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Tuesday, May 28, 2013

If you pay for your own Blue Cross, READ this article

Health Department holds hearings Wednesday and Thursday on Blue Cross request to drastically change Direct Pay premiums
By Will Collette

The Rhode Island Health Department’s Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner will hold public hearings on the request by Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Rhode Island to increase premium rates for the Direct Pay class. This proposal is going to affect 15,821 people.

The average rate hike being requested by Blue Cross for existing Direct Pay customers will be approximately 18%. However, this average reflects an incredibly broad range of proposed new premium schedules that range from increases of 59% for some subscribers to decreases of up to 62% for others. Since the overall change is an average of +18%, there are likely to be a lot more losers than winners under the proposed new rates.


If you are a Direct Pay Blue Cross subscriber, you should click on the filing documents here to find out how you are affected.

Factors include the subscriber’s present plan, whether it’s single or family coverage, ages and gender. Blue Cross discriminates against women in its rate setting simply because they are women, a practice which would become illegal under pending legislation proposed by Rep. Donna Walsh and co-sponsored by Rep. Teresa Tanzi. The Senate version of the bill, sponsored by Sen. Sue Sosnowski and co-sponsored by Sen. Cathie Cool Rumsey, has passed the Senate.

Public comment will be taken at 9am on Wednesday, May 29th. Any member of the public unable to attend at that time may appear at 6pm on Thursday, May 30th to offer public comment or other information. If not concluded on May 30th the public hearings may continue thereafter on May 31st at 9am or such date and time as may be announced at the public hearings.

The hearings will take place in a hearing room of the Rhode Island Public Utilities Commission, 89 Jefferson Boulevard, Warwick (directions).