So Far, Only New York Sees Double-Digit Rate Requests
Six states in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest have now released initial premium rate requests from individual and small-group health plans. And although both regions have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, only New York insurers asked for rate increases dramatically above industry expectations from the beginning of the year.
The nation’s worst outbreak took place in New York City and surrounding region, with New York City alone recording more than 380,000 recorded infections and 24,404 attributed deaths as of June 10. Because of that maelstrom, insurers operating in New York state requested a weighted average increase of 11.7% for individual market premiums and 11.4% for small-group premiums.