More bad news for health care consumers, Covered California, the state’s ObamaCare exchange – insuring about 1.4 million people announced on Tuesday that premiums will increase by double-digits next year
July 20, 2016
Health Premiums To Skyrocket In California
More bad news for health care consumers, Covered California, the state’s ObamaCare exchange – insuring about 1.4 million people announced on Tuesday that premiums will increase by double-digits next year. The 13.2 percent average increase is significantly higher than what consumers faced in the previous two years.
Californians face a much higher increase than other states reporting proposed premiums:
The proposed increase in California is higher than the average for states that have already reported insurance premiums so far, though many insurance companies are seeking large increases. In 14 states analyzed by the Washington, D.C.-based consulting firm Avalere Health, the cost of an average-priced plan will rise 11 percent if insurers are allowed to adopt the rates they’ve requested.
Some consumers throughout the state face “eye-popping” premium increases nearing 30 percent:
In Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey counties, the average rate hike of 28.6 percent is not only more than double the statewide increase, it once again is the highest in California. Next highest in the Bay Area is San Francisco County, at an average 14.8 percent increase, followed by Contra Costa County at 13.6 percent. Rate increases for the rest of the Bay Area fall just below that at 12.5 percent for Marin, Napa and Sonoma counties; 12.3 percent for Alameda County; 11.7 percent for San Mateo County and 9.2 percent for Santa Clara County.
Other areas in the state once experiencing a premium decrease are now being hit with double-digit premium increases:
For example, in Los Angeles County, where 2016 rates last year dipped 0.2 percent or inched up by only 2.5 percent, can now expect an average increase of 13.9 percent to 16.4 percent.
With news of premium increases, California resident Carrie Grant, a cancer survivor who continues to fight the disease called ObamaCare unaffordable and restricting her access to live-saving to her health care needs:
CARRIE GRANT: “That’s a pretty big hike and it feels a little bit to me like a bait-and-switch with this program. … I make too much money to receive some of these programs that are claiming to be out there for me. However, I certainly don’t make enough money to receive the insurance coverage that really would provide me the things that I truly need.”
Oakland resident Shantel Harris is concerned how her friends and family will pay for rising health care coverage:
SHANTEL HARRIS: “Eight hundred dollars a month, which I know a lot of people don’t have. I feel like we all need health coverage, no matter how much we make or how much we have.”
Rather than lower health care costs for all Americans as promised, the law is raising costs and restricting life-saving care to those most in need. Instead of scrapping this irresponsible law that is devastating American lives, Democrats – including Hillary Clinton have made clear that they will expand upon the law by adding an unaffordable public option.