Filings by 11 payers for rate increases in Connecticut were met with steep opposition from healthcare advocates July 12, according to the Hartford Courant.
"The industry spent boatloads of money to oppose health care reform, and they didn't even leave six weeks to file these rates that are going to continue to take advantage of Connecticut residents," Comptroller Kevin Lembo told the publication.
Health insurers including Anthem, Cigna, Aetna and UnitedHealthcare filed for rate increases in individual and small group plans that provide coverage to 222,700 state residents. The companies cited anticipated rising healthcare costs due to the pandemic as the reason for their requests.
The proposed increase for individual coverage in 2022 was 8.6 percent, compared to 6.3 percent in 2021. For Connecticut employers with 50 or fewer employees, the payers requested a 12.9 percent increase, while the proposed increase in 2021 was 11.3 percent, the article said.
The state insurance department will review the requests and announce its decision in September.