Healthcare premiums will increase in Wisconsin under Obamacare
Wisconsin will see an average 4.7 percent increase in healthcare premium rates, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). This is for consumers that are covered under the federal healthcare plan also known as Obamacare.
Wisconsin is seeing one of the lowest premium increases in the country. States like Montana will have a 34.5% increase and Oklahoma will see a 35.7%.
Caroline Gomez-Tom is a navigator program manager for Covering Wisconsin. She helps people through the process in the Milwaukee area.
"If people are questioning whether or not they are eligible for healthcare, are worried about the prices going up, if it's a plan they had last year, or if they are getting insurance for the first time, the best advice we can give is to shop around," Gomez-Tom said.
HHS states, eight out of 10 returning customers will pay less than $100 a month for their premiums after tax credits.
Gomez-Tom said the premium price depends on household size, income and home address.She also said financial help exists for those who qualify.
“It really doesn’t reflect what consumers will actually pay out of pocket especially considering the financial assistance in health.gov in the marketplace," she said.
Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield announced this week it will be cutting individual plans from the affordable health care in Milwaukee, Racine, and Kenosha counties. However, Gomez-Tom said there are still other options.
"There are still six major healthcare insurance companies in the marketplace,” she said. “We did lose one but we gained another so there still a good number of selections consumers can pick from."
Open enrollment begins Nov. 1 and the increase takes effect Jan. 1, 2016. To find an agency that can help with the process, call 211.
SOURCE: HHS State Average Change in Premiums
Area | Total Plan Selections at End of 2015 Open Enrollment | Year-to-Year Change |
2016 Final Second-Lowest Cost Silver | ||
HealthCare.gov Average | 8,838,291 | 7.5% |
Alabama | 171,641 | 12.6% |
Alaska | 21,260 | 31.5% |
Arizona | 205,666 | 17.5% |
Arkansas | 65,684 | 4.3% |
Delaware | 25,036 | 18.3% |
Florida | 1,596,296 | 1.2% |
Georgia | 541,080 | 6.1% |
Illinois | 349,487 | 6.1% |
Indiana | 219,185 | -12.6% |
Iowa | 45,162 | 12.8% |
Kansas | 96,197 | 16.1% |
Louisiana | 186,277 | 8.6% |
Maine | 74,805 | -1.2% |
Michigan | 341,183 | 1.2% |
Mississippi | 104,538 | -8.2% |
Missouri | 253,430 | 10.4% |
Montana | 54,266 | 34.5% |
Nebraska | 74,152 | 11.8% |
New Hampshire | 53,005 | 5.1% |
New Jersey | 254,316 | 5.0% |
New Mexico | 52,358 | 25.8% |
Nevada | 73,596 | 8.1% |
North Carolina | 560,357 | 22.8% |
North Dakota | 18,171 | 8.9% |
Ohio | 234,341 | -0.7% |
Oklahoma | 126,115 | 35.7% |
Oregon | 112,024 | 22.9% |
Pennsylvania | 472,697 | 10.9% |
South Carolina | 210,331 | 10.8% |
South Dakota | 21,393 | 24.7% |
Tennessee | 231,440 | 23.4% |
Texas | 1,205,174 | 5.1% |
Utah | 140,612 | 15.8% |
Virginia | 385,154 | 4.0% |
West Virginia | 33,421 | 18.5% |
Wisconsin | 207,349 | 4.7% |
Wyoming | 21,092 | 5.6% |