BALTIMORE – Health insurance carriers are seeking a range of changes to the premium rates they will charge consumers for plans sold in Maryland’s individual and small group markets in 2018. The Maryland Insurance Administration has posted rate filing documents at www.healthrates.mdinsurance.state.md.us. On that website, consumers can review filings and submit comments, as well as find answers to frequently asked questions about the rate review process.
“It’s important to remember that these rates are what companies have requested, and not necessarily what will be approved,” said Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer, Jr. “There will be a thorough review of all the filings. As in years past, we may require changes.”
In Maryland, only those rates approved by the Insurance Commissioner may be charged to policyholders. Before approval, all filings undergo a comprehensive analysis of the carriers’ statistics and assumptions. Public comments are considered as part of the review process. By law, the Commissioner must disapprove or modify any proposed premium rates that appear to be inadequate or excessive in relationship to the benefits offered, or are unfairly discriminatory.
The following companies selling individual and small group plans have filed to participate as follows:
Carriers proposed the following rate changes in the individual market:
| CareFirst Blue Choice, Inc |
HMO |
50.40% |
45.20% |
57.10% |
|---|
| CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group Hospitalization and Medical Services Inc. (GHMSI) (both CareFirst companies) |
PPO |
58.80% |
53.40% |
67.90% |
|---|
| Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. |
PPO |
37.26% |
16.06% |
150.83% |
|---|
| Evergreen Health, Inc. |
HMO |
27.80% |
27.12% |
36.65% |
|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States |
HMO |
18.08% |
9.13% |
90.90% |
|---|
For comparison purposes, below are the proposed monthly premium rates, before any subsidies, for a 40-year-old non-smoker in the Baltimore metropolitan area who buys the lowest-cost silver plan.
| CareFirst BlueChoice, Inc. |
HMO |
$518.59 |
|---|
| CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group Hospitalization and Medical Services Inc. (GHMSI) (both CareFirst companies) |
PPO |
$714.95 |
|---|
| Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. |
PPO |
$565.55 |
|---|
| Evergreen Health, Inc. |
HMO |
$403.16 |
|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States |
HMO |
$359.25 |
|---|
In the small group market, the proposed rate changes are for plans that begin in the first quarter of 2018:
| Aetna Health, Inc. |
HMO |
17.50% |
1.60% |
38.60% |
|---|
| Aetna Life Insurance Co. |
PPO |
7.20% |
-0.70% |
29.00% |
|---|
| CareFirst BlueChoice Inc. |
HMO |
3.10% |
-4.30% |
5.10% |
|---|
| CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. (both CareFirst companies) |
PPO |
2.90% |
0.60% |
4.50% |
|---|
| Evergreen Health, Inc. |
HMO |
8.12% |
-7.45% |
12.78% |
|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States Inc. |
HMO |
-2.70% |
-11.00% |
12.60% |
|---|
| MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Co. (a UnitedHealthCare company) |
EPO |
10.60% |
-2.9% |
16.20% |
|---|
| United Healthcare Insurance Co. |
PPO |
10.60% |
-11.60% |
14.90% |
|---|
| UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic |
HMO |
12.90% |
1.70% |
15,80% |
|---|
| Optimum Choice (a UnitedHealthCare company) |
HMO |
12.90% |
1.20% |
18.60% |
|---|
For comparison purposes, below are the proposed monthly premium rates, before any employer contributions, for a 40-year-old non-smoker in the Baltimore metropolitan area who buys the lowest-cost silver plan.
| Aetna Health, Inc. |
HMO |
$429.06 |
|---|
| Aetna Life Insurance Co. |
PPO |
$438.09 |
|---|
| CareFirst BlueChoice Inc. |
HMO |
$310.98 |
|---|
| CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. (both CareFirst companies) |
PPO |
$367.22 |
|---|
| Evergreen Health, Inc. |
HMO |
$317.61 |
|---|
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States Inc. |
HMO |
$242.04 |
|---|
| MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Co. (a UnitedHealthCare company) |
EPO |
$314.70 |
|---|
| United Healthcare Insurance Co. |
PPO |
$319.54 |
|---|
| UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic |
HMO |
$258.14 |
|---|
| Optimum Choice (a UnitedHealthCare company) |
HMO |
$286.78 |
|---|
The rates being reviewed by the Maryland Insurance Administration do not affect health insurance plans offered by large employers, self-insured plans, “grandfathered” plans purchased before March 2010, or federal plans such as Medicare, Tricare and federal employee plans.
The Maryland Insurance Administration expects to issue decisions about rates for 2018 individual and small group products in late summer.
About the Maryland Insurance Administration
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