[5]Associated Oregon Industries [6]
Oregon’s largest business advocate
It’s probably never good news when insurance makes top headlines. That was true when Oregon health insurance providers made news with their rate increase requests this month. On May 3, Oregon’s primary health insurance providers all submitted their requests for the 2017 calendar year to the Oregon Department of Insurance. For Oregonians looking for individual coverage, 2017 will present a challenge if these rate requests are any indication.
The average rate increase request for individual coverage among Oregon health insurance providers was 18.3%. This average included one provider requesting no rate increase at all (Health Net Health Plan of Oregon a provider partner of AOI’s HealthChoice program). Two providers are requesting rate hikes of more than 30% for the individual marketplace in Oregon next year.
Perhaps of more interest to AOI members, the small group rate increase requests were far less dramatic. The average requested rate increase for small group health insurance plans in Oregon for 2017 was 3.6%. Several providers are actually requesting rate decreases in Oregon’s small group market for 2017, including Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest (another provider partner for AOI HealthChoice). Kaiser is requesting a 5% rate decrease for small group plans in 2017.