Health insurers seek rate hikes

June 24--TALLAHASSEE -- Nine insurance companies have submitted rate filings to sell individual health coverage that complies with requirements in the federal Affordable Care Act, with six seeking to sell through the federal exchange. The companies are seeking average rate increases of 17.8 percent, according to the state Office of Insurance Regulation.

Many Floridians using the individual marketplace wouldn't see such premium increases because of government subsidies. The six that plan to sell through the federal exchange are Molina Healthcare of Florida, Health Options, Health First Commercial Plans, Florida Health Care Plan, Celtic Insurance Company and Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida. The other three individual-market companies are AvMed, Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company and Freedom Life Insurance Company of America.

Also, 14 companies have submitted filings to provide small-group products that comply with the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare. They are Aetna Health, Aetna Life Insurance Company, All Savers Insurance Company, AvMed, Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Florida, Capital Health Plan, Florida Health Care Plan, Health First Commercial Plans, Health Options, Humana Health Insurance Company of Florida, Humana Medical Plan, Neighborhood Health Partnership, United Healthcare Insurance Company and United Healthcare of Florida. Their average rate increase request was 9.2 percent.

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