HELENA – Montana State Auditor Matt Rosendale’s office has finalized the 2019 rates for health insurance plans available on the Affordable Care Act marketplace.
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana will not make an overall average change to its rates for about 18,900 people getting insurance through the individual market. PacificSource will increase rates an average of 6 percent for its 12,400 individual market customers. The Montana Health Co-Op will raise rates for the 22,700 people it serves through the individual market by an average of 10.3 percent.
Rates were also set for the “small group market,” where businesses with 50 employees or fewer can get coverage for them. BCBS will actually reduce its average rates by 4.2 percent for its small group plans, which cover about 25,000 Montanans. PacificSource will increase its small group rates an average of 1.8 percent, for about 19,300 customers.
The state auditor, Montana’s insurance commissioner, must review the rates insurance companies propose. However, Rosendale’s office emphasized in a statement they can’t reject those rates unless they are found to be unfairly discriminatory.
Open enrollment for 2019 health plans will begin on Nov. 1 and run through Dec. 15.
