ObamaCare Day 189

America under ObamaCare, Day 189: Less care, lighter wallets
Posted by Staff

Business First of Buffalo reports:

Health insurance rates in Western New York will likely go up by another 9.5 percent to 14 percent in 2011.
The region's three main insurers submitted rate proposals to the state Insurance Department for the 2011 plan year:
• BlueCross BlueShield's average increase will be just under 14 percent, though about a third of members will see increases of less than 10 percent.
• Independent Health rates will go up about 10 percent for community-rated groups over 2010 rates.
• Univera's rates will rise between 9.5 percent and 12.5 percent.
The double-digit increases for employer-sponsored health insurance still must be approved by the Health Department under a "prior approval" law passed earlier this year.
It has 60 days to review those rates and determine whether to approve them or ask insurers to make modifications.
"Our expectation is they're going to stick," says Jared Gross, vice president of health-care economics at BlueCross BlueShield of WNY.