It appears that Blue Cross And Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBS of NC) has filed a request with the NC Department of Insurance for an approximate 10{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} rate increase for Individual Customers & those who use Health Savings Accounts. If the filing is approved, the rate increase(s) would go into place in 2013.
The Health Insurance Provider controls approximately 90{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} of North Carolina’s “Individual Health Insurance Market”! Although no requests have been made with regard to Company Provided Health Insurance Rates, this rate increase filing suggests such a request can not be far behind.
The Rate Increase Filing is said to be due, in part, to the increase of the underlying cost of health care services as well as growth in certain procedures that are being done.
Over the past five years, the NC Department of Insurance has approved rate increases on Individual “Co-Pay Health Insurance Plans” of 18.4{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2007, 8.5{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2008, 12.2{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2009, 5.4{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2010, and 5{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2011.
While the Insurance Department has also approved increases for HSA Accounts (Health Savings Accounts)…the rate increases have been drastically lower. Over the past five years the rate increases for HSA Accounts have been 9.7{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2007, 4.7 in 2008, 3.2{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2009, 2.1{66506b27ca8f5234034d808fc0aabc14bc16ceb45d71027974b073b60f711cfe} in 2010, and the rates were unchanged in 2011.