Obamacare: More options, lower rates for Pennsylvanians in 2019

Oct. 19--Insurers who sell plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace to Lehigh Valley residents this year will reduce premium prices for 2019, Pennsylvania's Insurance Department announced Thursday.

The region will have about twice as many plans to choose from through Capital BlueCross, Highmark, Geisinger and a new insurer, Pittsburgh-based UPMC.

Premiums in Pennsylvania will decrease 2.3 percent on average for individual plans, state officials said. In July, state officials had expected a slight increase of less than 1 percent on average.

Enrollment for 2019 runs from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15. Plans can be purchased at Healthcare.gov.

In previous years, premium increases were as high as more than 30 percent. Those increases helped to bring premiums in line with the cost of insuring a new group of people, some of whom did not previously have insurance and suffered chronic illnesses, health experts said.

In the Lehigh Valley, Capital BlueCross will decrease by 21 percent on average. Highmark plans will decrease about 7 percent. And Geisinger plans will go down 0.4 percent.

The 2019 rates show the marketplace is stabilizing, despite the federal government cutting the enrollment period in half and reducing advertising funding for the program, Gov. Tom Wolf said in a prepared statement.

"At just 5.5 percent, Pennsylvania's uninsured rate is at an all-time low. More than a million Pennsylvanians have gained access to health care coverage available to them only because of the ACA and my decision to expand access to the Medicaid program," Wolf said.

For the 80 percent of Pennsylvania insurance buyers with federal financial assistance, prices may vary despite premium reductions. Subsidies typically increase and decrease to match prices.

Insurance Commissioner Jessica Altman recommended shopping around to find the best deals.

"For many Pennsylvanians, premiums are not rising. So, take the time to shop," Altman advised insurance buyers during a call with reporters.

About 390,000 Pennsylvanians are covered under Obamacare, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Of those, about 20,000 live in the Lehigh Valley.

Another major change in 2019 is that people will no longer have to pay the penalty for not having insurance. The repeal of the individual mandate will reduce the federal deficit by about $338 billion in the next decade but increase the number of uninsured people by 13 million, a 2017 Congressional Budget Office estimate shows.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department offers resources and enrollment help on its website: insurance.pa.gov

Bhuang@mcall.com

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