Health & Fitness
13.5% Health Insurance Hike Approved For Wash. Exchange
A 13.5% increase is big for people buying plans on the state exchange, but it's smaller than the nearly 20% increase insurers wanted.
OLYMPIA, WA - The state Insurance Commissioner has approved a 13.57 percent increase for plans sold on the state's health insurance exchange. The double-digit increase is large, but smaller than the 19.44 percent increase health insurers requested.
The increase applies only to plans sold on the state's insurance marketplace, where people without employer-provided insurance shop for plans. The 13.57 percent increase is an average per insurer, individual plans may increase by less or more.
For example, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of WA plans will increase 18.61 percent on average (about 10 percent less than Kaiser requested), but BridgeSpan Health Co. plans will only increase about .30 percent on average.
Find out what's happening in Across Washingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
A total of 11 insurers will sell 74 different plans on the state exchange. About 4 percent of the state's population buys a plan off the exchange.
Open enrollment for 2019 plans begins Nov. 1. You can search for plans available in your county here.
Find out what's happening in Across Washingtonfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
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