Obamacare: Premium Increases Aplenty

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Contact: Antonia Ferrier 202.228.NEWS

Obamacare: Premium Increases Aplenty Prospective 'Double-Digit Rate Hikes'

Across The Nation "Obamacare premiums expected to rise sharply..." ("Obamacare Premiums Expected To Rise Sharply Amid Insurer Losses," The Hill, 4/25/16)

Obamacare 'Bad News Piles Up'

IOWA: '38% to 43% increases for some' "Tens of thousands of Iowans who buy their own health insurance are about to receive a shock in the mail. Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield is sending letters this week telling about 30,000 customers it plans to raise their premiums by 38 percent to 43 percent next year." ("Wellmark Plans 38% To 43% Increases For Some Customers," Des Moines Register, 5/12/16) [http://dmreg.co/24SVh79]

OREGON: 'An average 29.6% rate hike' requested. "Oregon's largest individual market insurer [Providence Health] has filed for an average 29.6% rate hike for 2017 policies sold on and off the ObamaCare exchange." ("Oregon Insurers Want 27% ObamaCare Rate Hike As Bad News Piles Up," Investor's Business Daily, 5/4/16) [http://www.investors.com/politics/policy/oregon-insurers-want-28-obamacare-rate-hike-as-bad-news-piles-up/]

* "Moda Health, Oregon's second-biggest individual market carrier even after losing one-third of its customers following a big premium hike this year, has proposed a 32.3% premium hike for its 62,600 customers." ("Oregon Insurers Want 27% ObamaCare Rate Hike As Bad News Piles Up," Investor's Business Daily, 5/4/16) [http://www.investors.com/politics/policy/oregon-insurers-want-28-obamacare-rate-hike-as-bad-news-piles-up/]

NEW HAMPSHIRE: "Minuteman Health, the lowest-cost and second-biggest participant on New Hampshire's ObamaCare exchange, warned last week that it's requesting a 45.2% premium hike for 2017." ("New Hampshire ObamaCare Customers Exit; 45% Rate Hike Eyed," Investor's Business Daily, 4/25/16) [http://www.investors.com/politics/policy/n-h-obamacare-customers-exit-45-rate-hike-eyed/]

MARYLAND: 'Insurers to seek rate increases of up to 30 percent' "The unanticipated costs of providing health care to customers on the state's online exchange has prompted large insurers to seek rate increases of up to 30 percent while one insurer decided not to offer individual plans at all." ("Health Insurers Seek Rate Increases In Maryland As United Healthcare Quits Market," Baltimore Sun, 5/14/16) [http://bsun.md/24YbKa8]

* "Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. requested a 29.8 percent increase, Evergreen Health Cooperative an 8.1 percent increase and Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States a 25 percent increase." ("Health Insurers Seek Rate Increases In Maryland As United Healthcare Quits Market," Baltimore Sun, 5/14/16) [http://bsun.md/24YbKa8]

* "For next year, CareFirst has asked the Maryland Insurance Commission for a 12.4 percent increase on its HMO plan and a 16 percent increase for two other plans it offers." ("Health Insurers Seek Rate Increases In Maryland As United Healthcare Quits Market," Baltimore Sun, 5/14/16) [http://bsun.md/24YbKa8]

TENNESSEE: "...to cut future losses, the Chattanooga-based insurer may ask state regulators for additional rate increases next year even higher than the 36.3 percent implemented in January on its marketplace plans." ("BlueCross Plans Major Rate Increase As Obamcare Proves Costly," Chattanooga Times Free Press, 5/15/16) [http://bit.ly/22ctLwn]

* "In the first two years of offering the new plans under the Affordable Care Act, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee lost $311 million on such plans. The insurer says it is continuing to lose money again this year from Obamacare even after raising average premiums in the program by more than 60 percent over the past two years." ("BlueCross Plans Major Rate Increase As Obamcare Proves Costly," Chattanooga Times Free Press, 5/15/16) [http://bit.ly/22ctLwn]

VIRGINIA: 'The average rate hike that state insurers requested: 17.8%' "Next year, the combination of a sicker-than-expected insured group and the end of a temporary ObamaCare program to offset the cost of the sickest patients will send premiums soaring in Virginia, the first state where 2017 rate filings have been made public....the average rate hike that state insurers requested: 17.8%, as calculated by ACASignups.net, which tracks ObamaCare enrollment." ("Why Anthem Obamacare Premiums Will Soar In Virginia As Humana Bolts," Investor's Business Daily, 4/15/16) [http://www.investors.com/politics/policy/why-anthem-obamacare-premiums-will-soar-in-va-as-humana-bolts/]

FLORIDA: "Fifteen health insurers want an average 17.7 percent increase in premiums for Affordable Care Act individual plans, Florida officials said Thursday -- higher than last year's approved average of less than 10 percent." ("Obamacare: Fla. Insurers Seek Average 17.7% Hike Amid Court Ruling," Palm Beach Post, 5/12/16) [http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/obamacare-fla-insurers-seek-average-177-hike-amid-/nrMC3/]

MAINE: "Insurers selling plans on Maine's Obamacare exchange want to hike rates by at least 14 percent in the individual market next year. Community Health Options is seeking the biggest average increase in premiums at 22.8 percent, followed by Pilgrim Health, which is asking for rate hikes of 18.7 percent. The other two companies competing on Maine's exchange, Aetna and Anthem, are each requesting average increases of just over 14 percent for individual plans." ("Maine Insurers Seek Double-Digit Rate Hikes For Exchange Plans," Politico Pro, 5/11/16)

VERMONT: 'Vermont health insurance companies seek 8 percent rate hike' "Vermont's largest health insurance companies say they need to raise rates substantially next year. Blue Cross-Blue Shield and MVP filed their requests with the Green Mountain Care Board this week to raise premiums starting in January for policies sold on the state's health exchange, affecting tens of thousands of customers. Blue Cross is asking for an average 8.2 percent increase, while MVP wants an 8.8 percent hike." ("Vermont Health Insurance Companies Seek 8 Percent Rate Hike," WPZT.Com, 5/12/16) [http://www.wptz.com/news/vermont-health-insurance-companies-seek-8-percent-rate-hike/39521330]

CALIFORNIA: "California's health insurance exchange estimates that its Obamacare premiums may rise 8% on average next year, which would end two consecutive years of more modest 4% increases." ("Obamacare Premiums In California May Rise 8% Next Year," CNN Money, 5/12/16) [http://www.wpbf.com/money/obamacare-premiums-in-california-may-rise-8-next-year/39518954]

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