Uncategorized
Health law uncertainty balloons Montana insurance rates
Published
7 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Matt Volz Associated Press
HELENA (AP) – Not knowing what Congress and President Donald Trump will do with health care has led Montana’s largest insurer to propose a rate hike for next year that’s 10 times higher than it would have otherwise, company officials said Wednesday.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana is requesting an average 23.1 percent rate hike for individual plans purchased under the Affordable Care Act, which would be its third consecutive double-digit premium increase since the federal health exchange came into existence.
If Blue Cross knew that the Obama-era health care law’s provisions would be in place next year, the company would have only requested a 2.3 percent rate increase, President Mike Frank said during a hearing on the proposed hikes.
“There’s a lot of uncertainty still out there, so we took the approach of how to price for that,” Frank said.
Insurers across the nation are trying to guess what Congress will do as they face state deadlines to file their 2018 rates. Some, like Blue Cross, are hedging against setting rates that could turn out to be too low if Congress comes up with a new law that drives up costs.
Others, like the Montana Health Co-op, filed rates assuming the Obama health law will be in place next year. The Montana co-op set a 4 percent average increase for its individual plans.
“If the Senate comes out with anything this week, it could change the game,” Larry Turney, president and chief operating officer.
The third Montana insurer offering Affordable Care Act plans is proposing a 7.4 percent increase for its individual plans. PacificSource also is assuming no changes to the health law.
The Republican-led Congress has struggled in its efforts to repeal Obama’s health care law, even as Trump has increased the pressure on the Senate to do so. The Senate on Tuesday voted against one replacement bill and Wednesday rejected another version to repeal the existing law while giving lawmakers two years to craft a new one.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana officials cited two Affordable Care Act provisions that would be particularly costly to insurers if they were repealed or no longer enforced. They are the mandate that requires individuals to purchase coverage and cost-sharing reductions that provide federal subsidies to help lower the price of premiums and deductibles.
About 58 percent of people nationwide with an Affordable Care Act plan receive those cost-sharing reductions, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation. Premiums would have to rise an average 19 percent to make up for their loss, the foundation said in a report released in April.
Copyright 2017 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
Upcoming Events
march, 2024
Event Type :
All
All
Arts
Education
Music
Other
Sports
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before 9/10/2024:
more
Event Details
Children turning 5 on or before
9/10/2024: Kindergarten
enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year can be completed by following the
registration process now.
Children
born on or after September 11, 2019: 4K enrollment is now open for
families that have a 4-year-old they would like to enroll in our program for
the 2023-2024 school year. Please complete the 4K Interest Form to
express your interest. Completing this form does not guarantee enrollment into
the 4K program. Enrollment is capped at twenty 4-year-olds currently
residing within Big Sky School District boundary full time and will be
determined by birth date in calendar order of those born on or after September
11, 2018. Interest form closes on May 30th.
Enrollment now is critical for fall preparations. Thank you!
Time
February 26 (Monday) - April 21 (Sunday)
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy
more
Event Details
My Barking Dog is a nightmare comedy that tells the story of Toby and Melinda, two lonely people whose lives are forever changed the night they encounter a starving coyote at their apartment building. Over time they grow to expect him, leaving ritual offerings to entice the coyote every night. Toby and Melinda forge a connection over this visitor and share curiosity and concern about his presence in the city. The coyote expands their world–until, one night, their world is shattered. Their lives are pushed suddenly into uncharted territory, sending them on a surreal odyssey that changes their city–and the world–forever.
Directed by LX Miller. Starring Max Schneider and Denise Hergett
Verge Theater is continuing their mission to provide accessible theater to our community. Tickets for My Barking Dog are Pay What You Wish with a suggested price of $35. Audience members are offered the opportunity to select the price point that is comfortable for them when purchasing tickets.
My Barking Dog runs March 15-17, 22-24, 28-30
Performances on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays begin at 7:00 p.m., with Sunday matinees offered at 3:00 p.m.
Suitable for ages 16 . No animals are harmed in the staging of this production.
Tickets are available online at www.vergetheater.com
Time
15 (Friday) 7:00 pm - 30 (Saturday) 8:30 pm
Location
Verge Theater
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm We will combine the heart-opening powers of cacao with the transcendental powers of breathwork and sound. Together, these practices will give us the opportunity for a deep
more
Event Details
Saturday, March 23rd 6:00-8:00pm
Time
March 23 (Saturday) 6:00 pm - April 23 (Tuesday) 8:00 pm
Location
Santosha Wellness Center
169 Snowy Mountain Circle
29mar3:00 pm4:00 pmGood Friday Mass: St. Joseph Catholic Mission3:00 pm - 4:00 pm Event City:Big Sky
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Event Details
Friday of the Passion of the Lord
St. Joseph Catholic Mission
Time
(Friday) 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm