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.
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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 inPolitics
Health insurers: Trump continues key ACA payments, for now
WASHINGTON — America’s Health Insurance Plans said Tuesday that President Donald Trump has continued to make a controversial Affordable Care Act payment to insurers that lowers out-of-pocket health care costs for low- and moderate-income Americans. ConnectiCare and Anthem say the fate of these payments will factor into their decision to continue participating in Access Health CT.
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, 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 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
Insurers: Trump hasn’t committed to payments that would keep them in ACA exchanges
WASHINGTON — Despite reports to the contrary, President Donald Trump has not committed to making payments that insurers like Anthem say are needed for them to consider staying in Access Health CT and other state health insurance exchanges.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Access Health CEO worried remaining insurers will quit exchange
“Over the last five years Connecticut has been seen as a leader in the rollout of the Affordable Care Act, and I’m worried that we could be seen as the first marketplace not to have carriers in 2018,” Wadleigh said.
Posted inHealth, Politics
Insurers lobbying to keep ACA payments the GOP hates
WASHINGTON — The nation’s health insurers, who are key to the survival of the Affordable Care Act, are asking the Trump administration to keep a program congressional Republicans have sued to eliminate. What the president, who predicted the ACA would “explode,” does about that and several other things will determine the ACA’s future health.
Posted inHealth
Anthem uncertain it will continue in CT’s individual market next year
The company’s president wrote that the insurer is likely to notify regulators this summer that Anthem will withdraw from the state’s individual market. She added Anthem might not actually choose to pull out of the market, but is required to give six months’ notice if it withdraws and needs to preserve its options.
Posted inHealth
Access Health to tighten midyear sign-up rules, restore broker fees
The changes were made in response to concerns that people are taking advantage of current rules to sign up only after they get sick, and worries that a lack of payments to brokers has affected enrollment.
Posted inHealth
CT exchange wants to require broker commissions for health plans
Insurance companies that sell plans through the state’s exchange stopped paying commissions to brokers this year, and the exchange’s CEO says that has affected enrollment.