," said Dr. Martin Hickey, CEO New Mexico Health Connections, a nonprofit cooperative insurer.


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[scrabbler1]

Here in New York, my company, OSCAR, wrote to tell me they requested an 8.2% premium increase in my Silver plan. But on the flip side, a drug I have been using under their plan originally had a $50 copay per month but that immediately disappeared, saving me slightly more per month than the premium increase will cost me. And that's not counting any possible increase in the ACA premium subsidy.

 

[Mulligan]

Here in New York, my company, OSCAR, wrote to tell me they requested an 8.2% premium increase in my Silver plan. But on the flip side, a drug I have been using under their plan originally had a $50 copay per month but that immediately disappeared, saving me slightly more per month than the premium increase will cost me. And that's not counting any possible increase in the ACA premium subsidy.

Those premium subsidies (not yours specifically Scrabbler) also scare me. Between the users who get their ails taken care of and drop and subsidy receivers who are largely immune from the rate shock increases, this leaves the "full rack rate" monthly payers exposed to even more of the increase.
Most people will act in their own economic self interests which would involve more people using and dropping, or just not buying at all, then the system crashes. At some point I will become a scumbag too after being taken advantage of by other consumers. Except worse... I wont even pay the penalty.


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[imoldernu]

CNBC Overview of ACA increases

Insurers are looking for Obamacare price hikes

More of the above

 

[MichaelB]

Those premium subsidies (not yours specifically Scrabbler) also scare me. Between the users who get their ails taken care of and drop and subsidy receivers who are largely immune from the rate shock increases, this leaves the "full rack rate" monthly payers exposed to even more of the increase.
Most people will act in their own economic self interests which would involve more people using and dropping, or just not buying at all, then the system crashes. At some point I will become a scumbag too after being taken advantage of by other consumers. Except worse... I wont even pay the penalty.

People moving in and out of coverage during the year may be a problem. We have no way of knowing how significant, because the only data released by the insurers is to make their claim but not allow for more thorough scrutiny. The root cause of rate increases is individual policies, however, is not people gaming the system, or even an excess of sick people, it's that US health care is very costly.

The Milliman Medical Index shows the average cost for a group policy - premium plus cost sharing - is around $6k per person. Add in the age range difference for individual policies and it's clear that many of the exchange options are still inexpensive by comparison and may increase much more in price.

 

[eytonxav]

Texas has been as hostile toward everything related to ACA as any state in the union, and has not really indicated any desire to defend or protect its ratepayers as far as I've been able to tell. It has one of the most lax insurance regulatory environments in the nation, and that was true well before the ACA. It was one of the first things I noticed when we moved here in 2003.

Its not just hostile to ACA, my mega-corps retiree coverage is much more expensive in Texas vs the northeast or almost any other location in the US. Since its self funded, the cost drivers are supposedly claims based, but its hard for me to believe that retirees are much sicker here than other parts of the county.

 

[ziggy29]

This is one of those situations where I really wish I would have been wrong, but I think the lack of sufficient penalties and enforcement of said penalties (you only pay if you would be getting a tax refund otherwise) have led to too much adverse selection in the individual insurance market that premiums are skyrocketing there much faster than in employer group plans. I more or less predicted that the lack of sufficient penalties or an enforceable "individual mandate" would led to ridiculous price spikes. The young and healthy are staying out, or worse -- getting in just long enough to get a bunch of deferred treatments, then getting out again.

 

[Johnora]

People moving in and out of coverage during the year may be a problem. We have no way of knowing how significant, because the only data released by the insurers is to make their claim but not allow for more thorough scrutiny. The root cause of rate increases is individual policies, however, is not people gaming the system, or even an excess of sick people, it's that US health care is very costly.

The Milliman Medical Index shows the average cost for a group policy - premium plus cost sharing - is around $6k per person. Add in the age range difference for individual policies and it's clear that many of the exchange options are still inexpensive by comparison and may increase much more in price.

+1

 

[Mulligan]

People moving in and out of coverage during the year may be a problem. We have no way of knowing how significant, because the only data released by the insurers is to make their claim but not allow for more thorough scrutiny. The root cause of rate increases is individual policies, however, is not people gaming the system, or even an excess of sick people, it's that US health care is very costly.

The Milliman Medical Index shows the average cost for a group policy - premium plus cost sharing - is around $6k per person. Add in the age range difference for individual policies and it's clear that many of the exchange options are still inexpensive by comparison and may increase much more in price.

Not debating the fact medical care is expensive. Its the gaming and cost shifting going on, and thinking 2 steps ahead this will be its undoing if adjustments are not made. The people on edge getting rate smacks paying out of pocket, not people being subsided will be next to abandon which then in turn will cause people in my category to be next in line to jump.
We had a good debate about these risk corridors at very beginning of implementation. It appears these expiring could be source of the next rate wave problem also.
Maybe its just me, but my experience isn't reflective your data. What deductible is that group policy of $6k? I bet is isn't a $6500 deductible like my crap plan is. So factoring in my ACA premium and deductible, Im out $9500. My old group plan is max cost of $7600, plus networks are considerably wider.



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