Affordable Care Act rates could increase again in Pennsylvania
People who buy their healthcare coverage in Pennsylvania through the Affordable Care Act are expected to see their premiums skyrocket once again.
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department announced that providers in the individual market are requesting an average premium rate change of 17.1%.
For those in the southwestern region, Highmark Inc. is proposing an average increase of 16.16%. For UPMC Health Network Inc., it's a 15.82% rise, and for Ambetter Health of Pennsylvania Inc., it's a 40.9% spike.
Anne Shoup is a senior adviser for Pennsylvania's chapter of Protect Our Care, an advocacy group fighting for access to quality affordable health insurance.
"This proposed rate increase is going to hit people really hard," Shoup said. "This is adding insult to injury."
She said this marks the second increase in a row. Last year it was up 21.5%. On top of that, people got hit with tax credits going away.
"Congress did not extend the premium tax credits that help people who purchase insurance on their own through the marketplace, like in Pennsylvania: Pennie," Shoup said.
As a result, Shoup said people saw their premiums go up by double, triple, even quadruple, making it more difficult for them to afford, so they dropped their coverage. To be exact, she said that nearly 200,000 people in the state who purchase their own insurance through the ACA have dropped since last year.
"That has impacts down the line," Shoup said.
As more people get rid of their coverage, prices will go up across the board beyond the individual market. However, it's unlikely the numbers will change much when the insurance department shares the final approved rates in the fall.
In a statement, Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys said:
"These rates are higher than we'd hoped and reflect continued rising costs across the healthcare environment. PID's team will be closely examining each filing to ensure rates are reasonable and justified and not charging any more than necessary to deliver promised benefits."
If Shoup can offer any advice, she wants to share this.
"There's a bunch of resources that can help you to see what you can do and what kind of policy that you can get before you just say, 'Oh, the prices are going up. I can't afford it,'" Shoup said.
The insurance department will be accepting public comments on these proposals through Aug. 22. If you would like to weigh in, you can send an email to ra-in-comment@pa.gov.
