Obamacare: ‘Welcome To The New Abnormal’

Image via report by National Policy Analysis

Across America ‘Rate Increases Of 20 Percent To 40 Percent Or More’ Are ExpectedWSJ: ‘Even liberals are shocked at the double-digit requests’ “The Affordable Care Act was supposed to make insurance, well, more affordable. But now hard results are starting to emerge: premium surges that often average 10% to 20% and spikes that sometimes run as high as 50% or 60% or more from coast to coast. Welcome to the new abnormal of ObamaCare. … even liberals are shocked at the double-digit requests, or at least the honest liberals are.” (“The Unaffordable Care Act,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/11/15)

• “In a study across 45 states, the research outfit Health Pocket reports that mid-level Exclusive Provider Organization plans are 20% more expensive in 2016 on average. HMOs are 19% more expensive, and for all plan types the average is 14%.” (“The Unaffordable Care Act,” The Wall Street Journal, 7/11/15)

‘Hefty Premium Increases For 2016’“Dozens of health insurers selling plans under ObamaCare have requested hefty premium increases for 2016, according to preliminary information published Monday by the White House.” (“Health Insurers Seek Big Premium Hikes For Obamacare Plans In 2016,” Fox News, 6/2/15)

“Health insurance companies around the country are seeking rate increases of 20 percent to 40 percent or more, saying their new customers under the Affordable Care Act turned out to be sicker than expected.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

• “Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans — market leaders in many states — are seeking rate increases that average 23 percent in Illinois, 25 percent in North Carolina, 31 percent in Oklahoma, 36 percent in Tennessee and 54 percent in Minnesota, according to documents posted online by the federal government and state insurance commissioners and interviews with insurance executives.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

NEW MEXICO: Top insurer seeks ‘an average premium spike of 51.6 percent’ “New Mexico’s market leader, Health Care Service Corp. is asking for an average premium spike of 51.6 percent.” (“Ouch! Massive Obamacare Premium Increases Will Dominate 2016,” Breitbart, 7/6/15)

UTAH: “Arches Health Plan, which covers about one-fourth of the people who bought insurance through the federal exchange in Utah… has requested rate increases averaging 45 percent for 2016.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

KANSAS: “Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas sought increases averaging 37 percent for 2016 and said the increase could affect 28,600 consumers.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

TEXAS: “…the Scott & White Health Plan in Texas… is seeking a 32 percent rate increase…” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

OREGON: Plan ‘which has the largest enrollment in the state, which has a 25 percent increase, and the second-largest plan… received a 33 percent increase.’ “The Oregon insurance commissioner, Laura N. Cali, has just approved 2016 rate increases for companies that cover more than 220,000 people. Moda Health Plan, which has the largest enrollment in the state, received a 25 percent increase, and the second-largest plan, LifeWise, received a 33 percent increase.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

• ‘Oregon insurance commissioner … directed some carriers to raise rates in 2016 even more than they had proposed’ “After public hearings and a rigorous review, Ms. Cali, the Oregon insurance commissioner, found that the cost of providing coverage to individuals and families in 2014 was $830 million, while premiums were only $703 million. She directed some carriers to raise rates in 2016 even more than they had proposed. Health Net, for example, requested rate increases averaging 9 percent in Oregon. The state approved increases averaging 34.8 percent. Oregon’s Health Co-op requested a 5.3 percent increase. The state called for a 19.9 percent increase.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

MISSOURI: ‘rate increases that average 22 percent for 70,000 consumers’ “Coventry Health Care, now owned by Aetna, is seeking rate increases that average 22 percent for 70,000 consumers in Missouri.” (“Health Insurance Companies Seek Big Rate Increases For 2016,” The New York Times, 7/3/15)

FLORIDA: “United Healthcare (UNH) of Florida wants to raise the rates for plans sold on the state’s Obamacare exchange by an average of 18 percent. Individual policies available outside the exchange through United Healthcare or through their extensive broker network are set to rise by an average of 31 percent, but some counties will see 60 percent increases.” (“Ouch! Massive Obamacare Premium Increases Will Dominate 2016,” Breitbart, 7/6/15)

‘On average the proposed premiums for 2016 Obamacare plans were 12% higher than the 2015 premiums.’
“HealthPocket examined premium costs in public rate filings for 2016 Obamacare plans in 45 states. Premiums were compared for 40-year-old non-smokers in the largest city in each state. On average the proposed premiums for 2016 Obamacare plans were 12% higher than the 2015 premiums. Silver and gold plans had the greatest average rate increases of 14% and 16% respectively, while bronze rates increased 9% and platinum rates increased 6%.” (“Obamacare Insurers Propose 12% Higher Premiums for 2016,” HealthPocket, 6/11/15)

National Policy Analysis reports, "But a closer look at 37 states and D.C. that released data on individual plans on the exchanges (the data the feds released also included small-group plans and plans not sold on the exchange) suggests the situation is more serious than leftist pundits care to admit. For 2015, insurers requested rate increases of at least double digits for 121 policies. For 2016, that has increased to 231. In 2015, rate hikes of over 20 percent were requested for 21 policies and only nine policies had requests of 30 percent or more. In 2016, those numbers are 126 and 61, respectively. Furthermore, there are currently 26 policies with requested rate increases of over 40 percent and 12 of more than 50 percent. . . ."

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