Two of the region’s three dominant health insurers intend to raise premiums on average by double digits for next year, and the third wants a double-digit increase for plans not structured as health maintenance organizations.
The premium for one insurance plan could rise almost 36 percent.
The insurers cite rising costs of medical care and federal health care reforms.
The question is whether the state will let them.
Under a new state law, health insurers must submit their premiums to the state Insurance Department for approval before they take effect.
The state can reject or modify the increases if regulators feel they are not appropriate or justified.
The law also means insurers must disclose their rate plans much earlier than in past years.
Reaction from consumers and small businesses has been swift.
“There’s no question that there’s frustration and anger,” said Howard N. Silverstein, president and CEO of Choice Employee Benefits Group LLC, an insurance agency. “Everybody I’ve talked to cannot believe that some of the rate increases are as high as they are.”
Joe Milazzo, owner of Milazzo Renovations in Lancaster, already was paying $1,200 a month for individual coverage from Independent Health Association when he got a notice of an increase of roughly 15 percent.
“It’s craziness,” he said. “It’s getting to the point where health insurance payments are more than the mortgage payment.”
So he went to the Amherst Chamber of Commerce’s insurance broker and got almost the exact same plan from BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York for $1,351.72 — but every three months, because he is now in a group plan.
“We’re talking a lot of money in savings, for virtually the same plan. I still don’t believe it,” he said.
‘Entire industry changing’
In response, employers are expected to cut back on benefits and ratchet up the amount that employees and their families pay to share in the costs — through higher deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance.
“Our clients … have come to expect double digit increases the past few years,” said Colleen C. DiPirro, president and CEO of the Amherst Chamber, which helps small businesses get health insurance. “However, it doesn’t make it any easier for them to absorb the costs.”
“At the end of the day, I think the entire industry is changing and people are going to become more acclimated to paying more out of pocket and utilizing health insurance for major claims to keep them from financial ruin as a result of a health issue,” she said. “That is the only way we can insure the masses.”
The average requested increase across the board for BlueCross Blue-
Shield was 13 percent, according to information filed with the state Insurance Department, but the increases range from 3.9 percent on one HMO to 28 percent.
Increases would range from less than 10 percent for 30 percent of members to 10 percent to 15 percent for 45 percent, and more than 15 percent for more than 22 percent of those covered.
Independent Health’s rates would rise 10 percent overall, but the increases would range from 7.4 percent on an HMO to 35.8 percent for its small-group high-deductible health plan, where the deductible is not changing. For 1 percent of the company’s small group subscribers, increases would exceed 21 percent.
Univera Healthcare wants to raise rates by 5.4 percent for its Transitions, direct-pay HMO and point-of-sale plan, and 11 percent for all of its other products.
The insurers noted that the premiums and estimated ranges apply only to their base policies, before taking into account individual “riders” that modify coverage for group plans. Also, they are not final until approved.
Independent Health submitted a 1,200-page rate filing July 29, one of the first to do so, and responded to questions once with another 600 pages.
“It’s a ridiculous process,” said Dr. Michael Cropp, the insurer’s CEO.
Univera spokesman Peter Kates said the company submitted its information in August but has not heard back from the state.
Comments reveal rage
HealthNow, the parent of BlueCross BlueShield, filed rates Sept. 1 and has talked to state regulators. But “we don’t have any insights” about how the state will rule, said Stephen T. Swift, the insurer’s chief financial officer.
“They’re very, very stretched,” Swift said. “I’m optimistic the state will approve these rates as filed, but I can’t say we have any indication.”
Comments from the public to the state Insurance Department are being posted, with names blacked out, on the department’s Web site.
“This is preposterous!!!!” wrote a woman who co-owns a business with her husband. Independent Health had notified them of an 11.8 percent increase. “Who on earth can afford this? … The cost of health insurance now is an almost unmanageable burden. This new increase would put us out of business.”
“In these economic times to propose an average 14 percent increase in health care is absurd,” wrote another person who appears to be an insurance agent. “I am not looking forward to meeting my clients and trying to explain these incredible increases while their expenses rise and wages fall.”
“I am writing to express my disgust,” wrote another small business owner, who claimed to have received notice of a 37 percent rate increase.
A dental health care professional wrote: “I wish my income increased as much as my health insurance premiums have.”
As they do each year, the insurers defended their increases as necessary to account for the ever-increasing costs of providing care for their members. Companies routinely cite the high costs of and growing consumer demand for new diagnostic technology and hospital treatments, such as colonoscopies, heart surgeries, radiation and chemotherapies, and intensive services for patients during emergency room visits.
They also point to the high cost and use of sophisticated drugs, especially brand-name and specialty prescription drugs or injectable medications for some of the most serious medical conditions.
“Each year, medical inflation and a continuing increase in the use of medical goods and services combine to drive health care costs higher,” Univera wrote in its own letter. “To cover these increasing costs, we must modify premium rates.”
Consolidation among providers also has reduced competition to some degree, allowing prices to creep up. And the local insurers are quick to note that their administrative costs are much lower than the national average and especially for-profit health plans.
“Obviously our push is to drive those rates as low as possible,” HealthNow’s Swift said. “We know our customers’ concerns as far as affordability and access.”
But they also have treaded in waters that even the White House has deemed inappropriate, by blaming the federal health care reforms. Obama administration officials have warned the industry and its national trade group not to justify rate hikes by citing the reforms.
Notices called “deficient’
So far, requirements for full coverage of preventive care with no co-pays on screenings, the elimination of annual and lifetime limits and coverage for young adult dependents up to age 26 are the only reform provisions that have taken effect.
“Independent Health has evaluated the cost of our members’ health services and benefit changes, including those mandated in conjunction with health care reform,” the carrier wrote in a letter to small employer groups. “As such, we have determined that we must adjust our premiums for 2011.”
Late last month, after the due date for the filings, the Insurance Department issued a statement criticizing many of these notices to employers as “deficient, if not misleading, and in violation of the new prior approval law.” That law was designed to allow insured consumers an opportunity to understand any rate increase and to comment or ask questions about it.
“These type of misleading notices have the effect of confusing members and masking the underlying reasons that a rate adjustment is being requested,” the Insurance Department wrote in its letter to insurance companies, directing them to provide consumers and employers with details.
Archive for the ‘Insurance’ Category
big boosts in premiums for health insurance
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010How to shop around for general insurance?
Tuesday, October 5th, 2010Types of general insuranceGeneral insurance only pays out when an insured event occurs. It includes:home insurance (contents and/or buildings)car insurancetravel insuranceprivate medical insurancepet insuranceaccident, sickness or unemployment insurance to protect your income, mortgage or loan payments (also called ‘Payment protection insurance’)critical illness insurancelong-term care insurance
How to shop around for general insuranceWith so many insurance deals on the market it’s worth shopping around. Key points to compare include:suitability for your particular needscostflexibility: what happens if you miss a payment or wish to cancel or switch?terms: when does the policy pay out/are there restrictions?’Keyfacts’ documents to help you shop aroundWhen you contact an insurance provider, they will give you details of the service they offer. This can normally be found in the ‘about our service document’.Once you’ve discussed what you need and answered all the questions about yourself and what you want to insure, the intermediary, insurance company or the firm selling you the insurance will give you key policy information. This sets out the essential facts.
1. Buying insurance – learn more on Moneymadeclear from the FSA:Getting helpYou can buy insurance yourself or with the help of a broker, but either way you’ll get key policy information about the insurance and what it covers.Generally, firms selling insurance and those providing insurance cover (underwriting the risk) have to be regulated by the Financial Services Authority (FSA), the UK’s financial services regulator, or be the agent of a regulated firm. There are some exceptions, for example the sale of extended warranties on non-motor goods (such as on electrical goods) where the person selling the insurance is also providing the goods.Regulated firms and their agents are put on the FSA Register and have to meet certain standards. Always make sure that the firm you use is on the FSA Register before handing over your money. If they aren’t regulated by the FSA, you won’t have access to complaints and compensation procedures if things go wrong – see If things go wrong. To find out if a firm is on the FSA Register, see Check the FSA Register.Your friends or family may recommend an insurance broker or insurance company or you can find one along your high street.
Alternatively there are organisations that can help you – see Useful links. But remember, always check that the firm you use is on the FSA Register.If the firm is not on the FSA Register, or if you have been contacted by or dealt with an unauthorised insurance firm or broker, it would help the FSA if you would provide some information on your dealings with that firm or individual. See its list of Unauthorised firms/individuals and report any dealings using its Unauthorised firms reporting form.Buying without adviceYou don’t have to get advice before you take out an insurance policy, and UK firms that sell insurance without advice still have to follow the FSA’s rules. But it is up to you to decide whether the policy is suitable for you. You may have less grounds for complaint if the product turns out to be unsuitable.Comparison websitesComparison websites will ask you several questions and then provide you with quotes from various brokers and insurers. None of the websites cover the entire market, and some larger insurers are not represented on any of the websites, so you may wish to contact them directly. The comparison website should contain a list of the brokers and insurers they search.Some insurance comparison websites may ask you fewer questions to speed up the process, and instead make a number of assumptions about you. Always check the assumptions made about you and correct them where necessary.Most comparison websites will automatically pass your information on to a broker or insurer.
Although this means you don’t have to provide them again, you should check that the correct information has been provided to the broker or insurer. If anything is incorrect you should either change the information on the broker or insurer’s website, or contact them and ask them to change it.The Association of British Insurers (ABI) has a voluntary good practice guide for insurers, brokers, software houses and insurance comparison websites when providing online price comparison quotes for insurance.This will mean that you’ll get information to help you understand more about the policy you’re being offered. It also says that insurers who are unable to provide a quote to a customer (for example due to age or health) should refer them to another provider who may be able to offer them cover.When using a comparison website make sure:adverts about the site don’t make misleading claims about their market coverage – none of them covers the whole market, so if they claim to, this is unlikely to be true;you fully understand what savings you can make if the firm is advertising what looks like an attractive rate;the assumptions made about you are accurate and the same as the ones on the insurer’s quote; andyou understand what excesses you might have to pay.See our Shopping around guide for more information.What information will you get?When you contact an insurance broker they will give you:details of the service they are offering you – see Step 1; andinformation about the insurance policy being offered to you – see Step 2.Step 1 – Getting the KeyfactsWhen you contact an insurance provider, they will give you details of the service they offer. It may be in a about our service document, but doesn’t have to be.
They will tell you:whether they’re offering you advice or just information about the product;whose insurance policies they offer – it may be from one company or many; andhow much you’ll have to pay for the service.Use this document, or information to shop around to get the service you want at the price you’re happy with.Step 2Once you’ve discussed what you need and answered all the questions about yourself and what you want to insure, the intermediary, insurance company or the firm selling you the insurance will give you key policy information. This sets out the essential facts. Ask questions if you don’t understand anything as misunderstandings could lead to the insurance company refusing to pay out when you claim.The policy information will set out:what the insurance policy actually covers;what it doesn’t cover;any limits or restrictions; andother important features you need to know before you make up your mind.Make sure you get this and that you read and understand it. Ask the provider or insurance company to explain anything you don’t understand.Use this document to shop around and compare like with like. Another policy may be cheaper but does it offer the same cover?2. How to check if a firm is FSA authorisedYou can check whether a firm or individual is FSA authorised by using the FSA online ‘Check our Register’ service.Find out how to use the FSA Register and what to consider when looking for a firm or individual.Firms are put on our Register once we have given them permission to carry out a particular activity. Firms that work as ‘agents’ for other firms are also on our Register and are also known as ‘Appointed representatives’ or ‘Tied agents’. After that we monitor that they follow our set standards, known as being ‘regulated’.Always make sure that the firm you use is on our Register before handing over your money. If they aren’t regulated by us and things go wrong, you won’t have access to complaints procedures and compensation schemes, for example the Financial Ombudsman Service and Financial Services Compensation Scheme (FSCS). Some payment services firms do not have to be on the FSA register until May 2011, but you can still take complaints against them to the Financial Ombudsman Service.3. The difference between information and adviceYou can buy insurance after getting advice, or based on information after shopping around. Read our related article to understand the difference between buying with or without advice and the relative pros and cons.The difference between advice and informationWhen you get insurance advice, the broker or adviser looks at your individual circumstances and needs and recommends a policy to meet them. This often involves a face-to-face meeting, but you can get advice in other ways, for example by telephone, email, or through the post. Under FSA rules, if the advice turns out to be unsuitable you have the right to complain and, in some circumstances, may be able to claim compensation.Buying without adviceUK firms that sell insurance without advice still have to follow FSA rules, for example by providing you with certain information about their service and products (see next section). But if you buy this way it’s for you to decide whether or not you think the policy is suitable for you. If things go wrong it may be harder to complain.Information the insurance broker must give youFSA authorised firms must follow certain rules and standards when dealing with you, including giving you certain information.Information about a broker’s serviceWhen you contact an insurance provider, they will give you details of the service they offer. It may be in an ‘about our service document’, but doesn’t have to be.They will tell you:whether they’re offering you advice or just information about the productwhose insurance policies they offer – it may be from one company or manyhow much you’ll have to pay for the serviceUse this document, or information, to shop around to get the service you want at the price you’re happy with.Information about the insurance policyOnce you’ve discussed what you need and answered all the questions about yourself and what you want to insure, the intermediary, insurance company or the firm selling you the insurance will give you key policy information. This sets out the essential facts.For investment-type insurance they must give you a more detailed key features document which includes an illustration of how your investment might perform over time.
Car Insurance – How to Compare Rates From Multiple Companies Instantly
Sunday, October 3rd, 2010The reason we compare car insurance quotes from multiple car insurance companies is to make sure weâ??re getting the best rates possible. Of course nobody wants to pay more money than they have to, but in the other hand we also want to make sure that our car insurance company is going to respond quickly and fairly in case of an accident.
What is unknown to many is that there is not one single car insurance company that is cheaper than others. One particular car insurance company can be the cheapest for one person but the most expensive for another. Each car insurance company has a certain category of drivers they want to insure. If you fit their category they will offer you a cheap rate, if you donâ??t, they will offer you an expensive rate. That is their way of filtering the people they want and do not want to insure. That is the reason we need to compare insurance rates from multiple car insurance companies, to find out which company will offer us the cheapest rate. The key is to find the company that offers the cheapest rate for you, but of course, it is important to compare rates from quality companies only.
There are many quality car insurance companies out there; however, some of those quality companies also have a high price to go along with them. How do we find a quality company for a cheap price? That, my friend, is the key question.
The traditional method of shopping for car insurance is to call around which we all know can be a long process. Another drawback of shopping for car insurance by phone is the probability of getting caught with the old â??bait and hookâ? trick. That is when someone gives you a low quote by phone and hikes it up on you when you go into their office to purchase the car insurance policy.
In todayâ??s world, luckily, we have the internet. The internet makes life a lot easier for all of us. Using the internet, we can shop for many types of things we may need which include shopping for car insurance.
Shopping for car insurance online is the best way to compare rates from multiple car insurance companies. Online, you can also read about a companyâ??s history and make sure theyâ??re a quality company. Most companies offer instant online car insurance quotes thorough their websites which makes obtaining car insurance quotes a lot easier than the traditional method of shopping by phone. Better yet, there are some websites that offer online car insurance quotes from multiple companies with one simple process. You can even purchase your car insurance online if you like the price. One such website is OnlineAutoInsurance.com. There, you can obtain quotes from quality companies such as Progressive, AIG, Infinity, GMAC, Bristol West, and several more. All with one simple process!
All the essentials about insurance
Monday, September 27th, 2010There are dozens of different types of insurance, from insurance that you have to take out by law (such as car insurance), to policies that it’s a good idea to have (such as contents insurance) to those that are ‘nice to have’ rather than necessities.
Figures from the Association of British Insurers show that, during the recession, one in four people cancelled their home insurance. While it’s a good idea to make sure you’re not paying for insurance you don’t need, you should always think about what would happen if disaster were to strike before cancelling any insurance policies.
When you take out an insurance policy, you pay a premium to the insurance company. If you never make a claim, you never get any of the money back; instead it’s pooled with the premiums of others who have taken out insurance with a particular firm.
That may not sound like a good deal, but the idea behind insurance is that everyone pays into a pot of money, knowing that only some of them will ever need to make a claim. If you have to make a claim (perhaps because your washing machine has flooded your kitchen and damaged your floor), the money comes from the pool of your and other policyholders’ premiums.
Insurers are professional risk takers, which means they know the probability of different types of risk happening so they can calculate the premiums needed to create a fund large enough to cover likely loss payments.
Clearly, only a proportion of policyholders will make a claim in any one period. So, an insurer will take two important factors into account when calculating the premium it will charge. Firstly, how likely it is in general terms that someone will need to claim and secondly, whether the person who wants to take out the policy is a bigger or smaller risk than the ‘average’ policyholder.
Take three examples. In motor insurance, a young person with ahigh-powered car, or a driver with a long history of accidents will pay a higher premium than a mature and experienced driver with a car with a smaller engine who has not had an accident before.
Similarly, the owner of a fish and chip shop will pay a higher premium for his or her fire insurance than, say, the owner of an office. The risk is greater, so the premium is higher.
Someone who is young, fit and in a risk-free job will find it easier to buy life insurance and will pay lower premiums than someone who has a heart condition or is in a risky occupation.
The level of premium is also affected by the insurance company’s desire to target a particular section of the market. So, if an insurer wants to encourage younger drivers to buy insurance from it, it may decide to undercut the premiums charged by some of its rivals.
There are two different kinds of insurance - life insurance and general insurance.
General insurance pays out:
Most life policies, on the other hand, pay out when an event happens, such as when someone dies.
Anyone can buy life insurance but, the amount you pay in premiums will depend on your age, your health, and the type of work you do. The younger and healthier you are, the cheaper the premiums for life insurance. But if you work in a risky job, you’ll normally have to pay more for life insurance.
Most types of insurance are annual policies. That means that the amount you pay can change every year and, if you’ve made a claim in the previous year or your circumstances have changed, it could affect your premiums.
However, some types of insurance, such as life insurance and insurance that pays part of your income if you cannot work because you’re seriously ill, are long-term contracts. That means you don’t get renewed quotes every year as the premium is set when you first sign up.
If you have a joint mortgage with your husband, wife or partner, you can take out life insurance that will pay out if they die before the mortgage is paid off. However, you can’t take out insurance on someone unless you’d be financially worse off if they died.
With many general insurance policies, you have to pay the first part of any claim – called the excess – if something goes wrong. The level of the excess can vary widely. For a travel insurance policy, it may be £25 – £50 while for a car insurance policy it could be £100 or more.
Sometimes insurers will impose a large excess if you’ve already claimed for something and you’re likely to do so again, such as for flood damage or subsidence(which is when a building develops cracks because the foundations have moved).
Other principles apply to all kinds of insurance:
Tailor your policy to your electronic gadgets (mobile phones, iPhones, laptops, iPods, sat navs, cameras, blue tooth headsets, camcorders and more) with prices starting from as little as £1.49 per month!
Insurance Agency
Friday, September 3rd, 2010In order to conduct a thorough comparison of auto insurance, one must understand the different aspects that should be looked at and subsequently compared. These aspects together form a complete view of auto insurance and will give the person conducting the comparing a better idea of what they will want to purchase.Compare Companies: Each company has its own “something” to offer its clients and it is up to the clients, or drivers in the case of auto insurance, to determine what it is they want from an insurer and find which insurance companies offers it the best. When it comes to comparing car insurance providers, drivers should look at a couple of aspects about the company in specific while getting an overall feeling of what they provide.One thing to look into in depth is the insurer’s financial strength. You can think of purchasing an insurance policy almost as if you are making an investment, and people don’t make investments with a company unless they are a financially strong company. Whether a driver is making a monthly payment or paying in full at the beginning of the policy period, that driver is expecting the insurer to be able to come through for them in a time of need. When a driver pays their bill on time and maintains their insurance policy, they expect when they go to make a claim that the claim will be paid for in a timely manner and that it will be paid. Only financially strong companies can ensure claims will be paid. Insurers who are not financially strong and are more vulnerable to financial failure will have a more difficult time paying those claims. Would you want to pay an insurer who will maybe pay a claim? Of course not. Drivers want an insurer who will definitely pay a claim and be around for a long while.There are a few third party companies who conduct financial evaluations of insurance companies and then post their findings to the public. One company is AM Best, who ranks companies by giving them a letter grade, which can be used to determine how strong the company is financially.Another aspect to be considered comparing is the insurer’s customer service rankings. Policyholders should be treated well by the representative, and the company’s website should be easy to navigate through. There should be options to make the premium payment online, through the mail, or over the phone. The company should do everything possible to make the auto insurance experience as pleasant as possible for their policyholders. In essence, the policyholder should be treated as though they are a number one customer. To find out rankings of an insurer, check out JD Power and see who is rated number one this year, or find out how your current insurer ranks.Every driver is entitled to a great experience with their insurance provider, even drivers who don’t have the greatest driving records. No one should settle when it comes to customer service and being treated well, even when talking about car insurance.Compare Coverage Options: There are many options to be considered when choosing coverage for a policy. Drivers must carry the state requirements, but beyond that is the choice of the policyholder. The main two types of coverage will cover the vehicle and cover medical expenses, and we’ll start there. Medical expenses become very costly as the intensity of the accident increases. Major accidents can cost tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills, and many people don’t purchase enough insurance to cover that nor do they have that money in savings. There are different types of medical coverage, including the self titled medical coverage and also personal injury protection. In some states one of these is required, but for residents of the states that do not require these, they should be considered. These can be used in conjunction with a healthcare policy if the policyholder currently has one. These medical coverage options can help with lost wages, funeral expenses, and surgeries or other medical needs resulting from the accident. Also when purchased, they will go into effect whether the policyholder is at fault of the accident or not.For vehicle coverage, there are options that will protect the policyholder’s car from any cause of the damage. For instance, comprehensive and collision, when combined, will cover damages that occur no matter what or who caused them. This list could include weather-related damages, vandalism, and even theft. In fact, if the policyholder’s vehicle has a loan or lease on it, the loan/lease owner will require the policyholder to carry comprehensive and collision. There are other vehicle coverage options to consider as well, such as uninsured or underinsured coverage, which will permit the policyholder to rely on their insurer to cover damages done to their vehicle or body by a motorist who has very little or no insurance. To find out what coverage options are offered by an insurer, contact them for specific terms of coverage.Compare Prices: The best way to compare prices is to gather the estimated prices or quotes that are given by insurers and find the lowest price, and the fastest way to do so would be using our quote comparison tool. By using this tool, the driver or applicant only needs to answer one set of questions and in return will be given a list of prices from a number of local insurers. Compare this to the alternative, which would be to contact each insurer individually to make a list of quotes, which would take a considerable amount of time. We’ll provide the same information, just in a shorter amount of time.Auto insurance comparisons are most easily done when the driver knows what they are looking for. Comparing different parts of car insurance, such as the provider, the coverage, and the cost, will give the driver a better understanding of the type of company that is providing the insurance. Without knowing these things about a company, the driver isn’t making certain they will be getting the best policy available for their circumstances.Get A Auto insurance QuoteGet A Home insurance Quote