Obamacare: ‘It’s Awful’

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Contact: Antonia Ferrier 202.228.NEWS http://bit.ly/2rvh5Ux

Obamacare: 'It's Awful' Families In VT, VA, OR And Elsewhere Face Huge Potential 2018 Premium Hikes

"Obamacare's markets are becoming increasingly vulnerable as major health insurers exit, citing financial losses. Some insurers have stayed in but raised the premiums they charge customers by double-digit percentages. Some of the instability has been going on for years, as fewer people than expected have signed up for plans and many have been sicker than insurers accounted for." ("Aetna To Pull Out Of Nebraska's Obamacare Exchange In 2018," Omaha World-Herald, 5/11/2017)

'Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families' Add Up

"New data shows just how high the cost has already gotten for people who don't qualify for subsidies now. In the report, eHealth found that individual premiums for insurance plans sold through its marketplace, or exchange, rose to an average of $378 per month in 2017 -- an 18 percent increase from 2016's open enrollment season. Since 2014, the average premiums for individual coverage have jumped 39 percent, eHealth found." ("Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families: 49 Percent Price Hike Since 2014, Premiums Of $14,300," CNBC, 5/11/2017)

* "Premiums for plans covering families increased even higher in 2017 -- 20 percent higher than the prior year. The average for families selecting plans was $997 per month this year, which is 49 percent higher than in 2014, eHealth said. The average deductible for a family plan sold on eHealth is now $8,322. In 2017, the average premium for a plan covering a family of four is more than $14,300 annually -- or $1,195 per month, the company said." ("Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families: 49 Percent Price Hike Since 2014, Premiums Of $14,300," CNBC, 5/11/2017)

"Scott Flanders, CEO of eHealth, said, 'Anyone who still needs proof that health insurance costs are out of control should take a look at our 2017 Price Index Report.'... 'It's hard to not be entirely sympathetic with them, because they're paying for coverage that they can't possibly use' in many cases, Flanders said, referring to the high deductibles often seen in the plans. 'And they're not being subsidized, yet they are subsidizing others, and they're being priced out of the marketplace.'" ("Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families: 49 Percent Price Hike Since 2014, Premiums Of $14,300," CNBC, 5/11/2017)

Washington Woman Confronting 25% Premium Hikes: 'I Think It's Awful'

"When Maggie Rikard first started buying Obamacare health plans in 2014, the Washington state housewife was paying a premium of about $375 per month for a plan that had a $2,500 deductible. Three years later, Rikard's premiums have spiked to $471 per month -- a 25 percent increase -- and her deductible is now up to $5,000.... 'I literally picked the cheapest plan there was' on eHealth's online insurance brokerage platform, said Rikard." ("Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families: 49 Percent Price Hike Since 2014, Premiums Of $14,300," CNBC, 5/11/2017)

* "The plan's provider network does not include doctors she prefers. But she said that if she needs to she would go to her preferred doctor and pay the extra cost, since the high deductible of her plan would require her to do so anyway for covered doctors. 'I think it's awful,' the 60-year-old Rikard said of the price hikes she has experienced in recent years." ("Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families: 49 Percent Price Hike Since 2014, Premiums Of $14,300," CNBC, 5/11/2017)

"She's echoed by Karen Poulter, a 51-year-old molecular biologist from California, who this year saw her health insurance premium jump 20 percent. She now pays almost $618 per month for a plan that has a $4,000 deductible and -- because of health problems that include migraines and endometriosis -- her prescription drug costs out of pocket are about $400 each month." ("Obamacare's Crushing Cost To Some Families: 49 Percent Price Hike Since 2014, Premiums Of $14,300," CNBC, 5/11/2017)

VIRGINIA: Consumers Could Face Premium Increases Up To 38%

"Health insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act's individual and small group markets in Virginia could cost an average of 20 percent more in 2018, according to initial rate filings with the state's Bureau of Insurance.... Last year, premium rates on the exchange increased by an average of about 16 percent." ("ACA Exchange Premium Rates Could Rise By An Average Of 20 Percent In Virginia Next Year," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/09/2017)

* "Some plan premiums on the individual market could go see prices nearly triple. Others expect increases as low as 1.7 percent and as high as 20.4 percent." ("ACA Exchange Premium Rates Could Rise By An Average Of 20 Percent In Virginia Next Year," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/09/2017)

* "In Virginia, the seven insurers proposing prices for 2018 compares with 11 now selling ACA health plans there. The largest, Anthem, wants an average rate hike of 38 percent, more than double its increase from 2016 to 2017." ("Early Proposed Rates For ACA Health Plans Hint At A Jump In Premiums For 2018," The Washington Post, 5/09/2017)

"[I]n addition to higher premiums, Virginia residents will also see sparser options in the ACA marketplace next year. Four fewer insurers are offering plans on the individual exchange compared to last year, while two have exited the small group exchange. Two of the biggest insurers in the country, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna, pulled out of the individual exchanges. No new issuers have filed intentions to offer plans on Virginia's exchange, either." ("ACA Exchange Premium Rates Could Rise By An Average Of 20 Percent In Virginia Next Year," Richmond Times-Dispatch, 5/09/2017)

VERMONT: Largest Insurer Requests Highest Premium Increase Since 2014

"Vermont's largest health insurer has asked state regulators to allow it to increase premiums for people using plans on Vermont Health Connect by an average of 12.7 percent starting Jan. 1. That's the most that Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont has requested to increase premiums since the insurer began offering exchange plans in 2014. The plans cover about 70,000 people using Vermont Health Connect, whether they buy the insurance as an individual or through a small business. Depending on each person's plan choice, the premium increases would range from 11.1 percent to 14.6 percent." ("Blue Cross Requests 12.7 Percent Premium Increase," VTDigger.org, 5/15/2017)

* "MVP Health Care, which covers the remaining 10,300 commercial customers using Vermont Health Connect, is requesting a 6.7 percent average premium increase. The increases for individual customers would range from 2.3 percent to 10.5 percent, depending on the plan they use." ("Blue Cross Requests 12.7 Percent Premium Increase," VTDigger.org, 5/15/2017)

* "[Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont CEO Don] George said about half of the average increase -- 6 percentage points -- is beyond the insurer's control. Specifically, 3 percentage points come from a tax that the federal government uses to fund the Affordable Care Act, he said." ("Blue Cross Requests 12.7 Percent Premium Increase," VTDigger.org, 5/15/2017)

OREGON: 'Double-Digit Price Increases' Could Hit Over 200,000 People In 2018

"Health insurers in Oregon are seeking double-digit price increases for 2018, saying it's because of the sicker-than-expected customers that became eligible under the Affordable Care Act.... Roughly 218,000 Oregon residents are covered under individual market policies, about 5 percent of the state's population." ("Oregon Insurers Seek Double-Digit Price Increases For 2018," The Associated Press, 5/16/2017)

* "Providence Health Plan, which has by far the most members in the individual market at 103,000, is requesting a 20.7 percent rate hike, according to Department of Consumer and Business Services' Division of Financial Regulation. Moda Health Plan, the former market leader which now has 50,000 members, is asking for a 13 percent hike. Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon is asking for a 18.7 percent hike in the individual market." ("Oregon Health Insurers Seek Significant Rate Hikes," KGW, 5/16/2017)

* "Eight companies submitted requests, fewer than recent years after the departures or demise of four carriers due to financial pressures..." ("Oregon Health Insurers Seek Significant Rate Hikes," KGW, 5/16/2017)

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