Health insurance premiums drop or stay level; Obamacare enrollment down slightly in MS

Dec. 02--TUPELO -- Consumers mulling health insurance through the federal exchange or through employers will largely see level or decreasing premiums this year as open enrollment periods wind down.

"There was a decrease in the rates for large employers," said Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney.

Small employers generally are seeing premiums stay level or a small decrease, depending on what category they fall into.

"We're very fortunate here in Mississippi," said Bob Williams, who oversees the life and health actuarial division at the Mississippi Insurance Department.

The department looks as carefully at decreases as it looks at proposed increases, Chaney said.

"We want to make sure they are paying what they should on claims," Chaney said.

Premiums on the federal exchange, where consumers can access subsidies, also dropped about 4 percent.

Obamacare

Open enrollment through healthcare.gov runs through Dec. 15. Nationally, 2.4 million people have chosen health insurance plans on healthcare.gov between Nov. 1-24. Enrollment is down about 13 percent through the first four weeks compared to the same period last year, according to data released Wednesday by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.

In Mississippi, the gap is much smaller. According to the CMS data, 27,144 people have enrolled in a health insurance plan, down 628 people, about 2 percent, compared to this time last year.

Because the Department of Health and Human Services rolled back funds for advertising and navigators, there are fewer public events and less in-person assistance for consumers, said Mississippi Health Advocacy Program executive director Roy Mitchell.

"But for the administration's sabotage efforts, I can only assume, we would be much higher," Mitchell said.

This year, there is only one insurer -- Ambetter by Magnolia -- for all 82 counties in Mississippi. Rates dropped slightly -- about 4 percent -- compared to last year. That follows a trend seen across the nation.

Short-term plans

Nationally, there is concern that extension for short-term insurance plans will erode participation in the federal exchange. The short-term policies aren't subject to the Affordable Care Act rules. They usually don't cover pre-existing conditions and benefits are more limited.

"We're concerned that consumers may find themselves underinsured," Mitchell said.

The insurance department is monitoring the insurers selling short-term plans and making sure they clearly communicate with consumers about the limitations of the policies.

"It's not robust coverage," Chaney said. "Be sure you know what you're buying and what you are leaving on the table."

Because most Mississippi consumers who buy on the exchange historically qualify for federal subsidies, Chaney believes that will be less of an issue in Mississippi. The short-term plans seem to be most attractive to people who are between jobs and are opting out of COBRA coverage from their previous employer.

"We don't see a big uptick in short-term plans," Chaney said.

Medicare Advantage

It does not appear that two ongoing disputes over Medicare Advantage will be solved before open enrollment in the managed care plans close on Friday.

Tupelo-based North Mississippi Health Services ended its provider network agreement with Humana's Medicare Advantage program effective Jan. 1 over concerns about large number of denials. Southwest Health System in McComb dropped its agreement with Well Care over concerns about reimbursements. Medicare supplements and commercial insurance are not affected by the disputes.

The insurance department continues to get calls about disputes from consumers.

"We're doing everything we can within the limits of my authority," Chaney said.

Both Humana and NMHS officials have said they continue to be open to negotiations.

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