Washington, DC – Today, the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) announced the approved individual and small business health insurance rates for 2020. After the Department’s review, most insurers decreased their initial rate proposals, which will save District residents more than $18 million.
Based on the Department’s review and public feedback, three out of four insurers reduced their rates from their initial filings. The decreases from the initial filed rates were as much as 6.3 percent; overall, rates will increase by 7.6 percent for individual coverage and 8.4 percent for small group coverage. Aetna, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare, the same insurance companies that offered plans in 2019, will have plans available on DC Health Link.
“We are committed to providing consumer protection and effective regulatory oversight of health insurance offerings for the residents and employers in the District,” said Department Commissioner Stephen Taylor. “This includes fair rates and non-discriminatory coverage. We performed a thorough review of 156 small group plans and 25 individual plans to ensure that they meet the District’s standards and provide non-discriminatory, accessible and affordable health insurance for our residents.”
The Department reviewed proposed 2020 health plan rates from the four insurance companies. The new rates were approved after the Department considered the input received from insurers, government and non-profit organizations and the testimonies provided by consumers and actuaries during two public hearings. At an August 22 hearing, actuaries presented their findings and members of the public had an opportunity to share their stories and discuss the proposed 2020 rates.
“The DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority (DCHBX) advocates for the lowest possible premiums for our DC Health Link customers and we thank Commissioner Taylor for considering our recommendations and for approving rate changes that are generally lower than initially proposed by insurers,” said DCHBX Executive Director Mila Kofman, J.D. “We also applaud Commissioner Taylor for hosting public hearings for District residents and small businesses to provide comments on the impact of premium increases.”
DC Health Link open enrollment for individuals and families begins November 1, 2019, and runs through January 31, 2020. Visit DCHealthLink.com or call 1-855-532-5465 for help enrolling.
For more information about the approved 2020 health insurance plan rates visit https://disb.dc.gov/approved2020rates.
2020 Individual and Small Group (SG) Health Insurance Rates
| Insurer | Market |
Initial Rate Change Request |
Approved Rate Change |
Rate Review Impact |
Covered Lives Impacted by 2020 Rate Changes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aetna Health (HMO) |
SG |
16.1% |
15.5% | -0.5% | 177 |
| Aetna Health (PPO) |
SG |
5.0% | -1.6% | -6.3% | 711 |
|
CareFirst (HMO) |
IND |
7.7% |
7.4% | -0.3% | 4,359 |
| CareFirst (HMO) | SG | 13.5% | 12.8% | -0.6% | 38,065 |
| CareFirst (PPO) | IND | 15.6% | 10.9% | -4.1% | 7,950 |
| CareFirst (PPO) | SG | 18.5% | 11.4% | -6.0% | 21,863 |
| Kaiser | IND | 5.0% | 5.0% | -.0% | 3,309 |
| Kaiser | SG | 3.0% | 3.0% | 0.0% | 3,876 |
|
Optimum Choice, Inc. (HMO) |
SG | 13.0% | 10.3% | -2.4% | 756 |
|
UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic (HMO) |
SG | 7.4% | 4.9% | -2.3% | 602 |
|
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (PPO) |
SG | 11.2% | 8.4% | -2.5% | 11,950 |
DISB Mission
Our mission is three-fold: (1) cultivate a regulatory environment that protects consumers and attracts and retains financial services firms to the District; (2) empower and educate residents; and (3) support the development and expansion of business.