Health insurance premiums charged by insurers providing coverage in a pioneering Massachusetts program that provides state-subsidized coverage to about 165,000 low-income residents will dip slightly next year, according to the agency that runs the Commonwealth Care program.
While state officials originally projected an average rate increase of 2% for the next year, which begins July 1, negotiations resulted in a slight decrease. In the current year, rates increased by an average of about 9%, and since the program started in 2006, the average annual increase has been about 4.5%, according to the Commonwealth Health Insurance Connector Authority, the program's administrator.
About 70% of enrollees with the lowest incomes pay no premiums, with the cost picked up by the state. Other enrollees receive partial premium subsidies based on income.
Enrollees selecting the lowest-priced plans next year will see no increase in their monthly premiums, while those selecting higher-priced plans will pay a bit less. Five health insurers will provide plans next year, up from four this year.
Commonwealth Care was created by the 2006 Massachusetts' health care reform law. Its central goal is to move the state to near-universal coverage. Last year, more than 97% of residents had coverage, compared with about 90% in 2006.
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