Big Increase In WA Health Insurance Rates In 2019: State

OLYMPIA, WA - The state insurance commissioner is reviewing rate increases proposed by insurers for plans available through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on the Washington Healthplanfinder. On average across all plans, insurers are proposing about a 19 percent increase in rates.

State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler is still reviewing the rate increase requests. That process will be complete by mid-September, before open enrollment begins on Nov. 1.

Kreidler criticized the Trump administration's undermining of the ACA (also called Obamacare) by getting rid of the individual mandate portion of the law. Without the mandate, insurers are increasing prices to make up for uncertainty. This week, Pennsylvania announced ACA plans could increase by 5 percent on average.

"If the administration was serious about providing relief to consumers, it would abandon its proposals to segment the market with association health plans and short-term, limited-duration medical plans and work with Congress to pass market stabilization legislation and find solutions to the rising costs of health care and prescription drugs," Kreidler said in a press release.

In Washington, Kaiser is seeking the biggest average increases. Right now, a bronze plan from Kaiser on the health exchange carries a $251 per month premium with a more than $7,000 annual deductible. Subsidies given to those who qualify through the state health exchange generally rise with insurance price increases.

Here are the proposed increases per health plan proposed for 2019:

• Asuris Northwest Health - 5.73%
• BridgeSpan Health Company - .89%
• Coordinated Care Corporation - 14.23%
• Health Alliance - 7%
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest 14.44%
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington - 29.78%
• LifeWise Health Plan of Washington - 6.84%
• Molina Healthcare of Washington - 10.73%
• Premera Blue Cross - 6%
• Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon - 7.52%
• Regence BlueShield - 2.57%

One bright spot for 2019: no counties in Washington will be without insurance coverage, although LifeWise and Premera Blue Cross are pulling plans from some counties.

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