ACA individual market premium rates could increase 6.6% in Florida

By

Nicole Pasia

|

Upon completion of a review from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR), 2022 monthly premium rates for individual market plans under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) were approved on Tuesday. That average rate change for existing individual market plans will increase by 6.6%, according to OIR. 

 

Stay one step ahead. Join our email list for the latest news.

Subscribe

 

Fourteen plans in the individual market filed premium rates for review, including Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, UnitedHealthcare, and Molina Healthcare, which is Florida’s top-rated Medicaid health maintenance organization (HMO) according to the National Committee on Quality Assurance. 

According to OIR documents, Celtic Insurance Company’s average monthly premiums will increase from $587 in 2021 to $651 in 2022 — an increase of almost 10% and the highest among plans on the list. AvMed, Inc. was the only plan with premiums that would cost less in 2022. Its average rate would drop from $582 to $565, or 2.9%. 

 

Image: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

 

OIR also revealed company reviews for 14 plans in the small group market, including Aetna, Humana, and Neighborhood Health Partnerships. The average rate increase was 7.9%, although some companies such as Atena Life Insurance and AvMed would increase as much as 17.3% and 19.9%, respectively. 

 

Image: Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

 

The Florida Association of Health Plans, which represents several plans on the lists, did not immediately respond to State of Reform’s request for comment. 

These rates are subject to change under federal review from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During the summer special enrollment period, over 487,000 Floridians enrolled for health coverage. However, some Medicaid beneficiaries may become disenrolled if the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services does not renew its COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) declaration. Secretary Xavier Becerra last renewed the PHE on July 19, 2021, for a period of 90 days. Under the PHE, the Families First Coronavirus Response Act’s “continuous coverage” requirement limits disenrollment from Medicaid.