Health insurance premiums in Idaho will go up in 2018, between 6 and 81 percent depending on the plan you choose. That's according to proposed increases to the price of your health care plan.
Each year, insurance companies operating in Idaho send their planned price hikes to the Department of Insurance. The proposed increases were released Monday for 2018.
The proposed average overall statewide rate increase is 38 percent. The average price for Bronze, Silver, and Gold plans are all going up, with Silver plans averaging a 50 percent increase.
Of the five insurance carriers proposing hikes, overall increases range from 25 percent, for Mountain Health CO-OP to 51 percent for Regence BlueShield of Idaho.
Department Director Dean Cameron said he was disappointed and frustrated with the rate hike proposals. He said the increases make it difficult “for Idahoans to afford reasonable coverage,” especially if they don’t get a subsidy on the state’s health care exchange.
Under state law, the Insurance Department can’t establish or deny rate hikes. But it can label a rate hike as “unreasonable” and try to negotiate a lower rate increase with an insurance carrier.
The final rates will be published in September or October.
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