1. 11498 POINTS
    Jason Goldenzweig
    Co-Founder, TermInsuranceBrokers.com, Goldenzweig Financial Group, Las Vegas, Nevada
    The increase in premium on a health insurance plan will be different for everyone because we each have different insurance companies we use, different plans (catastrophic, bronze, silver, gold, and platinum level plans), live in different areas, etc.

    Factors such as claims history from the prior year, the service area, the cost of care in a given area, and many others go into the rate increase determination by each carrier. There's no specific percentage or dollar amount that a plan will always go up by. For example, a carrier may have a 2% increase one year, no increase the next year, and a 6% increase the year after that.

    I hope the information is helpful - please feel free to contact me for assistance with your coverage and if you have any further questions. Thanks very much.
    Answered on July 14, 2014
  2. 5527 POINTS
    Marlin McKelvy
    President, Consumer Directed Benefit Solutions, Memphis, Tennessee
    Prior to 2014 it was reasonable to anticipate annual increases in group and individual health insurance in the high single digits to low teen's range.  Though, of course, these are just generalized averages and a host of other factors could move rates higher or, in rarer instances, lower.

    We have already seen the base cost of health insurance increase fairly substantially in 2014 due to the implementation of the requirements of the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare).  The effect was especially pronounced in the individual health insurance market of almost every state due to the mandatory addition of new benefits, the move to the community rating approach, the elimination of underwriting and adjusting rates for risk, and making all policies guaranteed to be issued without pre-existing condition limitations or exclusions.

    In mid-2014 we are just now beginning to receive health insurance companies filings for their proposed 2015 rates.  While the rate filings vary from state to state and from insurance carrier to insurance carrier, individual health insurance rate increases in the teens to 25% or more are being reported in many areas across the nation.  In some limited instances though, you are seeing some filings requesting rate reductions but these are pretty rare.  Therefore, most people should be prepared to see their rates for individual health insurance increase meaningfully again in 2015, though this effect may be hidden to some extent for those persons who qualify for premium tax subsidies through the government health insurance marketplaces.

    Many small business groups are also seeing substantial rate increases in their renewal actions for the 2014-2015 benefit year.  Increases of 20% to 40% are not uncommon.

    Answered on July 27, 2014
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