Individual ACA Rates To Rise 30% In Pennsylvania

Oct. 16--Rates for the Affordable Care Act's individual plans will increase by an average of 30 percent in Pennsylvania, the state's acting insurance commissioner announced Monday.

Jessica Altman blamed President Trump's decision to end cost-sharing reductions for low income citizens who buy health insurance on the federal marketplace.

"It is with great regret that I must announce approved rates that are substantially higher than what companies initially requested," Altman said in a press release . "This is not the situation I hoped we would be in, but due to President Trump's refusal to make cost-sharing reduction payments for 2018 and Congress's inaction to appropriate funds, it is the reality that state regulators must face and the reason rate increases will be higher than they should be across the country."

Earlier projections showed that rates would increase 7.6 percent, she said.

"The president's deliberate action and Congress's failure to appropriate these funds despite repeated requests is forcing large rate increases on consumers in Pennsylvania and around the country, but my department is doing what we can to help our consumers understand their options and hopefully shield them from these rate increases," Altman said.

The individual plans that UPMC sells on the federal health insurance marketplace are increasing by an average of 41 percent, while Highmark Inc.'s are increasing by 25 percent.

Open enrollment for 2018 plans starts Nov. 1 and runs through Dec. 15.