WASHINGTON – When the Affordable Care Act open enrollment period for health insurance begins on Wednesday, many individuals who buy their own policies will suffer sticker shock because of a sharp increase in premiums. But the state’s large and small businesses are girding for higher premiums to cover their workers in 2018 too. And they and their employees will face tough choices.
Anthem
Posted inHealth, Politics
Obamacare open enrollment to begin amid shaky insurance market
Open enrollment for health care coverage next year begins next week amid uncertainty over the future of the Affordable Care Act and big increases in premiums for individuals and businesses that do not qualify for subsidies. Nevertheless, the health care law is still in effect and those required to enroll in a plan will face increasing penalties by the Internal Revenue Service if they fail to do so.
Posted inHealth
Anthem, Hartford HealthCare fail to agree, boosting out-of-pocket costs
Hartford HealthCare and Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield failed to renew their contract this weekend, meaning that many Connecticut residents will face higher out-of-pocket costs for the health network’s services. The two sides said they are willing to continue negotiations.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Anthem, ConnectiCare say they will continue on Access Health CT
WASHINGTON – Anthem and ConnectiCare said on Wednesday they will continue to sell policies on the Access Health CT exchange next year, but charge a lot more for most policies.
Posted inHealth
Insurers say they need big premium boost for ‘silver’ plans if ACA subsidy ends
WASHINGTON — ConnectiCare says it needs to hike the cost of popular “silver” plans sold on the Access Health CT for 2018 by more than 50 percent, and Anthem says it needs to increase premiums on its silver plans by more than 43 percent if the Trump administration ends a program that subsidizes out-of-pocket payments for low- and moderate-income Americans.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Even with Obamacare’s survival, a shakeup in CT healthcare system threatens
WASHINGTON – Even though the U.S. Senate failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act, some Connecticut residents might lose subsidies that would help pay their premiums while others could see sizable increases in their premiums or a smaller choice of plans.
Posted inHealth
Vulnerable Access Health keeping an eye on other states
With Connecticut’s health insurance exchange teetering — with just two insurers left and neither yet committed for 2018 — the exchange’s board is beginning to watch innovations being considered in other states, including a single-payer system and Medicaid-for-all.
Posted inHealth
Health insurers skewered for again seeking double-digit rate increases
The stakes are even higher this year because the state Insurance Department’s final decision on the rate requests will influence whether the two remaining insurers on Connecticut’s health insurance exchange, Access Health CT, return in 2018.
Posted inHealth, Politics
CT, other states taking steps to try to save Obamacare
WASHINGTON — With uncertainty threatening the Affordable Care Act, states including Connecticut are making attempts — some more extensive than others — to keep insurers in their health care exchanges.
Posted inHealth, Politics
With Obamacare at risk in CT, 73K could lose subsidies
WASHINGTON — Connecticut is among several states in danger of losing all of the insurers who participate in their Affordable Care Act exchanges – a move that would leave tens of thousands of state residents scrambling for coverage and ways to pay for it. Insurers say chaos in Washington, D.C., is to blame.
Posted inNews
CT senators blame Trump for ‘sabotaging’ Obamacare
WASHINGTON — Connecticut’s Democratic senators, joined by a colleague from Maryland, on Thursday slammed the Trump administration for trying to “sabotage” the Affordable Care Act and demolish a health care system that has extended insurance coverage to millions of Americans. Republicans say the ACA is collapsing on its own.
Posted inHealth
Access Health extends insurers’ deadline to decide on 2018
“We are hoping this extra time will allow the carriers to resolve any issues about working in our exchange,” Access Health CEO Jim Wadleigh said.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Health insurers seek big rate hikes, blame Obamacare’s uncertain future
WASHINGTON — The state’s health insurers are asking for sizeable rate increases for individual and small-business policies sold in 2018, led by Anthem, which is seeking an average 33.8 percent increase on plans covering individuals and their families.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Anthem not giving up on Cigna merger, is appealing to Supreme Court
Updated at 2 p.m.
WASHINGTON — Anthem’s $54 billion merger deal with Cigna is considered to be on life support after a federal appeals court ruled last week it violated antitrust law. But on Friday, Anthem said it is appealing that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.
Posted inHealth
Appeals court blocks Anthem-Cigna merger
WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court on Friday agreed with a lower court that Anthem’s proposed $54 billion merger with Cigna would be anti-competitive and should not be allowed, but Anthem said it plans to continue pursuing the deal.
