Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island is seeking a 10.2-percent rate increase for subscribers who have direct-pay plans.
The insurer announced this week that it had filed an application for the rate increase last week with the state Office of Health Insurance Commissioner. In a prepared statement, Blue Cross officials noted that its request for a 5.9-percent rate increase for direct-pay plans was denied by the commissioner last year and that claims costs have continued to escalate.
Blue Cross officials were not available for comment Friday.
People who typically have direct-pay plans are individuals who cannot get health insurance through an employer or individual business owners who must provide their own insurance.
According to a press release from Blue Cross, the insurance company accompanied its rate-hike application with a description of new direct-pay plans and pricing structures it expects to offer in the spring. It said that the reduced rates will be for younger subscribers and that a new direct-pay plan will include incentives for people who have healthy life styles.
Blue Cross estimates that it has more than 14,000 direct-pay members and stated that it is the only Rhode Island health insurer that offers coverage to people who are not eligible for health insurance plans through an employer, Medicare or Medicaid.
State health insurance Commissioner Chris Koller was not available Friday afternoon to say when a decision will be made on the rate-increase request. Blue Cross said that if its application is approved, the direct-pay rates will go into effect on April 1.
The 14,000 direct-pay subscribers represent a fraction of Blue Cross's Rhode Island subscribers which number more than 600,000.
