Georgia insurers participating in the ACA (Affordable Care Act) insurance exchanges have announced their 2019 proposed rate hikes, coming in lower than anticipated by participants and providers, according to the State of Georgia Insurance Department. Last year rate hikes were as much as 50%, and nearly a half million Georgians purchased coverage through the ACA exchanges in spite of the high rates.
Proposed rate hikes to be approved or rejected August 22 include:
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Georgia – 2.2%
- Alliant – 5.7%
- Ambetter – 8.8%
- Kaiser Permanente – 14.7 %
Blue Cross is seeking to provide coverage in 135 of Georgia’s 159 counties while the other three insurers will provide coverage in all counties.
In Georgia, approximately half of those insured obtain insurance through their employers; Over one third have some kind of government coverage such as Medicare, Medicaid and Veterans Administration and less than 10% obtain health insurance through individual policies like the ACA exchanges.
The insurance exchanges were created under the 2010 Affordable Care Act for the purpose of providing health insurance plans to individuals and families who do not have job-based or government coverage. Nationwide, the average proposed rate hike for 2019 is 15%; therefore Georgia insurers are coming in lower than the national average.
Uncertainty still surrounds the future of the ACA as the individual mandate will officially end in 2019, meaning some current participants may choose to opt out of healthcare coverage altogether. In addition, Georgia has joined 19 other states in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the ACA, specifically the requirement for insurers to cover individuals with pre-existing conditions.
Hollis Cobb representatives work with hospitals, clinics and physicians all over Georgia to resolve medical bills through insurance follow up, payment plans for self-pay patients and those with high deductibles along with targeted settlement campaigns. Every month Hollis Cobb returns thousands of dollars to Georgia healthcare providers as well as other providers throughout the U.S., and supplies staff for hospitals faced with hiring freezes. The Hollis Cobb team is committed to helping our clients remain financially healthy by offering services at every point in the revenue cycle.
