Cheyenne-based Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming, the only health insurer in the state offering plans on the 2017 federal exchange, is seeking rate increases averaging 7 percent, the Casper Star Tribune reported.
The insurer cited an increasing number of members staying in hospitals, seeking treatment for chronic ailments and receiving preventive care as reasons for the hike.
Wyoming Insurance Commissioner Tom Glause said the rate increases are low compared to others nationwide. Friday the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services announced some insurers requested up to 39.2 percent rate increases for next year. The Commissioner of Securities and Insurance in Montana also recently released proposed premium rate increases for 2017, the highest at 62 percent.
Wyoming saw an 11 percent increase in enrollees on the Affordable Care Act exchange this year following Cheyenne, Wyo.-based WINhealth's closure, which left 13,000 uninsured.
A majority of residents in Wyoming qualify for subsides through the federal exchange, and may not see the full increase, the Casper Star Tribune reported.
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