And you read it here first – some Wellmark insurance rates up 42%

@SoDakCampaigns

From Politico:

SD RATES UP 42 PERCENT — Wellmark, a South Dakota insurer, has announced that it proposed 2016 rates that are 42.9 percent higher than 2015. The company said in a memo that the rate hike is the reflection of higher than anticipated costs, including more claims and prescriptions than expected and “a number of members who cancelled their coverage after receiving costly health services.” The company said it anticipated high utilization among certain enrollees, but that actual utilization was three times higher than that.

Read it all here.

49 thoughts on “And you read it here first – some Wellmark insurance rates up 42%”

  1. So is it only those plans being offered to Obamacare participants, or is the raise for everyone? So glad that I didn’t rush out and spend that extra $2500 per year savings promised (lied) by Obama!

    1. Wellmark is not offered on the exchange. You cannot get it through “obamacare” – so I am unsure of what point you are trying to make here.

      1. @Anonymous…exactly. Because Wellmark won’t sell their plans on the federal exchange they’re able to gouge the rates and not offer the new updates. e.g. Wellmark is able to “refuse to renew” at the end of the year if the patient gets cancer, MS, diabetes or a long term illness. Wellmark can just say “adios” to those folks and medical bankruptcy soon follows.

        1. SD Wellmark BCBS cannot cancel you but you can cancel them with signed request or nonpayment of premium.

          1. Wondered if anyone would catch that point, Jo Ann. The reason they can no longer cancel you if you get really sick is Obamacare. Bottom line …. if you want to pay lower rates (much lower) convince your Republican governor to accept the Medicaid expansion or not. It’s up to South Dakota. Once again, a single person policy runs from $160 – $180 a month (cheaper if you’re low income). That extra couple hundred every month in people pockets here is really helping the economy. But when Mr. Powers complains about rising rates it’s not because of Obamacare. Wellmark doesn’t even sell Obamacare policies.

            1. Wellmarks’s guaranteed renewable policy was in place long before Obama care was even thought of. Prior to Obama care you could even Keep your policy if you moved to another state.
              I am not here to defend Wellmark but they are wise not to sell thru the exchange and yes I believe the policies they now sell are the Obama care policies without the subsidies— coverages mandated by law, state or federal contribute to the cost of course

              1. I believe you’re wrong on both issues. Wellmark did not have a guaranteed renewable policy unless you paid a lot extra and then it too could be refused at the end of the period. They now carry policies with the upgrades because that is now the law. The subsidies don’t come from insurance companies they come from Medicaid.

                1. And where do the “subsidies from Medicaid” come from? Right, me and you in higher taxes. It’s not free money.

                  1. it’s only free money long enough for the state to willingly take on a huge and certainly unfunded federal mandate which never goes away. no more balanced budgets. porter lansing is not telling the whole story.

            2. Porter what you just wrote is really like saying a nuclear bomb going off in Boston doesn’t affect New York because they did not have a bomb go off in their city. The collateral damage from O-Care is just beginning.

        2. Yet another factor that should keep prices down, but they’re rising. This whole line of conversation is self-defeating. If this particular insurance company employs practices that limit the number of poor and sick insureds, while also eliminating those who develop major issues, then they should be more capable of controlling prices. There again we get back to the reality that the only real argument being made here is “big business is bad.”

  3. so our only 3 options west river are Avera, Sanford and DakotaCare? Not much competition.

  4. Wait a minute, conservatives. What happened in Iowa and South Dakota? The answer lies in commerce, not politics. The individual insurance market in both states is dominated by one insurer, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. The company chose not to sell on the ACA exchanges in the first year, locking its consumers out from buying subsidized plans from the company. And it is staying out of the Iowa and South Dakota exchanges for Year 2. http://kaiserhealthnews.org/news/single-insurer-holds-obamacare-fate-in-two-states-iowa-south-dakota/

  5. My Wellmark agent said the reason for the increase is because 66 very ill people purchased BCBS insurance just prior to surgery and then cancelled their policy after surgery was completed. With the requirement that all people must be covered regardless of their health or insurability, this is the newest scam game in town.

  6. I’ve been involved in the healthcare system for almost 40 years. I been a provider, consumer, and administrator and seen the current system from many perspectives. The entire healthcare reform debate is an insult to intelligent people and a colossal waste of our time. Seriously, 30+ years of debate and the solution is what?. I think the current trend of pointing fingers of blame to strengthen disingenuous agendas has been the most unproductive approach to date. Give the decision-making back to the patients and we will find a workable solution.

    1. The patient may decide but it is always subject to the insurance companies approval.

  7. Ladies and Gentlemen,
    There is a big scam in your insurance and it’s that Wellmark (biggest show in town) won’t sell it’s policies on the ACA Exchange and that gives them the ability to gouge you with higher rates. Just 11.1 percent of residents eligible for subsidized insurance signed up for it – the lowest rate in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. If the residents of SoDak don’t want to participate and the biggest insurer won’t participate because there are too many benefits for the people, it seems only right that the cost of health insurance in SoDak is higher than anywhere else. “It’s almost like cutting off your nose because your face is so ugly, huh?” But you conservatives showed that Obama, didn’t ‘ya?

    2. hold on yourself. the article you cited stated that as a result of the states decision to forego the obamacare expansion, bcbs ended up covering fewer poor and sick people. this should drive costs down, not up. those who signed up for insurance then dropped did so because of the requirement, even though some may still be subject to a penalty. arguing that the situation in south dakota and iowa (mandate plus declined expansion and marketplace participation) is commerce and not policy is a close question at best. at its core, your argument doesnt appear to be anything more than big business is bad.

  8. You cannot charge a little and produce a lot. This is the whole problem with the requirements due to Obamacare. And BCBS is subject to Obamacare. These increases are a direct result of Obamacare. Guaranteed coverage for people who have preexisting conditions will cause costs to go up. Forcing companies to cover certain test, etc. will cause costs to go up. There is not getting around the economic facts.

  9. Keep talking down Obamacare and keep paying out the a**! In CO and the states where they set up their own exchange and enticed many companies to sell insurance a silver plan (which includes everything Wellmark policies have) costs between $160 – $180 a month … if you’re low income, even less. BCBS is playing y’all like a cheap fiddle and all you can do is blame Obama when the problem is you’re averse to change and new things until about a decade after the fact. It’s always been that way in your “land of the chronically contrary”. Powers can complain but nobody really cares. You’ve made your mess so wallow in it.

    1. this is not the whole story. you’re cherry picking. the colorado economy is very different from the south dakota economy, and i’m sure there are details about the exchange structure you’re conveniently overlooking as well. if you don’t move out of colorado you won’t have a problem. who is enticing you to come here?

      1. what is mr. lansing cherry picking? please give specifics. If you’re sure there are more details being conveniently overlooked, please provide them. If you’re sure. tell us the whole story, enquirer, since you seem to know. inquiring minds want to know!

            1. ever they are. like on duggersd’s 5/20 404PM post just below, if you can find it.

    2. I’m sure glad everything is hunky doorie in Colorado. Waitaminute! What is this? From the Denver Post: Colorado health-insurance consumers relying on tax credits will see their share of premiums rise an average of 77 percent next year if they keep the same plans, according to the state’s preliminary analysis.” It seems the premiums were artificially artificial and people are not going to get the tax credit they did last year. People are going to see their share of the premium rise by 77%. http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_26810814/colorado-health-insurance-buyers-may-get-smaller-tax
      Cover California is going broke. http://www.ocregister.com/articles/california-658869-covered-state.html
      And let’s not forget what is happening in Hawaii. According to CNBC, Hawaii may be shutting down its exchange.
      And hasn’t Oregon already shut down its exchange? So please tell me just how much better oof these states including Colorado are. It seems to me the cost of health care is going up, not down, even in Colorado.
      Perhaps a better thing is to get people to have health insurance rather than health coverage.

  10. The governor and legislature refused to expand Medicaid in the state because of the associated costs to the state. I know that the feds are supposed to cover most of it, at first, and then the states will be left to foot most of the bill. Where is that money supposed to come from? Oh yeah, tax the rich and all will be well. Well, actually no. Obamacare was never designed to lower costs, keep your doctor, keep your insurance if you like it, and on and on. It was designed to get govt control, period. If it was truly designed with the people in mind, it would have been worked on in a bipartisan fashion with compromise, no bribery (Nebraska and LA come to mind) to vote for it, no lies, etc, no “we have to pass it to see what’s in it,” and maybe something good could have been attained. Obamacare was passed just like the “snake oil” salesmen that say you have to buy this immediately, do not think it over, it has to be done NOW, and all know enough not to believe those type of sales people. Too bad so many people were fooled by the snake oil of Pelosi, Reid, and Obama..

  11. Sad, Springer … just sad the hate and distrust you burden yourself with. Obamacare is working very well in states that have embraced it and the states that have shunned it have the most low income people still “free riding” in emergency rooms and making your rates go up. But enough on this issue. No one is forcing South Dakota to accept the money and that’s why you pay more for less than any other state. – amen

      2. It’s marvelous that elderly folk keep up to date on the latest trendy acronyms. Good for you Mr. Beal.

        1. That is not trendy as most people I use that with have no idea what it means. But if you like a good parable, look it up and read the story behind it. The story very well tells us exactly what is going on today.

          1. TANSTAAFL if you’re a heinlein fan, TINSTAAFL if you’re an english teacher.

          1. We just hope you young whippersnappers don’t break your necks when you sit down.

            1. And young whippersnappers every where hope you elder folk do not break a hip whilst standing up from the ‘throne’.

  12. I was pretty excited to see that two years ago, I had a 97% rate increase along with a coverage decrease because of an ‘unapproved’ plan.

    The reason I am excited is because this year it was only a 72% increase…and no coverage cuts.

    Great day to be a 28 year old healthy male in SD.

  13. You heard it hear first???…bull….I told you that insurance companies who were lobbying FOR ObamaCare in the SD Legislator, would be eaten last by the beast of Obamacare…I told everyone that in 2011.
    Sanford’s CEO said, “No matter what you politics are, WE cannot repeal ObamaCare or Sanford will have to go back to the drawing board.” Daugaard’s Lt Gov wrote, “even those PPACA (ObamaCAre ) is unpopular in SD, the Daugaard administration views it as prudent to proceed with its implementation.”
    It FLOORS me that anyone is surprised by this when you were give mega amounts of warning.

  14. Mr. Lansing will want to read the front page of today’s Wall Street Journal …

Comments are closed.