Delawareans purchasing health insurance from the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace will dig deeper into their wallets in 2017.
The state Insurance Commissioner’s office has approved across the board price increases in both the individual and small group markets here.
Individual plans through Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Delaware will see an average rate increase of 32 and a half percent. Aetna Life and Aetna Health’s individual plans will go up by an average of nearly 23 and 24 percent respectively.
In the group market, Highmark’s plan will see an average increase of 2 and three quarters percent – while Aetna Life was approved for an average increase of just over 15 percent and Aetna Health prices will rise by an average increase just under 20 percent.
The insurance commissioner’s office says the Aetna increases are about one percent lower than the company requested for individual plans and about 3 and half percent in lower their small group market asks.
The state also sought lower rates from Highmark, but when they were submitted to federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services – CMS asked the state to accept the company’s initial request. That comes after Blue Cross Blue shield left, threatened to leave, or reduced coverage in other states’ for 2017. Aetna pulled out of 11 states this coming year.
The 2017 open enrollment period for Obamacare begins November 1st and end January 31st.
