EVERETT — Washingtonians who get their health care coverage on the state’s market will see higher rates next year, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner announced Wednesday.
Each year, the commissioner’s office approves changes to insurance rates. The 11 insurers selling plans in the upcoming health benefit exchange, or the state’s online health insurance market, asked for an 11.3% average increase, according to the commissioner’s office. The office agreed to a 10.7% average.
The price jump will affect 280,000 patients in the upcoming insurance market, according to Fair Health Prices Washington, an affordable health care advocacy group.
Seven of the approved increases impact insurers with plans available to Snohomish County residents. Of those, the largest increase was 22.8% for Regence BlueShield. Molina Healthcare saw the lowest at 5.7%.
The increase will help pay for health service costs, according to the commissioner’s office.
“I know this rate increase will hit hard for many people, especially at a time when other expenses are up,” Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler said in a press release. “Addressing the underlying costs of health care will require some difficult choices, but consumers and our health care system cannot afford to wait.”
As of July, almost 260,000 Washingtonians had individual health plans, with over 232,000 enrolled through the health benefit exchange, according to the commissioner’s office.
“Once again, the health care industry is set to profit off Washington patients,” said Emily Brice, co-executive director of Northwest Health Law Advocates, in a press release. “Last year, the premiums increased 9%, the year before that it was 8%, and now it’s another 11%. People have had enough — we need solutions that tackle the problem of continually skyrocketing prices.”
In June, Fair Health Prices Washington surveyed 1,000 Washingtonians. Results showed 31% had medical debt and 88% were worried about being able to afford health care.
Last month, the commissioner’s office reported five state policy ideas that could address rising insurance costs. They include offsetting costs for insurance enrollees with expensive medical claims, paying hospitals a fixed annual amount for care and limiting care costs to a set inflation benchmark.
Premiums depend on a patient’s income, age, ZIP code and insurance plan details. The state offers a subsidy program called Cascade Care Savings to help lower monthly premiums based on income. And to apply for financial aid, insurance shoppers can click “no” when asked if they want to apply for a “full cost Qualified Health Plan.”
Rates and plans for Asuris Northwest Health and Providence Health Plan, insurers that sell outside of the state exchange, were pending this week.
The open enrollment period for Washington Healthplanfinder is Nov. 1 to Jan. 15. Overall, the state exchange board certified 74 health and nine dental plans for 2025.
State market-approved insurers with plans available to Snohomish County residents are:
• Bridgespan;
• Community Health Plan of Washington;
• Coordinated Care Corporation;
• Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington;
• LifeWise;
• Molina; and
• Regence Blue Shield.
Sydney Jackson: 425-339-3430; sydney.jackson@heraldnet.com; X: @_sydneyajackson.
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