Medicare Advantage rates shuffle but remain stable for 2017 in Pittsburgh region
Plan benefits, such as co-payments and deductibles, are becoming a little less favorable in some cases but also are changing little, said
"Benefits are going to be marginalized a little bit. Once again, there will be increased options as far as some of these outlying counties (are concerned)," Breisinger said.
The local trend is in line with what's happening nationally, where premiums for
CMS published the rates in advance of
Insurers
The insurers declined to comment on plans before
Costs are dropping across the board for Aetna, UnitedHealthcare and Humana, according to the prices posted by CMS, while Highmark and
UnitedHealthcare, which entered the market with two plans in 2016, is adding a third plan in 2017 with richer benefits and a higher price tag.
Insurance brokers wouldn't discuss specifics either, but Breisinger said people should expect to see a shift toward plans with fewer hospitals and doctors in-network, a trend occurring in the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
"It's such a mild increase, you're not going to see a lot of seniors moving from plan to plan," Nelson said.
As open enrollment approaches, Nelson said seniors have been calling him with concerns about their Highmark plans. They fear that the insurer's losses in the Affordable Care Act market will affect their
At this time last year, a looming state Supreme Court decision added uncertainty to the open enrollment period. The court had heard arguments from
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