Health Care

CALPIRG Education Fund has reviewed a massive new rate increase proposal from Anthem Blue Cross. 340,000 Californians can expect to see rates increase an average of 20% this year, with some as high as 24.9%. CALPIRG Ed Fund has recommended that the California Department of Insurance request that Anthem amend the rate change or make an official determination that the proposed rate change is unreasonable.

Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has proposed a new health insurance premium increase to be effective March 1, 2013. The new increase will affect roughly 340,000 individual plan consumers, who will see rates increase 20% on average and as much as 24.9% at the maximum. CALPIRG has recommended that the California Department of Insurance request that Anthem amend the rate change or make an official determination that the proposed rate change is unreasonable.

CALPIRG joins a coalition of consumer advocates in preventing risks to consumers using the new health benefits exchange known as “California Covered.”

Nearly 70,000 Californians in small group insurance plans will see rate hikes averaging 8%, with some as high as 22%, if the premium rate hike proposed by Aetna Life Insurance Company go forward. After careful analysis of Aetna’s filing, CALPIRG is concerned that Aetna has not provided sufficient information to justify this rate increase.