BCBSFL Rate Increase

[bluediamond]

Would like to hear from anyone appointed with BCBSFL on this subject or anyone for that matter.

So we all received an ASIB in March or April that they had been granted a 9.2% rate increase on certain under 65 products by the OIR. Well to this day I have seen anywhere from 10% to 37% rate increased on my clients that took the time to call and complain but never anything to close to 9.2 plus their age increase (well maybe the 10 percenters) There is something very wrong with this picture and their methodology. How many clients are you losing?

 

[moonlightandmargaritas]

So we all received an ASIB in March or April that they had been granted a 9.2% rate increase on certain under 65 products by the OIR.

C'mon man, how do you expect them to pay for their re-branding/re-naming to Florida Blue? They've got all those stores to pay for too...

 

[bluediamond]

That's a bunch of BS also spending millions for the blue stores and changing their name. They have used agent commissions to cover these projects.

 

[Yagents]

It's about time, I've been dealing with large rate increases like that for years. It just shows you that no company is immune to rising health costs, and their is no secret sauce. I'm kind of glad, since they don't allow us non res agents to sell them.

You can solve the problem by rolling them, if it's allowed in your contract, or converting them to the HSA + Rx script plan, the premium savings and out of pocket comparison is a no brainer. Just did it with a friend recently. (Then point them to my HSA website).

 

[0b1kanobee]

You can solve the problem by rolling them, if it's allowed in your contract, or converting them to the HSA + Rx script plan, the premium savings and out of pocket comparison is a no brainer. Just did it with a friend recently. (Then point them to my HSA website).

My buddy is BCBS and he says the HSA plan costs just as much as a traditional plan if not more with BCBS here. IDK just going by what he says.

 

[bluediamond]

My buddy is BCBS and he says the HSA plan costs just as much as a traditional plan if not more with BCBS here. IDK just going by what he says.

Your buddy is correct. In fact one of my clients with a HSA $5000 deductible received a 17% increase. Compared $7500 deductible plan with co pays to doc, prescription coverage and it was cheaper.

 

[Yagents]

Your buddy is correct. In fact one of my clients with a HSA $5000 deductible received a 17% increase. Compared $7500 deductible plan with co pays to doc, prescription coverage and it was cheaper.

Go figure, I have a $10,000 deductible and it was cheaper than the $7500

Compare apples to apples. I just ran quotes in manatee county for 52 yr old male for BCBS FL

$5000 then 100% HSA = $206
$5000 then 100% copay plan + Rx out of pocket = $224
$7500 then 100% copay plan + Rx oop = $192

HSA has less OOP, for less money, and you get to tax deduct OOP

 

[0b1kanobee]

Go figure, I have a $10,000 deductible and it was cheaper than the $7500

Compare apples to apples. I just ran quotes in manatee county for 52 yr old male for BCBS FL

$5000 then 100% HSA = $206
$5000 then 100% copay plan + Rx out of pocket = $224
$7500 then 100% copay plan + Rx oop = $192

HSA has less OOP, for less money, and you get to tax deduct OOP

Run it for Volusia County

Seems like BCBS has the market covered in Volusia County. It boils down to not just price but what the hospital network is and BCBS has a really good network.

I ran into this (my fellow agent more than I) with MAPD plans. Better price, more benefits, ect. ect. but inferior networks. Most wouldn't switch.

 

[Yagents]

Run it for Volusia County

Seems like BCBS has the market covered in Volusia County. It boils down to not just price but what the hospital network is and BCBS has a really good network.

I ran into this (my fellow agent more than I) with MAPD plans. Better price, more benefits, ect. ect. but inferior networks. Most wouldn't switch.

Ben, I ran volusia county zips of 32173 and 32114 and prices were $207/mo for 5k HSA and $225/mo for 5k Copay. And if the network is so great, then the client will receive the presumed "great" BCBS discounts.

 

[bluediamond]

It boils down to smoking vs non, any rate ups and what the client wants. True the 626 single HSA plan has max oop $5000 at $438 for female smoker, age 58 with 25 % rate up in a panhandle county vs plan 534 max oop $7500 with rx and copays to doc $393. These rates are June 1st rates.

So if you are one of the people who never opened an HSA and have an HSA compatible plan and now on a fixed income and so far only goes to doc for annual preventative this might be the plan. But then again you've raised your max to $7500 and only saved $540 in annual premium. Only makes sense if the person does not end up in hospital or as an outpatient.

At any rate I had a conversation with someone at BC this morning and asked how they arrived at someone receiving a 17% increase when they were approved for 9.2.

Well this will get you lol, they supposedly take an average to arrive at the 9.2, so I said you're telling me some increases were under 9.2? Yep that is the correct answer they said. As I was hanging the phone up I was also scraping the bs off my shoes.