Nebraskas only remaining Obamacare insurer proposes average rate increase of nearly 17 percent

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Omaha World Herald

By Steve Jordon

The only health insurer offering individual Affordable Care Act insurance in Nebraska wants to raise monthly premiums by an average of 16.9 percent next year, although some people could face increases of 50 percent or higher.

Under the proposed rates, Medica Health said Tuesday, about 80 percent of its clients would pay no more for their monthly premiums because federal subsidies would pick up all of the increase.

About 100,000 people in Nebraska have individual health plans under the ACA’s guidelines this year, about 36,000 of them with Medica. It’s not known how many would become Medica customers next year, but Medica would be required to accept all who apply.

Sample premium increases listed by Medica showed before-subsidy increases of 57 percent for three possible “scenarios” in Omaha, while three others in Lincoln would increase by about 10 percent.

FULL story at link.

Read more: http://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/nebraska-s-only-remaining-obamacare-insurer-proposes-average-rate-increase/article_537bdc24-76da-11e7-8f8c-1b1ad4a69019.html

[RandySF]

1. Covered CA is going up 12%

This is the end result of six years of Republican refusal to make any improvements to system they want to kill.

[Cryptoad]

4. nOBODY ever mentions,,,,

l how premiums were going up 25-30% a year before ACA
Funny how that works

[RandySF]

5. Absolutely, It's still an issue

And so is the limited number of providers. The Republicans have been sabotaging ACA for years.

[still_one]

2. So what you are pointing out I think Steve is that those he get subsidies probably won't be impacted

by this. However, since trump has threatened to curtail those subsidies, that may not end up to be the case

Also, let's not kid ourselves, what the republicans have been doing is destabilizing the whole insurance market, so these price increase do not surprise me at all.

While it would be great if single payer or a public option was available, it isn't going to happen with a republican majority, so anything that can be done to improve the ACA until we have at least a receptive Congress is necessary

[mwooldri]

6. We gotta hang on until the 2018 midterms are out of the way.

Now the Repukes could manage to repeal the ACA. However if they don't and the ACA scrapes through to the end of 2018 then the Democrats - if they get both the House and Senate (possible...) then with a dimwit for a President in the office who would probably happily sign a bill if it makes him look good... the Democrats might be able to fix the ACA.

[TexasBushwhacker]

3. Trump threatening to cut off subsidies will cause higher premiums

They have to turn in their rate hike requests by August 15th.

[hibbing]

7. And both my senators voted for the repeal

After all, with the massive population of Nebraska, 100,000 people isn't all that many.


Peace