CEO Blog: Market Stability

To Our Valued Stakeholders,

The Division of Insurance today released the preliminary rate filings for 2018, with carriers seeking an average increase of 27% in the individual market and 7% in small group market. While we had hoped for a lower rate of increase, it’s important to remember that Advance Premium Tax Credit assistance will rise with the premiums and many of our customers have seen their net premiums decline as rates increased in recent years.

We also know from our own survey that many Coloradans who are eligible for assistance assume that they are not. We urge anyone buying their own health insurance to use the tools on our site to obtain an estimate of the financial assistance that may be available to them.

Even as uncertainty surrounds the national health policy debate, a number of reports are pointing to stabilization in the individual market, including the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Risk Adjustment report and this brief from Kaiser Health News on market performance to date in 2017.

An appendix to the CMS report listed risk scores in the individual market in all the states, where we found the news that Colorado’s score was the lowest (best) in the nation in 2016. The risk score is a calculation based on demographics and health status of enrollees.

In Recent News

You no doubt saw the news that Senate Republicans introduced a new healthcare bill yesterday. A vote could come as early as next week. America’s Health Insurance Plans was critical in this brief and industry leaders are outspoken in this Washington Post report. Politico published an early analysis of the new bill this morning, as did The Commonwealth Fund.

Take care,

Kevin

Kevin Patterson, MURP, MPA
Chief Executive Officer
Connect for Health Colorado