Insurers request big rate hikes, citing Medicaid (Obamacare)

Posted: Jun 3, 2015

carriers on the Obamacare exchange are attributing proposed double-digit premium increases to next year’s private-market alterations to the New Hampshire Medicaid program. Minuteman Health Inc. — which entered the New Hampshire exchange market this year with the lowest premiums — has requested rate increases ranging from 42 to 51 percent for next year, according to healthcare.gov, the online exchange established by the Affordable Care Act. Maine Community Health Options asked for premium increases between 19 and 22 percent. Both companies attributed their proposed increases in part to the Premium Assistance Program, the name for the Medicaid expansion program that is scheduled to go into effect on Jan. 1. A compromise between Democratic Gov. Maggie Hassan and Senate Republicans, the program will send Medicaid recipients to the exchange and give them Medicaid dollars to pay for their coverage. Medicaid patients are low-income people who often have spotty health care histories, and the expansion provides mental health and addiction recovery services that some of them have had little access to. Maine Community estimated that claims from the Medicaid patients will be 61 percent higher than its current risk pool, according to a statement filed with healthcare.gov. ;