Six Insurers To Sell ACA Coverage In Florida In 2018

June 23--Floridians who buy their health insurance coverage on the Affordable Care Act exchange still don't know how many insurers they can choose from next year in each county -- and they're still in the dark about how much more it will cost.

But on Thursday, state regulators announced that nine insurers have filed rates for 2018 coverage on the individual market where people buy insurance when they don't get it from work or a government program.

Among those insurers, six plan to sell coverage on the ACA exchange at healthcare.gov, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reported, including Florida Blue, Celtic Insurance, Florida Health Care Plan, Health First Commercial Plans, Health Options and Molina Healthcare.

The average rate increase requested by all nine insurers on the individual market for 2018 coverage is 17.8 percent, including plans that will not be sold on the exchange. State regulators did not report the actual rates requested by insurers because those details are considered trade secret.

On the ACA exchange for small businesses, 14 insurers filed rates for 2018 coverage, with an average requested increase of 9.2 percent, state regulators said.

Florida regulators must finish reviewing insurer rate filings by August 16, after which the approved rates will be published.

The ACA is likely to change as lawmakers in Washington consider plans to repeal it. This year in Florida, an estimated 1.7 million consumers signed up for 2017 coverage under the ACA.

___

(c)2017 Miami Herald

Visit Miami Herald at www.miamiherald.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.