ACA Carefirst PPO Rates up 50% in this area

[spncity]

Just looking at ACA Carefirst PPO (Blue Cross)

Figures and attachments list three Carefirst PPO metal levels for 2017 and 2018 for same age person (62) in a high COL area.

Silver plan for 2018 is no longer HSA qualified according to this info.

Average increase for Bronze and Silver is more than 50%. Increase for Gold is just over 38%.

Monthly rates for one person:

Bronze 2017: $876.70 HSA yes
Bronze 2018: $1348.47 HSA yes

Silver 2017: $1032.99 HSA yes
Silver 2018: $1542.14 HSA no

Gold 2017: $1236.08 HSA no
Gold 2018: $1709.81 HSA no

The jump from 2016 to 2017 was also large.

 

[pb4uski]

Those premiums were high even before the increase... mind boggling. Where is this?

 

[Blue Collar Guy]

Those premiums were high even before the increase... mind boggling. Where is this?

The link says Maryland

 

[ncbill]

Can you not manage your income to qualify for subsidies?

 

[ExFlyBoy5]

Wow. That is a *serious* chunk of change.

 

[Sojourner]

Monthly rates for one person:

Bronze 2017: $876.70 HSA yes
Bronze 2018: $1348.47 HSA yes

This is truly staggering. Over $16,000 per year for the lowest level of coverage? I honestly do not get it, and I don't see how anyone could possibly think this is acceptable.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

My insurance person that I have used to get me ACA coverage for the last 2 years, says not much will change in Florida where I am except that the Cost Sharing subsidies will not be renewed. So deductibles and copays will increase for most people. The regular subsidies will stay in play for the <400% of Poverty Line.

 

[MichaelB]

Actually, it looks like Florida rates will be rising sharply, again. Florida’s Obamacare rates spike nearly 45 percent for 2018 | Miami Herald

Florida regulators said most of the average rate hike — 31 percentage points — came from standard plans sold on the ACA exchange at healthcare.gov.

Here is the summary sheet for 2018 rates for individual plans in Florida. http://floir.com/siteDocuments/45IndividualPPACAMarketMonthlyPremiumsfor2018.pdf

Subsidies may pick up much of the increase, so the change may not be that great for people enjoying subsidies, but it is without doubt a substantial increase for the rest of us.

 

[rodi]

Is some of the increase due to being another year older. My husbands insurance rates accelerated rapidly in his 60's till he hit 65 and went on Medicare this year. ACA is age based... and it doesn't get cheaper as you get older.

 

[MichaelB]

Is some of the increase due to being another year older. My husbands insurance rates accelerated rapidly in his 60's till he hit 65 and went on Medicare this year. ACA is age based... and it doesn't get cheaper as you get older.

The rate increases are on the base price. Age based increases are additional.

 

[jim584672]

Move to NY (also VT?) where age rating is universal.

 

[USGrant1962]

I'm in Maryland and am considering going HMO for the first time in 20 years due to these prices. Ugh.

 

[audreyh1]

Wow and ouch! - this is mind blowing. Our rates jumped steeply last year. Hoping for not so steep a rise this year.

 

[GTFan]

My insurance person that I have used to get me ACA coverage for the last 2 years, says not much will change in Florida where I am except that the Cost Sharing subsidies will not be renewed. So deductibles and copays will increase for most people. The regular subsidies will stay in play for the <400% of Poverty Line.

Insurers are responsible for CSRs regardless of whether the gov't funds them, that's why the policy premiums are going up so much in many areas.

So deductibles/max OOP should not increase for CSR'd Silver plans, because by law they have to cover x% of OOP costs based on the FPL income tiers.

We're looking at 50% or so increases here in GA too which is unsustainable. I don't know how anyone over 400% of FPL at our age can afford a policy now - more and more folks are going to be stuck in jobs they don't want.

 

[rodi]

This triggered me to go digging to see if what my rates my go up... I can't get the exact rates but the local pbs outlet had an article suggesting my insurer, in this area, will only go up 8-10%.

Well above inflation in every other spending area - but healthcare has been out of control for a few decades... the only thing comparable is college costs.

 

[cathy63]

This triggered me to go digging to see if what my rates my go up... I can't get the exact rates but the local pbs outlet had an article suggesting my insurer, in this area, will only go up 8-10%.

Well above inflation in every other spending area - but healthcare has been out of control for a few decades... the only thing comparable is college costs.

Here's the document Covered CA published a couple of months ago. It doesn't have exact premium amounts, but it gives the increase ranges for each provider by region, so that's probably where PBS got their info. Skip to the last page for our Region 19. DH and I are also looking at 6%-10% increases, which is manageable.

https://www.coveredca.com/news/PDFs/CoveredCA_2018_Plans_and_Rates_8-1-2017.pdf

 

[audreyh1]

Insurers are responsible for CSRs regardless of whether the gov't funds them, that's why the policy premiums are going up so much in many areas.

So deductibles/max OOP should not increase for CSR'd Silver plans, because by law they have to cover x% of OOP costs based on the FPL income tiers.

We're looking at 50% or so increases here in GA too which is unsustainable. I don't know how anyone over 400% of FPL at our age can afford a policy now - more and more folks are going to be stuck in jobs they don't want.

OK - I see that many states (but not all) allowed insurers to submit two sets of rates - one for government funding the CSRs, and one without the government funding the CSRs.