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Brace Yourself. Covered California Rates Are Out
(Photo by torbakhopper/Flickr CC)
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Covered California announced their average rate increases Thursday. We'll have more details in a couple of weeks about how much specific plans will cost in 2019. Here's what we know now:
#CoveredCA health insurance rates will be an average of 8.7 percent higher next year.
— “Tía” Michelle Faust Raghavan (she/they/ella/elle) (@MicheReports) July 19, 2018
In #LosAngeles individual health insurance rates will go up averages between 8.6 and 10 percent on average.
— “Tía” Michelle Faust Raghavan (she/they/ella/elle) (@MicheReports) July 19, 2018
In #OrangeCounty #SanBernardino and #Riverside Counties, rates will go up an average of 9 percent for #CoveredCA health plans next year.
— “Tía” Michelle Faust Raghavan (she/they/ella/elle) (@MicheReports) July 19, 2018
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Remember, these are average rates. You're insurance policy might be going up a bit more or less.
#CoveredCA's Peter Lee says some consumers could pay less if they shop around for a cheaper plan.
— “Tía” Michelle Faust Raghavan (she/they/ella/elle) (@MicheReports) July 19, 2018
Covered California officials say the best bet for many people is to shop around. LA County health insurance shoppers could save up to about 5 percent. In Orange County, that could be around 2 percent. Individual results will vary.
#CoveredCA's Peter Lee says some consumers could pay less if they shop around for a cheaper plan.
— “Tía” Michelle Faust Raghavan (she/they/ella/elle) (@MicheReports) July 19, 2018
Depending on how much money you make each year, the federal government could help with part of the cost of your month insurance payment. About 90 percent of consumers on Covered California get those subsidies.
#CoveredCA's Peter Lee says each consumer that choses to go without health insurance represents $1,000 in uncompensated care in the hospitals. Those individuals who get sick face much higher bills.
— “Tía” Michelle Faust Raghavan (she/they/ella/elle) (@MicheReports) July 19, 2018
One study showed that each person who skips insurance represents about a thousand dollars to the health system, but it's much more costly for the individual. If you get sick without insurance your hospital bill could be tens of thousands of dollars.
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Health care advocates say some of these consumer costs could have been prevented.
They blame some of the increase of the GOP tax plan that took away the fines for not having insurance. They also say the state could have taken a number of actions to lower costs.
Organizations like Health Access say they will try again to make it a reality after the elections under a new legislature and a new governor.
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