LARRY HOGAN AL REDMER, JR.

Governor Commissioner

BOYD K. RUTHERFORD NANCY GRODIN

Lt. Governor Deputy Commissioner

TRACY IMM
Director, Public Affairs

200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2700, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Direct Dial: 410-468-2007 Fax: 410-468-2020
1-800-492-6116 TTY: 1-800-735-2258
tracy.imm@maryland.gov
www.insurance.maryland.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE FOR INFORMATION, CONTACT:

May 4, 2017 Tracy Imm, 410-468-2206

Health Insurers Propose Premium Rates for 2018

Public Invited to Submit Comments
BALTIMORE Health insurance carriers are seeking a range of changes to the premium rates
they will charge consumers for plans sold in Marylands individual and small group markets in
2018. The Maryland Insurance Administration has posted rate filing documents at
www.healthrates.mdinsurance.state.md.us. On that website, consumers can review filings and
submit comments, as well as find answers to frequently asked questions about the rate review
process.

Its important to remember that these rates are what companies have requested, and not
necessarily what will be approved, said Insurance Commissioner Al Redmer, Jr. There will be
a thorough review of all the filings. As in years past, we may require changes.

In Maryland, only those rates approved by the Insurance Commissioner may be charged to
policyholders. Before approval, all filings undergo a comprehensive analysis of the carriers
statistics and assumptions. Public comments are considered as part of the review process. By
law, the Commissioner must disapprove or modify any proposed premium rates that appear to be
inadequate or excessive in relationship to the benefits offered, or are unfairly discriminatory.

The following companies selling individual and small group plans have filed to participate as
follows:
Carriers proposed the following rate changes in the individual market:

Company Name Type of Avg. Rate Min. Rate Max. Rate

Network Increase Increase Increase
Requested Requested Requested
CareFirst BlueChoice, Inc. HMO 50.40% 45.20% 57.10%
CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group PPO 58.80% 53.40% 61.90%
Hospitalization and Medical Services Inc.
(GHMSI) (both CareFirst companies)
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. PPO 37.36% 16.06% 150.83%
Evergreen Health, Inc. HMO 27.80% 27.12% 36.65%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid- HMO 18.08% 9.13% 90.90%
Atlantic States

For comparison purposes, below are the proposed monthly premium rates, before any subsidies,
for a 40-year-old non-smoker in the Baltimore metropolitan area who buys the lowest-cost silver
plan.

Company Name Type of Monthly

Network Premium
Amount
CareFirst BlueChoice, Inc. HMO $518.59
CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group Hospitalization and Medical Services PPO $714.95
Inc. (GHMSI) (both CareFirst companies)
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co. PPO $565.55
Evergreen Health, Inc. HMO $403.16
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States HMO $359.25
In the small group market, the proposed rate changes are for plans that begin in the first
quarter of 2018:

Company Name Type of Avg. Rate Min. Rate Max. Rate

Network Increase Increase Increase
Requested Requested Requested
Aetna Health, Inc. HMO 17.50% 1.60% 38.60%
Aetna Life Insurance Co. PPO 7.20% -0.70% 29.00%
CareFirst BlueChoice Inc. HMO 3.10% -4.30% 5.10%
CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and
Group Hospitalization and
PPO 2.90% 0.60% 4.50%
Medical Services, Inc. (both
CareFirst companies)
Evergreen Health, Inc. HMO 8.12% -7.45% 12.78%
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan
HMO -2.70% -11.00% 12.60%
of the Mid-Atlantic States Inc.
MAMSI Life and Health
Insurance Co. (a EPO 10.60% -2.90% 16.20%
UnitedHealthCare company)
United Healthcare Insurance
PPO 10.60% -11.60% 14.90%
Co.
UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-
HMO 12.90% 1.70% 15.80%
Atlantic
Optimum Choice (a
HMO 12.90% 1.20% 18.60%
UnitedHealthCare company)

For comparison purposes, below are the proposed monthly premium rates, before any employer
contributions, for a 40-year-old non-smoker in the Baltimore metropolitan area who buys the
lowest-cost silver plan.

Company Name Type of Monthly

Network Premium
Amount
Aetna Health, Inc. HMO $429.06
Aetna Life Insurance Co. PPO $438.09
CareFirst BlueChoice Inc. HMO $310.98
CareFirst of Maryland Inc. and Group Hospitalization and
PPO $367.22
Medical Services, Inc. (both CareFirst companies)
Evergreen Health, Inc. HMO $317.61
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States Inc. HMO $242.04
MAMSI Life and Health Insurance Co. (a UnitedHealthCare
EPO $314.70
company)
United Healthcare Insurance Co. PPO $319.54
UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic HMO $258.14
Optimum Choice (a UnitedHealthCare company) HMO $286.78
The rates being reviewed by the Maryland Insurance Administration do not affect health
insurance plans offered by large employers, self-insured plans, grandfathered plans purchased
before March 2010, or federal plans such as Medicare, Tricare and federal employee plans.

The Maryland Insurance Administration expects to issue decisions about rates for 2018
individual and small group products in late summer.

About the Maryland Insurance Administration

The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) is an independent State agency charged with regulating
Marylands $28.5 billion insurance industry. For more information about the MIA, please visit
www.insurance.maryland.gov or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MDInsuranceAdmin or
Twitter at @MD_Insurance.

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