ACA Rate Increases For 2022

[scrabbler1]

I have started similar threads on this topic the last few years. I recently received a letter from my HI company telling me what they are filing for 2022. They are filing a 11.05% increase this time, pushing my unsubsidized monthly premium up around $79 to just under $800 (for one person).

Like last year, I am well under the ACA premium subsidy cliff thanks to finally dumping in late 2019 an actively managed stock fund I had been in for more than 20 years and replacing it with a similar index fund. Thanks to the recent law change which eliminated the cliff and also increased the ACA premium subsidy, I am now paying only around 1/3 of the total premium.

Have any of you received preliminary letters regarding 2022 rate changes?

 

[PaunchyPirate]

My insurance company in Pennsylvania never sends any advance letter detailing planned rate increases or decreases. Officially, I don't see the prices and plan changes until the exchange opens for enrollment on November 1st. Unofficially, each year I dig into the State's Insurance Department website to find proposed rate changes that are posted for public review. Usually this happens in mid to late-August. But the final state-approved rates aren't published until about mid-October. And you have to dig through complicated spreadsheets to find the approved rates.

 

[SecondCor521]

I remember your past threads. Idaho seems like Pennsylvania in this regard - the data doesn't seem to be easily findable until the website is updated for open enrollment in October-ish. Since I can't do anything about it, I'll just wait and find out then.

Between my kids going on and off my plan, and switching to a Bronze HDHP HSA plan this year, and my income being unpredictable until December, and my state's marketplace website not adjusting my premiums for the ARP Act, it's a total mess. I'd try to fix it but every time I try to fix it it takes ten calls (on hold each time, or they call me back) and they don't understand what I'm trying to tell them, or they can't make it work the way it should. So now I just leave things the way they are and settle up on Form 8962 every year at tax time. I think I'm sort of a corner case for them.

 

[scrabbler1]

I remember your past threads. Idaho seems like Pennsylvania in this regard - the data doesn't seem to be easily findable until the website is updated for open enrollment in October-ish. Since I can't do anything about it, I'll just wait and find out then.

Between my kids going on and off my plan, and switching to a Bronze HDHP HSA plan this year, and my income being unpredictable until December, and my state's marketplace website not adjusting my premiums for the ARP Act, it's a total mess. I'd try to fix it but every time I try to fix it it takes ten calls (on hold each time, or they call me back) and they don't understand what I'm trying to tell them, or they can't make it work the way it should. So now I just leave things the way they are and settle up on Form 8962 every year at tax time. I think I'm sort of a corner case for them.

The law changed earlier this year is retroactive to January 1st, right? If so, this means the increased subsidy used in the calculation on Form 8962 will be based on the entire year, not starting in April or May or June or whatever.

Your state's exchange makes mine here in NY look like a dream. They automatically adjusted the subsidy after the law change although it took until the May premium payment. I had many problems with the NY Marketplace in early 2020 and early 2021, relating to the income proof and, in 2021, a surprising termination of coverage (the Marketplace thought I lost the coverage, not my insurance) I scrambled to prevent. I had better luck with the separate help line in dealing with the 1095-A forms, as those reps were a lot smarter and easier to deal with.

I am quite interested in seeing what the new 8962 form will look like. If one appears in Draft status, I suppose this will be the name they use:

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f8962--dft.pdf

Right now, the 2020 draft version is in there. Maybe in a few months, or sooner, as that 2020 draft version was created August 19, 2020.

 

[erkevin]

Yes, Scrabbler, the law is retroactive to January 1. Those it affects will be receiving a tax credit come tax time. And no, BCBS Tennessee has not sent out any notifcation on a possible premium increase for 2022.

 

[SecondCor521]

The law changed earlier this year is retroactive to January 1st, right? If so, this means the increased subsidy used in the calculation on Form 8962 will be based on the entire year, not starting in April or May or June or whatever.

Correct. My state announced that they were going to automagically adjust everyone's APTC based on the new law, and that it would take effect in April or May.

So I wait until April or May. No change to my APTC.

I call and ask about it, and they can't give me a straight answer:

"Some people weren't affected" OK, but I am. My ACA MAGI is clearly in the middle of the FPL range.
"We did it already" Ha, nice try, but no you didn't.
"We're going to do it soon, just wait." Sure you will. Still waiting in late July.

They also unilaterally decided last December to add my daughter back on my plan even though I removed her last September and didn't ask to have her added back. That screwed up my January and February situation, which took until April or so to correct.

They refuse to process a change related to my son because they want proof from a previous employer that he doesn't work there any more. Sure, we're going to bother a former employer (sole prop / small business) to fill out government paperwork. (Proof from his new full time job is apparently not sufficient.)

And every single phone call is put on hold, then leave a number to be called back, to talk to a first gatekeeper who just politely says I'll need to talk to a specialist (yup, I knew that), and that is a second call back to wait for.

I think we need a "Get off my lawn!" emoji. :getoffmylawn:

 

[4legsgood]

There was a press release June 1 from Washington state insurance commissioner stating 15 insurers have proposed rates with an average increase of 5.47%. So nothing definite yet but in the past I think the proposed rates have been accepted.

 

[pb4uski]

On Medicare now so no longer appicable for us, but anyway:

For the first time since the inception of the Affordable Care Act, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont (Blue Cross) can recommend a premium reduction. Compared with last year, the proposal is to lower overall health insurance premiums collected by almost one percent (-0.9%). This is the overall rate change prior to unmerging the individual and small group market.

... When these markets are separated, the result is an unprecedented -7.8% reduction in small employer premiums for the 2022 plan year. Vermont’s small businesses, non-profits and municipalities are no longer spending millions each year to subsidize the individual market. This responsibility is shifted to the federal funds that are part of the Affordable Care Act. There is a corresponding increase in individual premium rates of 7.9% that is offset for most families by the new ARPA subsidies.

 

[zinger1457]

My BCBS of AZ policy has had small increases the past few years but I've also gotten rebate checks the last 3 years. Wonder how they justify an increase, even if it's a small one, when they are sending out yearly rebate checks?

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Pennsylvania has posted the insurance companies' requested rate changes for 2022 health insurance policies to the Dept. of Insurance website. These rates have not yet been approved, but they usually don't change much from this point on. The rates are buried in a PDF file of a spreadsheet and you have to get familiar with the file to find the rates.

If approved as is, it looks like my current plan's rate (single person, age 59, non-smoker) will go up about $43 to $943 per month (not including subsidy). Of course, this is partially due to a rate increase plus my age increasing by one year.

Annoyingly, the plans for my county from my current provider remain HMO only while every other county except one in all of western Pennsylvania have PPO options available. The biggest annoyance with the HMO is that they require my PCP to do referrals for each and every specialist visit.

One possible good thing to note is that it looks like my current insurer MIGHT be adding an HSA option for my county that wasn't previously offered. I'll have to investigate that if it holds to be true.

Also, my county only has 2 insurers in the ACA marketplace. UPMC and Highmark BC/BS. It looks like Highmark MIGHT be adding their higher-end Blue Access policies to the ACA marketplace this year. In the past, I could only purchase their lower-end My Direct Blue policies. I hope this is true as I might look into switching from UPMC to Highmark BC/BS in order to get better nationwide coverage and a full PPO network. Again, I'll be investigating once the state exchange goes live in November.

 

[ownyourfuture]

High deductible 'single' ACA plan through Medica: Minnesota
Got my notice this week.
According to the notice, the subsidy of $487.22 for 2021, will stay the same for 2022.

Monthly premium:
2021: $327.52 x 12 = $3,930.24
2022: $453.09 x 12 = $5,437.08 + 38.34%

Annual Deductible:
2021: $6,700.00
2022: $6,800.00

Annual Out-Of-Pocket Max:
2021: $7,000.00
2022: $7,050.00

My income for 2021 will be around the same as 2020.
I don't understand how it could go up that much when my income will be the same, & subsidies were allegedly increased ?
I'm going to have a sit down with the Medica rep sometime this coming week.

 

[scrabbler1]

The law changed earlier this year is retroactive to January 1st, right? If so, this means the increased subsidy used in the calculation on Form 8962 will be based on the entire year, not starting in April or May or June or whatever.

Your state's exchange makes mine here in NY look like a dream. They automatically adjusted the subsidy after the law change although it took until the May premium payment. I had many problems with the NY Marketplace in early 2020 and early 2021, relating to the income proof and, in 2021, a surprising termination of coverage (the Marketplace thought I lost the coverage, not my insurance) I scrambled to prevent. I had better luck with the separate help line in dealing with the 1095-A forms, as those reps were a lot smarter and easier to deal with.

I am quite interested in seeing what the new 8962 form will look like. If one appears in Draft status, I suppose this will be the name they use:

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/f8962--dft.pdf

Right now, the 2020 draft version is in there. Maybe in a few months, or sooner, as that 2020 draft version was created August 19, 2020.

A Draft version of the 2021 form 8962 appeared on August 12th. As I hoped (and maybe I posted this somewhere else; it feel familiar), Line 6, the one which asks if your %-of-FPL is greater than 401%, is gone.

A Draft version of the 2021 instructions for form 8962 appeared on September 9th.

https://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-dft/i8962--dft.pdf

 

[erkevin]

BCBS of Tennesee just sent me a letter that my Bronze plan premiums are increasing 19% next year. 19%!!! This brings the monthly premium to $1609/mo for my wife and I. Fortunately, we have one more year of increased subsidies due to the COVID relief package passed earlier this year.

 

[wompo]

Here in Nevada we got our notice of a 8.9% increase with deductible going up $100.00

 

[PaunchyPirate]

My Pennsylvania insurer, UPMC Healthcare sent me a letter yesterday. My Gold HMO plan is going from $899.78 to $928.33 per month — a 3.2% increase. This is the unsubsidized single person rate. Not a bad increase.

However, I’m likely to switch this year to Highmark BCBS, since early indications are they are going to offer two Gold PPOs in my zip code this year for $959 and $1022 per month. I will crunch all the numbers like I do every year, but I expect I’ll be picking one of those Gold plans.

 

[karen1972]

My plan (HSA eligible) went up 15%, my BFs (non HSA) went up 8%, standard increase requested from NC was 8% for BCBS. Interesting note. My BF got a notification of a cheaper plan, I didn't. Also there are 5 new providers this year on the ACA selling individual insurance, not sure which regions they will cover but still interesting to see how that plays out.

Last year my premiums went down but my understanding is that BCBS got sued and lost so part of the lawsuit required them to pay out and thus why my premium went down last year, so hard to tell what impact that had on the massive increase this year.

The biggest trick to my finding a plan is figuring out which ones cover out of network, there is some plans that "cover" out of network but with an UNLIMITED out of pocket max (which I didn't know was still ok, but I guess it is)...ie so if I travel to see my parents in another state and get hit by a bus, I will no longer be part of this lovely community I guess.

 

[SecondCor521]

It's impossible for me to tell between my kids going on my coverage and off my coverage, and having their own coverage, and being my tax dependents or not, and the premium subsidies changing as a result of the ARP Act in the spring / early summer, which was supposed to automatically change for me April 1st but didn't change for me until September.

I did find a web page from my state department of insurance folks which asserts that for my insurance company and metal level, the 2022 increase is 0%.

When I put in my 2022 situation, it shows my premium going down by about 86% for the same plan, same family members, and same income. :shrug:

 

[scrabbler1]

I found a press release from my state's DFS which said my IC had been granted an overall +7.5% increase, down from the +13.6% they filed. It seems likely that the +11.0% increase they told me about a few months ago will end up being around +6%. I'll find out soon enough.

 

[MichealKnight]

BCBS of Tennesee just sent me a letter that my Bronze plan premiums are increasing 19% next year. 19%!!! This brings the monthly premium to $1609/mo for my wife and I. Fortunately, we have one more year of increased subsidies due to the COVID relief package passed earlier this year.

Hello....

Don't COVID subsidies run out at the end of year?

I'm living large this year - when I sold my business and fired myself, I got unemployment, fair and square. (Never believed in collecting a thing in my life, but in my new religion, if I can't beat em, join em. )

So with unemployment I got the max family subsidy ....$1500-ish per month, so I'm paying $900 per month for GOLD PPO and loving that.

Though, I thought this sunsets at end of year?

 

[PaunchyPirate]

Hello....

Don't COVID subsidies run out at the end of year?

I'm living large this year - when I sold my business and fired myself, I got unemployment, fair and square. (Never believed in collecting a thing in my life, but in my new religion, if I can't beat em, join em. )

So with unemployment I got the max family subsidy ....$1500-ish per month, so I'm paying $900 per month for GOLD PPO and loving that.

Though, I thought this sunsets at end of year?

The unemployment-related subsidy goes away. But, for 2022 only, the MAGI Cap is still gone. And the percentage of MAGI Changes put in place for this year remain. Things will return to pre-Covid ways after 2022 unless new legislation is passed.

So the 8.5% of MAGI limit on healthcare premiums is still in effect for one more year.

 

[EastWest Gal]

Pennsylvania has posted the insurance companies' requested rate changes for 2022 health insurance policies to the Dept. of Insurance website. These rates have not yet been approved, but they usually don't change much from this point on. The rates are buried in a PDF file of a spreadsheet and you have to get familiar with the file to find the rates.

If approved as is, it looks like my current plan's rate (single person, age 59, non-smoker) will go up about $43 to $943 per month (not including subsidy). Of course, this is partially due to a rate increase plus my age increasing by one year.

Annoyingly, the plans for my county from my current provider remain HMO only while every other county except one in all of western Pennsylvania have PPO options available. The biggest annoyance with the HMO is that they require my PCP to do referrals for each and every specialist visit.

One possible good thing to note is that it looks like my current insurer MIGHT be adding an HSA option for my county that wasn't previously offered. I'll have to investigate that if it holds to be true.

Also, my county only has 2 insurers in the ACA marketplace. UPMC and Highmark BC/BS. It looks like Highmark MIGHT be adding their higher-end Blue Access policies to the ACA marketplace this year. In the past, I could only purchase their lower-end My Direct Blue policies. I hope this is true as I might look into switching from UPMC to Highmark BC/BS in order to get better nationwide coverage and a full PPO network. Again, I'll be investigating once the state exchange goes live in November.

I think it depends on location. In Central PA we had Highmark Blue Access PPO plans last year. The Direct Blue Policies were not accepted by either UPMC or Penn State Health (Grrrrr!).

 

[PaunchyPirate]

I think it depends on location. In Central PA we had Highmark Blue Access PPO plans last year. The Direct Blue Policies were not accepted by either UPMC or Penn State Health (Grrrrr!).

Yes, that's annoying. I'm in Crawford County and the Direct Blue were offered last year with the same caveats - No UPMC coverage.

I found the 2022 Highmark brochure on their website this week and it confirms that the Blue Access PPO is going to be offered in my county this year. And it continues to have UPMC hospitals in network. So I think I'm going to grab that so I have the best overall network. I'll feel better when I do domestic travel. UPMC continues to only offer a UPMC-only HMO in my county and that's what I am on this year, but I'll gladly pay a few more dollars for a PPO with better nationwide support.

 

[zinger1457]

The healthcare.gov site is now showing 2022 plans and prices. My premium from BCBS is going up ~6%.

 

[Aerides]

ugh... my plan didn't really go up, but we learned the hard way this year we needed another plan. Our nearest and best hospital, the one we'd ER to (and DH did...) is not in network now. So we're shopping by Provider first, cost second. And we'll be paying $700 a month vs. $150.

 

[ShokWaveRider]

Florida Blue costs & plans do not seem to be up yet on Healthcare.gov, not for our zip code at least.