BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Steps In To Fill Knoxville Market Gap
In related news, early signals indicate that Affordable Care Act premiums will jump in the coming year and the Trump administration is stepping back from penalizing exchange plans that did not do risk-adjustment program audits.
Stat:
A Health Insurer Steps Up In Tennessee, Averting Possible Obamacare Crisis
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee said Tuesday it would re-enter the marketplace in a region of the state with no other option for individual health insurance, but that policies might cost more because of political uncertainty. Calling the move “an extension of our mission,” while noting the company appeared to be turning a corner in Tennessee after three tough years financially, BCBS President and CEO J.D. Hickey said the decision was an effort to lower risk as Congress and President Trump continue their efforts to repeal Obamacare. (Blau, 5/9)
The Wall Street Journal:
Insurer Steps In To Sell Plans On Health-Law Exchange In Tennessee
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee will offer Affordable Care Act marketplace plans in the Knoxville region of Tennessee next year, filling a potential gap left when Humana Inc. announced it would pull out of all of the exchanges where it does business. The 16-county region had been at risk of having no insurer offering exchange plans in 2018, and the situation had gained attention as part of the political fight over the future of the ACA. (Wilde Mathews and Radnofsky, 5/9)
Nashville Tennessean:
BlueCross BlueShield Of Tennessee Signals Knoxville Return
BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee is negotiating with state officials about a return to the individual insurance market in 2018 in Knoxville — an area that lacks an insurer for the next year. The decision is contingent upon the state agreeing to some conditions. The insurer still has reservations about the risk on the individual market but sees expanding into Knoxville as "an extension of our mission," J.D. Hickey, president and CEO of BCBST, wrote in a letter to the insurance commissioner dated May 9. (Fletcher, 5/9)
The Washington Post:
Early Proposed Rates For ACA Health Plans Hint At A Jump In Premiums For 2018
Early clues suggest that health insurance prices in Affordable Care Act marketplaces could jump again for the coming year, defying predictions that premium rates would begin to level off. Amid the uncertainties hovering over those marketplaces as the Trump administration and a Republican Congress try to dismantle major parts of the law, many states have postponed for another few months their spring deadlines for insurers to report how much they want to charge for ACA health plans in 2018. (Goldstein, 5/9)
The Hill:
ObamaCare Uncertainty Driving Premium Hikes
Uncertainty among insurers about how the Trump administration will handle the Affordable Care Act could translate into double-digit premium increases for 2018. Insurers are beginning to file rate requests with state insurance regulators, and some states could see premium increases of 50 percent or more. (Hellmann, 5/10)
Richmond Times-Dispatch:
ACA Exchange Premium Rates Could Rise By An Average Of 20 Percent In Virginia Next Year
Health insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act’s individual and small group markets in Virginia could cost an average of 20 percent more in 2018, according to initial rate filings with the state’s Bureau of Insurance. While the rates must be further reviewed by the bureau before they become final, the filings show that almost all insurers offering plans on the exchange expect premiums to increase. (O'Connor, 5/9)
Modern Healthcare:
Trump Administration Backs Off Penalizing Exchange Plans For Not Auditing Risk-Adjustment Program
The Trump administration won't penalize insurers for failing to verify the number of severely ill patients they've enrolled through the insurance exchanges. The Affordable Care Act established a risk-adjustment program that's aimed at preventing insurers from cherry-picking the healthiest members. Instead, the goal is to spread the insurance risk. Companies that cover people with complex health conditions receive money from companies that have generally healthier members. (Dickson, 5/9)
