Illinois Health Insurance Information for 2017

[AllenChicago]

August 24, 2016

Illinois has approved the hefty rate increase requests.. Now it's up to the Federal Government to give final approval, or do something else.

Full Story: Illinois submits Obamacare insurance premium increases to feds - Chicago Tribune

ac

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It's pretty darn amazing how bad the individual/family health insurance market has become in Illinois.

Excerpt:
"The eight counties where Blue Cross will be the only insurer on the marketplace are McHenry, Lake, Kendall, Grundy, Lawrence, Madison, St. Clair and Monroe."


https://www.illinoispolicy.org/illi...plans-on-obamacare-exchange-set-to-skyrocket/

 

[ARus]

No one enrollment is even similar to the previews. Last year the subsidy in Cook County was approximately $100/month less for mass cases, and in DuPage and Lake was $100/month more compared to 2015.

This fact itself impacts the cost for the on Marketplace clients. And new clients are mostly looking for subsidies. If they have money, why bother with Obama Care at all.

Do someone know how often the local's and central's run estimation for allowed subsidies and make changes? Every year or every 2 years? First two years 2013 and 2014 they didn't change for sure. 2015 was with significant change in levels: $200/month differentiation.

 

[AllenChicago]

AETNA informs that even though the company will have 2017 OFF-Exchange products in Illinois, they will not pay commissions for selling them.

From Aetna's E-mail dtd 10.7.2016

Individuals and families

We will not offer commissions for 2017 individual plans in the following states: Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

We will continue to offer an off-exchange individual product option for 2017 to consumers in the vast majority of counties where we offered individual public exchange products in 2016.

For all states including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and South Carolina, please view the commission chart located on Producer World®.


-ac

 

[prencik]

AETNA informs that even though the company will have 2017 OFF-Exchange products in Illinois, they will not pay commissions for selling them.

From Aetna's E-mail dtd 10.7.2016

Individuals and families

We will not offer commissions for 2017 individual plans in the following states: Arkansas, Arizona, Illinois, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Wyoming.

We will continue to offer an off-exchange individual product option for 2017 to consumers in the vast majority of counties where we offered individual public exchange products in 2016.

For all states including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Missouri, North Carolina, Nevada and South Carolina, please view the commission chart located on Producer World®.


-ac

Nobody will look at them off-exchange, since in Illinois they only have HMO option. Off-exchange is for people who want to either have a good PPO or pay a cheaper premium than on-exch. From the rates review fillings, I don't expect them to be cheaper than Blue Cross HMO. As for good PPO, it might be still available on the small group market.

 

[AllenChicago]

Nobody will look at them off-exchange, since in Illinois they only have HMO option. Off-exchange is for people who want to either have a good PPO or pay a cheaper premium than on-exch. From the rates review fillings, I don't expect them to be cheaper than Blue Cross HMO. As for good PPO, it might be still available on the small group market.

The broad PPO network for groups is not changing. Small group is the cream of the crop in PPO for 2017. Blue Cross is waiving the employee participation requirement again during ObamaCare O.E. this year. You can enroll the owners, but not employees, if they so choose.

 

[prencik]

The broad PPO network for groups is not changing. Small group is the cream of the crop in PPO for 2017. Blue Cross is waiving the employee participation requirement again during ObamaCare O.E. this year. You can enroll the owners, but not employees, if they so choose.

That's a very valuable information. Thank you, Allen

 

[tzeldy]

Hi. I have read the posts in this forum and I have found the posts very helpful. I am trying to help my daughter find on or off exchange policy for Illinois for 2017. We did the Coventry PPO last year but that is no longer being offerred. In the post above I noticed reference to BCBS small group PPO being the cream of the crop for PPOs. What are the requirements to be considered a small group? I may not have time to do what is required this year for my daughter but may in the future. I also am generally confused about "off-exchange" policies and how you might find them for illinois. Any replies would be greatly appreciated as we are getting a bit nervous about our choices for our daughter in 2017.

 

[SamIam]

Small group is generally at the bare minimum let's say for example owner and the 1 employee. Another option to go to a short term if she doesn't have any pre-x depending on her income You might want to see the plans that are off the exchange if the docs are in the HMO being offered. Just because a plan says it's a PPO really doesn't mean that much anymore because some are not capping cost out of network and there are other limitations that they are imposing if you go out of network.

Several options, you just have to see what's best for your situation.

 

[AllenChicago]

10/25/2016

Here is an official Illinois Department of Insurance document that shows which companies are operating in which counties. There are also some basic rate comparisons.

REF: http://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/2017RatesForRelease.pdf

It's amazing how many counties only have Blue Cross Blue Shield for 2017.

 

[prencik]

10/25/2016

Here is an official Illinois Department of Insurance document that shows which companies are operating in which counties. There are also some basic rate comparisons.

REF: http://insurance.illinois.gov/HealthInsurance/2017RatesForRelease.pdf

It's amazing how many counties only have Blue Cross Blue Shield for 2017.

I see that Freedom Life will have off-exchange PPO, is their network any good? Or is it similar to Blue Choice Preferred? Are they paying any commission?