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Can they raise my health Ins rate by over 50% in ONE month?

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Bruga

Guest
Hi, I'm a one man business, self employed in Ohio. I have had health insurance through Nationwide Ins. for over 10 years barely ever using it. I turn 40 this month and they sent me 2 notices in one month both stating rate price increases of over 25% each (one because I turned forty the other they say due to the rising cost of health care). However, the 2 raises in one month raise my premium MORE than 50%. I have weathered the other yearly raises of 10% to 15% per year but this seems like they want to start forcing me out before I get any older. Are rate increase this steep even legal? Thank you for your time!
 


cbg

I'm a Northern Girl
It's legal, and depending on what state you're in it might even be mandatory. Many states are what's called "community rated". This means that the insurance carrier goes to the insurance commissioner of the state and says, for such and such a plan, this is what we're going to charge for a 27 year old, this is what we're going to charge for a 42 year old, this is what we're going to charge for a 36 year old, and so on. Once the rates are approved by the insurance commissioner, that's what you get charged, period. Whatever your census shows (in your case, just yourself) that's the only thing they can charge you. Although community rating is great if you're a small company with high medical increases, it can be a problem if you're a small company that doesn't use the insurance much, because the rates the company designs and presents to the insurance commissioner are based on the entire community rated pool. I've seen increases as high as 400% because of community rating. Community rating is only for small groups, but what each state interprets as a small group varies. I've seen it as low as 3 employees and as high as 100.

If your state does not community rate (and I didn't cover Ohio when I worked for an insurance carrier, so I don't know if it does or not) then there might be some wiggle room for you to negotiate the rates down, but if it does, you're stuck and nothing either you or the company can do will change them. Your state insurance commissioner can tell you if your state community rates or not.
 
B

Bruga

Guest
Thank you for the reply cbg. Its a very dishearting answer but hey, I'd rather know. :) Thanks again.
 

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