North Carolina: BCBS/Cigna submit revised rate hike requests; Cigna IN

Back in June, the two carriers which will be participating in the North Carolina individual market next year (BCBS and Cigna) requested average rate hikes of 18.8% and 7% respectively. Since then, however, Aetna has dropped out of the indy market, which no doubt is a big part of the reason both of them have resubmitted higher rate requests:

Proposed rate changes for 2017 revised upwards

For the two carriers that are expected to participate in the exchange in 2017, the proposed average rate hikes for 2017 are:

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina: 18.8 percent 24.3 percent (new rates were filed in late August)
• Cigna: 7 percent (based on current off-exchange plans) 15 percent (new rates were filed)

Aetna had proposed an average rate increase of 24.5 percent, but that is no longer applicable for exchange enrollees, as Aetna’s plans will not be available in the North Carolina exchange in 2017.

As a result, NC's weighted requested average moves up from 20.4% to 24.3%.

There's a bit of good news, however...Cigna is expanding into the ACA marketplace:

Cigna has filed rate proposals for exchange plans in six counties in the Raleigh/Durham area for 2017. But with United and Aetna exiting the majority of the state’s counties will have access to only BCBSNC through the exchange, and everyone outside of the Raleigh/Durham area will have only BCBSNC as an option.