Colorado: It's the end of the work week for Friday; no new enrollees for the rest of the year
Mon, 05/08/2023 - 8:59pm
Texas: Friday Health Plans Bails; Another ~230K Enrollees Will Have To Pick A Different Day Of The Week
It was just four days ago that Bright Healthcare, which had been aggressively expanding their individual market coverage area footprint as recently as a year ago, suddenly announced that they were doing a complete 180 and instead pulling out of virtually the entire individual & small group markets nationally starting in January 2023.
...Well, just one day after the Bright Healthcare bombshell news broke, Texas-based health insurance broker Jenny Chumbley Hogue sounded the alarm on another large carrier bailing on Texas next year:
TX Marketplace Rumor Mill: Friday Health Plans is OUT for 2023. @LouiseNorris @charles_gaba @bjdickmayhew
— Jenny Chumbley Hogue (@kgmom219) October 12, 2022
And its confirmed. Email received from Friday. Buckle up folks! Individual OEP in Texas is going to be a bumpy ride! https://t.co/AMNJ4rPyr3
— Jenny Chumbley Hogue (@kgmom219) October 12, 2022
March 29th, 2023:
Texas regulators have placed Friday Health Plans into liquidation and ordered the company to end all business in the state.
A district court in Austin found that Friday's Texas subsidiary is insolvent and had not maintained a minimum surplus of $1.4 million under state law. pic.twitter.com/3wetzhiVpB— AHVAP (@AHVAPORG) March 29, 2023
Friday Health Plans of North Carolina Stops Accepting New Enrollment
As of March 31, 2023, Friday Health Plans of North Carolina, after discussions with state regulators, stopped offering additional enrollment in North Carolina. This announcement does not affect those consumers who have already chosen Friday Health Plans of North Carolina for 2023 health coverage. This announcement also does not affect Friday plans offered in other HealthCare.gov states.
As a result of this action, consumers in North Carolina who aren’t already enrolled in a Friday plan won’t see or be able to select a Friday plan through HealthCare.gov. North Carolina consumers who are already enrolled in a Friday plan for 2023 will continue to see and stay in their current plan for 2023 coverage, but won’t be able to change to another plan with Friday. Current Friday Health Plan enrollees in North Carolina will still be able to update their plan with household changes and life events (including adding members to existing policies).
Friday Health Plans Inc., a Texas-based health insurance startup, has been placed under receivership by the Texas Department of Insurance and ordered to liquidate. The Travis County District Court found Friday Health to be insolvent, with total liabilities exceeding its admitted assets and total adjusted capital less than what is required under the Texas Insurance Code. The company launched in 2015 and focused on marketplace products, later expanding to Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs). But like other startups, it struggled to reach profitability or substantial market share.
Prior to the receivership, Friday enrolled 293,111 members in Texas, making it the fourth-largest exchange insurer in the state. Members will continue to receive benefits until the company fully winds down operations, according to Friday Health’s website. The insurer continues to serve an additional 88,580 members in six other states; Colorado, Georgia, Nevada, New Mexico, North Carolina and Oklahoma.
Insurance Commissioner Places Friday Health Under Supervision
OKLAHOMA CITY – Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner Glen Mulready announced today that he has placed Friday Health Plans of Oklahoma, Inc. (Friday Health) under supervision of the Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID). Friday Health is a health maintenance organization domiciled and licensed only in Oklahoma.
Commissioner Mulready stated, “The decision to place Friday Health under supervision was not taken lightly. However, given the company’s financial situation, we determined this was the best action to protect policyholders and ensure their claims are paid.”
Friday Health is a subsidiary of the Friday Health group. The Friday Health group is Colorado-based and provides health coverage to individuals and families in multiple states. The company was founded in 2015 and had been operating the Friday Health Plans of Oklahoma HMO since 2019.
The OID has been monitoring the declining financial situation with the Friday Health group over the past year and has been in regular communication with their leadership team since late 2022 when several executive members were replaced.
The Agreed Order of Supervision requires Friday Health to continue processing and servicing its claims and members, including making timely payments during supervision. In addition, Friday Health shall demonstrate an attainable path to achieve necessary and sufficient capital and surplus as required by the Oklahoma Insurance Code.
Commissioner Mulready will designate an experienced supervisor to oversee and monitor Friday Health’s finances and claims handling to ensure members, creditors, and the public are protected.
April 13, 2023: I received confirmation via email that Friday is indeed shutting down new enrollments in Georgia:
Dear Valued Broker,
In conjunction with the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (“OCI”) and CMS, Friday Health Plans of Georgia, Inc. (“FHP GA”), has agreed to suspend new member enrollments, on and off-exchange in Georgia. Existing FHP GA members are not impacted by this change.
If you, or one of your individual customers attempts to enroll in a Friday health plan in the state of Georgia, an error message will display. This process is necessary to prevent individuals or their brokers from erroneously enrolling in a plan.
FHP GA has achieved growth that exceeded expectations. Out of an abundance of caution and our desire to grow in a tightly controlled manner, we have agreed to halt new enrollment into all FHP GA plans. We will continue to work with OCI to monitor our progress as a company and look forward to reopening enrollment to serve those individuals seeking coverage on or off the Federal exchanges.In good health,
Friday Health Plans
As I noted at the time:
That would leave just Colorado as the only state left where Friday is still enrolling people. No idea how long that will last, though...
Cut to today, via Connect for Health Colorado:
No New Friday Health Plans Enrollments for Remainder of 2023
DENVER — Today, the Colorado Division of Insurance announced that Friday Health Plans will not accept new health plan enrollments in Colorado starting Tuesday, May 9. People who are already enrolled in Friday Heath Plans will stay enrolled in their plan and can continue to use their coverage.
Chief Executive Officer of Connect for Health Colorado, Kevin Patterson, released the following statement:
“I want to assure Friday Health Plans customers who are enrolled through Connect for Health Colorado or Colorado Connect that their coverage remains in place. This news only affects new customers, who will not have Friday Health Plans as an option when they are shopping for 2023 coverage.
We’re working closely with the Division of Insurance as they continue to evaluate Friday Health Plans’ situation in Colorado so we can provide the best guidance possible to current customers and our network of Brokers and Assisters.
In light of this announcement, I remain confident in the stability of our marketplace, and we’re at the ready to assist customers who may have concerns or need help.”
Adding insult to injury, Friday Health Plans was founded and is based in Colorado.
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