Alaska: Approved *unsubsidized* 2017 indy mkt rate hikes: 7.3%

There was a time, just a few months ago, when it looked like Alaska, which had already suffered from massive rate hikes the past 2 years due to their unique healthcare situation, might have a complete catastrophe on their hands with a third year of massive individual market rate hikes.

Fortunately (and to their credit), the GOP state legislature worked with the Independent governor to pass a new law which created a state-based reinsurance program to stave off the ugly hikes. In July, it looked as though this would result in not-fantastic-but-not-awful 10% average increase:

A major health insurer is seeking an average rate increase of about 10 percent on individual health insurance policies in Alaska, far less than what it received the last two years. Thisfollows recent steps by the state to shore up Alaska's insurance marketplace.

Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield is expected to be the only company offering individual health policies in Alaska in 2017, with Moda Health planning to leave that market. Premera received average rate increases of nearly 40 percent for 2015 and 2016.

Well, today Louise Norris followed up on the approved rates in Alaska, and the news is even better:

On July 18—the same day Governor Walker signed H.B.374 into law—Premera announced that they had filed rates with an average increase of 9.8 percent for 2017. The rate increase is significantly lower than the carrier’s rate increases were in 2015 and 2016, and Premera attributed that to the new reinsurance program.

A month later, on August 19, Premera filed a new rate proposal, requesting an average rate increase of just 7.3 percent for 2017. State regulators approved the 7.3 percent average rate increase a few days later, and the rates will take effect in January.

Perhaps other states should take a look at what Alaska did here?