Maryland is a step closer to helping Obamacare insurers cover high claims.
The Department of Health and Human Services notified the state-run Maryland Health Benefit Exchange July 5 that its application to create a reinsurance program for 2019 through 2023 is complete, a step toward the necessary federal approval. Public comments will be accepted by the HHS through Aug. 4. The state has two carriers in its exchange, CareFirst BlueChoice Inc. and Kaiser Permanente.
Proposed premium increases for Maryland’s 212,000-member individual market for 2019 average 30.2 percent, but under the state’s estimates, the proposed reinsurance program “could more than wipe ...