Don't see that this is a "problem" given the promise that you could keep your insurance if you like it.Part of the problem is that Iowa allowed insurance companies to grandfather non compliant plans.
Don't see that this is a "problem" given the promise that you could keep your insurance if you like it.Part of the problem is that Iowa allowed insurance companies to grandfather non compliant plans.
Blue Cross intends to sell individual health insurance plans on and off the federal exchange in all 100 North Carolina counties. But the company said that the uncertain future of the ACA could determine whether Blue Cross will offer plans in North Carolina next year.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield, the state’s largest health insurer, is proposing a 22.9 percent rate increase on Affordable Care Act plans in 2018. Blue Cross said its rate increase proposal would be 8.8 percent if Congress continued fully funding the ACA in 2018.
Because 94 percent of Blue Cross’s customers in the state qualify for a federal subsidy to offset the cost of their monthly premiums, most customers will not feel the full brunt of the rate increase.
Cigna, which offers ACA plans in five counties in the Triangle, requested a 31.9 percent average rate increase.
Reference: BCBS asks to raise ACA rates 23% in 2018 | News & Observer
Well, many young are paying "tax" rather than buying policies. So don't see why they would if not getting through employer. Net, I think we'd have more uninsured under your proposal.I my view biggest flow of ACA was to not dissolve employer based plans, those include younger and healthier population leaving exchanges in disadvantage. If all population of each state would be buying through exchange - insurers would be piling up there as there would be no group business for them anymore. Employers subsidy could continue directly to employees and employees would have more choices.
Well, many young are paying "tax" rather than buying policies. So don't see why they would if not getting through employer. Net, I think we'd have more uninsured under your proposal.
Why insurance premiums aren't treated the same for all - all taxable, all not - escapes me.
Nearly 100,000 Nebraskans apparently will have only one choice for individual health insurance next year. And even that choice isn’t certain: Medica Health hasn’t decided whether to offer plans next year.
Reference: 100,000 Nebraskans could be left with no options if last insurer pulls out of ACA market | Live Well Nebraska | omaha.com
Anthem said it would continue to sell Obamacare compliant plans outside of the exchange in Pike County, Ohio as well as other individual plans that were grandfathered when the law went into effect.
In 2018, the move would leave about 10,500 people in at least 18 counties with no insurer.
Reference: https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/06/06/business/06reuters-anthem-ohio.html
An update on the Iowa individual market.Wellmark Iowa, BCBS, has announced it will no longer sell individual ACA plans, effective Jan 1 of next year. The reason is profitability and uncertainty.
The Iowa Insurance Division is proposing a plan to stabilize Iowa's struggling individual insurance market. The division said the stopgap measure was designed in consultation with Wellmark and Medica.
The insurance division's proposal would offer a single, standardized insurance plan to be sold across the state. Premiums still would be subsidized based on age and income, and a reinsurance program would be offered to help with more expensive patients. Wellmark has agreed to offer the standardized plan in all 99 counties, if the plan's principles are approved in a timely manner, according to the insurance division.
For 2018, the plan would cover pre-existing conditions, and there would be no limits on annual or lifetime costs.
The plan would require federal approval, and Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen said he is optimistic that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services would approve.
Source: Iowa floats plan for insurance markets | Iowa & The Midwest | globegazette.com
And more good news...Officials with Blue Cross Blue Shield Arizona and Centene Corp's Ambetter by Health Net say they've filed with the state Department of Insurance to continue offering insurance.
Blue Cross sells in 13 mainly rural counties and will maintain a similar set of plans. Health Net will again sell plans in Pima and Maricopa County.
Source: https://www.usnews.com/news/best-st...izona-health-insurers-sticking-it-out-in-2018
Centene, one of the largest players in the Obamacare individual insurance market, said it plans to enter Kansas, Missouri and Nevada in 2018, as well as expand its operations in six existing markets: Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Ohio, Texas, and Washington.
Source: UPDATE 1-Centene to expand Obamacare insurance to 3 new states in 2018 | Reuters
Here's a pretty good analysis and explanation from Health Affairs Blog (T. Jost)
Iowa Submits 1332 Waiver Request, Claiming It Is Necessary To Avoid An Individual Insurance Market Collapse
Maybe the only way insurers would be interested in the individual market would be if the group market isn't so profitable for them.
It may take removing the tax advantages for employer-provided health care in order for the individual markets, especially in more sparsely-populated regions, to have a chance.
I just had dinner with a guy from KC that I'd worked around most of my career. He and I retired a year apart and shared many notes. Some about healthcare.I'm in MO, near KC and every year I've had to switch carriers. Retired in 2014, switched for 2015 when my carrier offered only a crappier, more expensive version, same for 2016 and 2017. Current one, Humana, just announced they're dropping out of the Exchange for 2018. Thank heaven I turn 65 early next year.
I agree with earlier posts on group vs. exchange coverage. Group policies cover at least a primary insured (the employee) healthy enough to come to work most days, probably covered by insurance most of their lives. Many of the newly- insured through ACA are used to ignoring symptoms till they have to go to the ER and aren't used to preventative testing and healthy eating/living. On average, a different population.
It may take removing the tax advantages for employer-provided health care in order for the individual markets, especially in more sparsely-populated regions, to have a chance.
+1Maybe just require that any company selling group policies in a state must also offer individual/exchange policies
Monthly premiums for California health insurance plans sold under the Affordable Care Act will rise by an average of 12.5% next year.
About 10% of people enrolled through Covered California will also have to look for a new plan, as Anthem Blue Cross plans to end its coverage in most of the state. State officials said Tuesday that Anthem will continue providing coverage only in Santa Clara County and parts of Northern California and the Central Valley.
The average rate increases vary by region. An average 7% increase in San Francisco County compares with 13% in Los Angeles and 10% in Orange County.
Source: Covered California premiums will rise 12.5%, and Anthem Blue Cross cuts coverage - LA Times
BCBS said yesterday that they are pulling out of the Atlanta market for 2018, citing continued regulatory uncertainty. But in return the AJC said that Ambetter will be entering the metro counties left by BCBS, which will again leave us with two insurers (Kaiser is the other and they're staying).
BCBS is only staying in the rest of GA (as the sole provider) after lots of arm-twisting by the state, apparently.
I hope that Ambetter picks up our Wellstar network of local doctors and hospitals, otherwise we may end up with Kaiser next year.
However, user reviews of Ambetter are horrible. They're running the low-end Peach State health plan here now.
https://bestcompany.com/health-insurance/company/ambetter/