Slim, But Pricy Health Insurance Pickings in Show-Me State

Date: November 15, 2016

Missourians face higher costs, fewer choices on the individual marketplace.

Slim, But Pricy Health Insurance Pickings in Show-Me State

Open enrollment began Nov. 1 and
will run through Jan. 31, but in Missouri, the plan options on the individual
insurance marketplace are fewer and costlier for 2017.

 KTTN News reported that 84 percent of the
state’s counties will have just one insurer (Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield)
and 14 percent of the counties will have two. This is compared with 2014, when
98 percent of Missouri’s counties had two insurer choices, and 2016, when 98
percent of counties had at least three insurers to choose from.

 Premium costs, meanwhile, are
shooting up anywhere from 20 percent to 44 percent. Missourians living in rural
areas of the Show-Me State are receiving the highest rate hikes, Forbes reports.

Unfortunately, this is a familiar
refrain in states across the country. Missouri is one of eight states with only
one insurer participating in the marketplace in most counties. Insurers have
seen huge losses, forcing many to pull out of the Affordable Care Act exchanges
and those remaining to hike rates. As the dust settles after the election, many
consumers will be waiting to see how ACA’s fate plays out. 

Subscribe For Free News And Tips

Enter your email to get FREE small business insights. Learn more

Get to know NFIB

NFIB is a member-driven organization advocating on behalf of small and independent businesses nationwide.

Learn More

Or call us today
1-800-634-2669

© 2001 - 2024 National Federation of Independent Business. All Rights Reserved. Terms and Conditions | Privacy