Obamacare: ‘The Facts Are Undeniable’

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER

Contact: Antonia Ferrier 202.228.NEWS http://1.usa.gov/1U9gWN7 Obamacare: 'The Facts Are Undeniable' 'Grim Predictions' Coming True, 'Large Health Plans In Some States Are Seeking To Raise Rates By 20% Or More' SEN. HARRY REID (D-NV): "The facts are undeniable. The Affordable Care Act is working." (Sen. Reid, Floor Remarks, 5/26/16) "The insurers' proposed rates for individual coverage in states that have made their 2017 requests public largely bear out health plans' grim predictions about their challenges under the health-care overhaul. According to the insurers' filings with regulators, large plans in states including New York, Pennsylvania and Georgia are seeking to raise rates by 20% or more. In states such as Florida and Maryland, insurers are seeking to raise premiums by percentage averages that are markedly above 10%. Among those that have published so far, only in Vermont do big insurers' requests fall below 10%." ("Insurers Seek Big Premium Boosts," Wall Street Journal, 5/26/16)

'Working' -- Possible Premiums Increases Of Up To 'A Whopping 89%'

KENTUCKY: "Health insurance companies in Kentucky want to increase rates by an average of 17 percent next year, continuing a national trend of hefty hikes as insurers adapt to a market reshaped by President Barack Obama's signature health care law." ("Health Insurance Rate Hike Requests Average 17 Percent In Ky," Lexington Herald Leader, 5/25/16)

ARKANSAS: "Arkansas' largest health insurer [Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield] has proposed a 14.7 percent average increase in the cost of plans that cover more than 200,000 people... the state Insurance Department announced Tuesday." ("Arkansas' Largest Health Insurer Seeks 14.7% Uptick In Premiums," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/25/2016)

* "QualChoice Health Insurance and St. Louis-based Centene Corp. also have requested premium increases: an average of more than 23 percent for QualChoice and less than 10 percent for Centene, the Insurance Department announced." ("Arkansas' Largest Health Insurer Seeks 14.7% Uptick In Premiums," Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 5/25/2016)

GEORGIA: "The insurer [Humana] said it was asking for increases ranging from 28% to 70% for its various individual health plans in Georgia; the average requested increase that appears on the company's filing with state regulators is 65.2%." ("Insurers Seek Big Premium Boosts," Wall Street Journal, 5/26/16)

PENNSYLVANIA: "Health insurer Highmark is requesting premiums hikes of as high as 48 percent for plans sold on the Affordable Care Act's online exchange. Another major insurer, Geisinger Health Plan, also is requesting hikes of more than 40 percent for some plans.... The Pennsylvania Insurance Department says the proposed premium increases requested by all health insurers doing business in the state average 23.6 percent..." ("New Obamacare Premium Proposals Threaten Sticker Shock In Pa." PennLive, 5/25/16)

NEVADA: "Average premium increases proposed by big insurers for individual plans sold on the health law's insurance exchanges for 2017... Nevada (Sierra Health and Life): 13.6%." ("Insurers Seek Big Premium Boosts," Wall Street Journal, 5/26/16)

NEW MEXICO: "New Mexico regulators are unveiling details about the health insurance premiums proposed by insurers for next year, and there are indications the state will not escape the hefty increases expected nationwide."

("New Mexico Health Insurers Propose Rate Hikes For 2017," AP, 5/18/16)

* "Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico might return to the state's Obamacare exchange for 2017 - but it wants to raise average rates for individual plans by more than 80 percent over what it charged last year. Two other carriers - New Mexico Health Connections and Presbyterian Health Plan - are seeking average increases of more than 30 percent next year for individual plans." ("New Mexico Health Plans Seeking Steep Rate Hikes For Exchange Plans," PoliticoPro, 5/20/16)

NEW YORK: "It's enough to make you sick! Health insurers operating on New York's Obamacare insurance exchange are seeking to boost rates next year by an average of 17.3% for individual policies, according to data released Wednesday by the state. The proposed increases, which must still be approved by the state's Department of Financial Services, range from 6.1% sought by MVP Health Plan Inc. and HealthNow New York Inc., to a whopping 89% requested by Crystal Run Health Plan LLC." ("New York's Obamacare Firms Eye Big Rate Hike" New York Daily News, 5/19/16)

WASHINGTON: "Health insurers in Washington are requesting a sharp jump in rates for individual plans next year -- up 13.5 percent, on average -- and fewer options will be offered through the state-run insurance exchange, officials announced Monday." ("Rate Requests Way Up For 2017 Individual Health-Care Plans," The Seattle Times, 5/16/16)

MISSISSIPPI: "Enrollees in most states will have to shell out more for their Silver Plans, with premiums and deductibles in Mississippi... increasing by over $1,000. Mississippi enrollees will see the highest increase of $1,445." ("Arizona Among States Facing Hikes In Obamacare Premiums And Deductibles," Arizona Business Daily, 5/18/2016)

ARIZONA: "Arizona enrollees under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, will see a significant increase in their health care premiums and deductibles when the marketplace opens ups for 2017 health care plans..." ("Arizona Among States Facing Hikes In Obamacare Premiums And Deductibles," Arizona Business Daily, 5/18/2016)

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)

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)

* "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)

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)

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)

* "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)

* "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)

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)

* "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)

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)

* "Rate requests filed by the five largest Virginia insurers this week with the State Corporation Commission's Bureau of Insurance show average increases ranging from 9.4 percent to 37.1 percent for individual coverage. About 300,000 Virginians are covered by these policies." ("Virginia Health Insurers Seek Double-Digit Premium Increases," Daily Press, 5/15/16)

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)

* "The largest increase is a whopping 44 percent requested by one Humana plan. Aetna wants a 29 percent increase for a plan, with AvMed requesting 26 percent and Coventry seeking 17 percent." ("Florida Insurers Request Rate Hikes Under Federal Health Law," AP, 5/25/16)

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)

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)

SENATE REPUBLICAN COMMUNICATIONS CENTER 202.228.NEWS