Smart Benefits: 2015 Health Insurance Rates Approved
Monday, July 28, 2014
Rhode Island’s Health Insurance Commissioner recently announced approved health insurance premium increases for individuals and employers for 2015 – and they’re lower than requested by most insurers.
New Rates
The rates requested and approved for the four largest carriers in the market – Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI), Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (NHPRI), Tufts Health Plan (Tufts) and UnitedHealthcare (United) – are as follows:
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What You See Isn’t Necessarily What You’ll Get
In the individual and small group markets, the EHB (Essential Health Benefits) Base Rate is the premium for a plan with no cost-sharing for a 21-year-old – and serves as the basis for the rates that will be charged for plans. Final rates will differ based on a subscriber’s age and benefits chosen.
For large groups, the expected premium increases are averages; employers will have higher or lower rates based on demographic changes in their workforce and their company’s utilization rate.
Premium Drivers
The rising cost of medical care – what insurers pay providers for services and the number of services members use – continues to be the main driver of health insurance premium growth.
Amy Gallagher has over 21 years of healthcare industry experience guiding employers and employees. As Vice President at Cornerstone Group, she advises large employers on all aspects of healthcare reform, benefit solutions, cost-containment strategies and results-driven wellness programs. Amy speaks regularly on a variety of healthcare-related topics, and is often quoted by national publications on the subject matter. Locally, Amy is a member of SHRM-RI, the Rhode Island Business Group on Health, and the Rhode Island Business Healthcare Advisory Council.
Related Slideshow: New England’s Healthiest States 2013
The United Health Foundation recently released its 2013 annual reoprt: America's Health Rankings, which provides a comparative state by state analysis of several health measures to provide a comprehensive perspective of our nation's health issues. See how the New England states rank in the slides below.
Definitions
All Outcomes Rank: Outcomes represent what has already occurred, either through death, disease or missed days due to illness. In America's Health Rankings, outcomes include prevalence of diabetes, number of poor mental or physical health days in last 30 days, health disparity, infant mortality rate, cardiovascular death rate, cancer death rate and premature death. Outcomes account for 25% of the final ranking.
Determinants Rank: Determinants represent those actions that can affect the future health of the population. For clarity, determinants are divided into four groups: Behaviors, Community and Environment, Public and Health Policies, and Clinical Care. These four groups of measures influence the health outcomes of the population in a state, and improving these inputs will improve outcomes over time. Most measures are actually a combination of activities in all four groups.
Diabetes Rank: Based on percent of adults who responded yes to the question "Have you ever been told by a doctor that you have diabetes?" Does not include pre-diabetes or diabetes during pregnancy.
Smoking Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are current smokers (self-report smoking at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and currently smoke).
Obesity Rank: Based on percentage of adults who are obese, with a body mass index (BMI) of 30.0 or higher.
Source: http://www.americashealthrankings.org/
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