PENNSYLVANIA — Pennsylvania Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys is seeking public input on rate changes requested by insurance companies in the state’s individual and small group market for 2024. The deadline for comments on the proposed rate increases is September 8. Humphreys encourages consumers to explore coverage options on Pennie® where financial assistance might make insurance more affordable. According to Humphreys, the requested rates for this year are lower than previous years and reflect a stabilizing and competitive health insurance market in Pennsylvania.
“The Shapiro Administration is committed to raising awareness about the importance of health insurance and providing increased access to affordable, comprehensive health coverage,” said Humphreys. “We strongly encourage individual market consumers to shop for coverage on Pennie® where they may qualify for financial assistance that, as we consistently hear from Pennsylvanians, makes coverage more affordable than they thought might be possible.”
“This year’s requested rates are tracking below the rate of medical inflation and represent a smaller increase than policyholders saw coming into 2023,” added Humphreys. “Health care costs are rising across the country, but in Pennsylvania, our health insurance market is stabilizing, and our health insurance remain accessible and competitive.”
Insurance companies offering individual and small group health insurance plans are required to file proposed rates with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department for review and approval before plans can be sold to consumers. The Department reviews rates to ensure that the plans are priced appropriately and are not unfairly discriminatory.
For 2024, insurers currently selling in the individual market filed plans requesting an average statewide increase of 4.2 percent. These filings include[1],[2]:
- Capital Advantage Assurance Company (Rating areas 6,7,9, Average rate request 7.9%)
- Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company (Rating area 8, Average rate request 13.1%)
- Geisinger Health Plan (Rating areas 2,3,5,6,7,9, Average rate request 7.3%)
- Geisinger Quality Options (Rating areas 2,3,5,6,7,9, Average rate request 7.1%)
- Highmark Benefits Group Inc. (Rating areas 3,8, Average rate request 13.2%)
- Highmark Coverage Advantage Inc. (Rating areas 1,4, Average rate request 9.9%)
- Highmark Inc. (Rating areas 1,2,4,5,6,7,9, Average rate request 11.2%)
- Independence Blue Cross (QCC Ins. Co.) (Rating area 8, Average rate request -2.7%)
- Keystone Health Plan Central (Rating areas 6,7,9, Average rate request -0.3%)
- Keystone Health Plan East, Inc. (Rating area 8, Average rate request -3.5%)
- Oscar Health Plan of Pennsylvania, Inc.(Rating areas 3,6,7,8, Average rate request 6.8%)
- Pennsylvania Health & Wellness, Inc. (Rating areas 3,6,7,8, Average rate request 2.3%)
- UPMC Health Coverage, Inc. (Rating areas 1,5, Average rate request 7.6%)
- UPMC Health Options, Inc. (Rating areas 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,9, Average rate request 6.2%)
Insurers that currently sell in Pennsylvania’s small group market filed plans requesting average statewide increases of 4.1 percent.
In the proposed individual and small group market filings, Highmark plans to expand into five new counties: Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia counties, while Geisinger plans to expand its individual and small group offerings into Bedford County, increasing choice for consumers as three insurers will now be offering plans.
Public comment on rate requests and filings will be accepted through September 8, 2023, and can be emailed to ra-in-comment@pa.gov.
“As part of our public rate review process, we encourage consumers to submit comments to the Department on the proposed rate increases,” said Humphreys. “We want to make sure that Pennsylvanians’ voices are being heard while we determine if the proposed increases are actuarily justified.”
Nearly 372,000 Pennsylvanians enrolled in health coverage through the Commonwealth’s official marketplace, Pennie®, during the 2023 Open Enrollment period. Almost 90 percent of Pennie customers are eligible for financial savings, which for those who are taking advantage of it, is on average more than $520 a month for those customers. With these savings, over 32 percent of customers pay less than $50 a month for coverage, and over 20 percent of customers pay less than $15 a month.
Rate filings for 2024 health insurance plans were submitted to PID on May 17. Proposed rate changes vary by plan and region and are subject to change as the department conducts its review process. Final approved rates will be made public in the fall.
[1] Rating Area information is available here.
[2] Consumer Justification Narratives and (redacted) Actuarial Memorandum are available here.
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