Most insurance companies selling health plans in the state’s individual market will get to raise customers’ premiums in 2016, but not by as much as they proposed, and one major carrier will have to lower its rates, according to decisions released by the Connecticut Insurance Department Saturday.
insurance
Posted inHealth
Insurer coaches the newly covered through the health system
For those who gained coverage under Obamacare, learning to navigate the health care system can take more than an insurance card. This is the third in an occasional series of stories on health care issues in the wake of the Affordable Care Act.
Posted inHealth
Thousands of Obamacare customers at risk of losing coverage or subsidies
More than 7,000 customers of Connecticut’s health insurance exchange must provide additional documentation to maintain their coverage or the tax credits that subsidize their premiums – a process that has already led to confusion and, in some cases, lost coverage or subsidies, exchange CEO Jim Wadleigh said Tuesday.
Posted inHealth
Having health insurance is one thing, understanding it another
The complexity of health insurance and lagging levels of insurance literacy have long been a concern. But many experts say the problem is particularly urgent now that the federal health law has expanded coverage to millions more people, including many who have limited experience with insurance and some who speak limited English. Second story in an occasional series on major issues shaping health care in the wake of the Affordable Care Act.
Posted inHealth
CT removes age limit for infertility treatment coverage mandate
Health insurance plans sold in Connecticut will no longer be allowed to limit coverage of medically necessary infertility treatment to people under 40, according to new guidance issued by the Connecticut Insurance Department Thursday.
Posted inHealth
New England uninsured rate less than half the national average
Among New England states, 4.3 percent of residents were uninsured at the time they were interviewed, compared to a national average of 9.2 percent, according to the National Health Interview Survey.
Posted inHealth
In insurance, premium isn’t the full price. Can a tool help shoppers?
Many people shopping for health plans look for the lowest monthly cost. But experts say that’s not necessarily the best buy. Connecticut’s insurance exchange is trying to reinforce that with a tool to help customers get a fuller picture of their potential costs.
Posted inHealth
Insurer: Cost of cholesterol meds, other drugs driving rate hikes
High-cost specialty drugs, including a new class of cholesterol medications expected to come to market later this year, are key drivers of the need to raise health insurance premiums by nearly 10 percent, ConnectiCare’s chief actuary told regulators Monday
Posted inHealth
What does the Anthem-Cigna deal mean for consumers?
Experts say potential benefits of consolidation include economies of scale that can lead to reduced costs, while potential drawbacks include reduced competition that could have the opposite effect on prices.
Posted inHealth
Survey: 36% of CT Obamacare customers haven’t used their insurance
More than 100,000 people bought private health plans through the state’s health insurance exchange for this year, but a survey of customers found that more than one in three haven’t used their coverage and more than one in four don’t have a primary care physician.
Posted inHealth
CT insurance customers urge regulators to reject rate hikes
“Can you give us a break? I’m trying to provide the best health care for my kids and you make it more difficult each year!” one customer wrote to the Connecticut Insurance Department. “I might as well just drop insurance altogether. This is so discouraging.”
Posted inHealth
CT insurers lower rate hike requests on Obamacare plans
In filings with state regulators, the companies cited varying reasons for lowering their proposed rate hikes for 2016 – ranging from lower claims costs to plans to cover a narrower network of health care providers.
Posted inHealth
Anthem, ConnectiCare, Golden Rule rate requests to get public hearings
Their plans cover 70,553 policyholders who purchased insurance for themselves through the state’s individual insurance market.
Posted inHealth, Politics
For insurers, Supreme Court could demolish a growing line of business
Washington – The nation’s health insurers, including leading companies like Aetna, are hoping the Supreme Court does not strike down a provision of the Affordable Care Act that has brought them millions of new policyholders and provided new growth opportunities for the industry.
Posted inHealth
Former CT insurance official Dowling to lead Illinois agency
Anne Melissa Dowling, a former top official in Connecticut’s insurance department, has been picked to lead the Illinois Department of Insurance.
