Florida Exchange Rates Out at 5 PM Today

[FLM2]

Humana is going to get lots of business in the upcoming enrollment period.

Subsidies will be based on the 2nd lowest silver plan, on average the Humana rate will be about 20% less, that will equate to a much more significant reduction in final premium for anyone receiving a subsidy.

 

[Yagents]

Where are you guys seeing what carriers are going to be in a particular county?

http://www.floir.com/siteDocuments/Plan_Distribution_by_County.pdf

 

[Evan]

Bill I still don't see where it say what carriers will be in lets day Palm Beach County. It lists 8 carriers but doesn't say who.

Thanks,

 

[Grouper]

Just got back in and see that the FL OIR did post a lot of data.

It looks to me like BCBS is the only viable small group carrier option?
Florida Health care Plans is just Volusia and Flagler, Health First is just Brevard and Indian River, Molina is Miami....so BCBS is the only viable small group carrier and their rates are +48% for Blue Options and + 44% for their HMO, Health Options, compared to present rates.
+31% on a risk adjusted basis for the PPO, so the benefit changes in ACA are a 17.1% rate up on BCBS PPO and 7.4% on the HMO.

Apparently Humana will be the only carrier with competitive rates on the exchange, but they, like Aetna and Cigna are individual only, no small group?
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It looks like the exchange small group market will be a complete flop as BCBS small group outside the exchange is much less expensive and there is no other viable exchange small group option.
The small group competition appears to be exchange individual plans, especially if subsidy qualified, but is the individual exchange premium pre tax like group is?

 

[Yagents]

Florida Health care Plans is just Volusia and Flagler, Health First is just Brevard and Indian River, Molina is Miami....

where did you dig up this information?

Yes, the smaller players will be regional focusing on the "just above" medicaid population

No, IFP are not tax deductible unless you are self employed.

 

[bluediamond]

I am working feverishly to dismantle small groups in my area and write a boat load of individual plans. I saw number of companies for each county but didn't see what companies in each county.
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Here's a question for anyone:

If a person is on small group that is pre-taxed and renews Oct 1, 2013 and an employee qualifies for subsidy for individual will the rule's be changed where they can get off that group to enroll in an individual effective Jan 1, 2014 or will it remain where a person pre-taxed on group cannot get off until next open enrollment for that group?
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Humana is going to get lots of business in the upcoming enrollment period.

Subsidies will be based on the 2nd lowest silver plan, on average the Humana rate will be about 20% less, that will equate to a much more significant reduction in final premium for anyone receiving a subsidy.

That also will depend on their network, where I'm located they have a very little network now, well actually they all do except BC.

 

[Grouper]

I just went to their websites and saw that they only have networks in those counties.
The rate up for aca is just comparing risk adjusted premium vs non risk adjusted and figuring the difference is aca.
I see that next years spreadsheets for my small group clients will now include data for exchange individual plans as an option to group.
They will choose the turn key package when they consider the challenges of getting employees to pay their health insurance premiums on their
own, especially if the after tax exchange rates aren't much, if any, better than the pre tax group premiums.
My january to april small group renewals have all changed to 12/1. They will be glad when they see this playing out. My large groups will also be glad to be out of the fray.
More than ever before, this looks like a deal that is going south fast.

 

[bluediamond]

I just went to their websites and saw that they only have networks in those counties.
The rate up for aca is just comparing risk adjusted premium vs non risk adjusted and figuring the difference is aca.
I see that next years spreadsheets for my small group clients will now include data for exchange individual plans as an option to group.
They will choose the turn key package when they consider the challenges of getting employees to pay their health insurance premiums on their
own, especially if the after tax exchange rates aren't much, if any, better than the pre tax group premiums.
My january to april small group renewals have all changed to 12/1. They will be glad when they see this playing out. My large groups will also be glad to be out of the fray.
More than ever before, this looks like a deal that is going

south fast.

Why would a small employer care one way or another if their employee's did not purchase health insurance if the employer dropped the group? Even a key person he could give a raise to and tell him/her that is for them to purchase an individual plan. I see no reason in the world for a small employer to maintain group health insurance, unless they really want their tax credit.

 

[Grouper]

Blue Diamond said, "Why would a small employer care one way or another if their employee's did not purchase health insurance if the employer dropped the group?"

I'm puzzled by this question. I've been in the group business for 32 years and have rarely heard that sentiment.

Why do you think employers started offering group insurance 60 years ago and continue to do so as one of the most valuable employee benefits?

Because they know their employees need it, but that many wont buy it on their own. They know they can make the process easier for employees by arranging the plans for them and then payroll deducting the employee's share.

Now with the disproportianate increases on individual plans group plans will be even more valuable.

 

[bluediamond]

Haven't been in the market as long as you but they started offering group coverage to attract good employee's and the unions had a big part of that. You are discussing less than 50 and I am speaking of less than 20. Most of my groups only have group because the owner or a key employee has been uninsurable in the past, but won't be come 1/1.

I was just thinking this morning that Florida is really 3 different states, what you're proposing will be more viable in central and southern Florida, while in the panhandle a small employer has a whole different view. Demographics has a great deal to do with what I'm talking about. All of my groups want to quit offering 1/1. They don't really care about the tax credit. Don't know about the rest of the country but I would say small group is a thing of the past in the panhandle under 20, over but below 50 is going to depend on if they grow into a 50 plus group.