Today is the deadline for health insurance companies to disclose proposed 2016 rate increases of at least ten percent.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina, the state’s dominant insurer offering federally approved health plans to non group policyholders in all 100 counties of the state, has yet to have the Department of Insurance (DOI) approve their on-average 25.7 percent premium hikes.
A media briefing this morning illustrated the rationale behind the rising monthly payments:
- 2015 exchange enrollees have more chronic health conditions and are incurring more medical expenses than the 2014 enrollment pool
- Higher usage of specialty drugs
- More young and healthy individuals are holding onto their transitional plans until they expire before 2017.
