Via the SERFF database, it looks like Rhode Island's two individual market carriers have had their 2023 individual market rate changes finalized. Blue Cross Blue Shield is increasing rates lower than they originally requested (3.1% instead of 9.6%), while Neighborhood Health Plan rates are increasing more than they originally asked for (8.3% vs. 6.9%).
Overall weighted average increase: +6.1%, down from +8.0%.
Unfortunately I can't find the final rate change filings for the small group market yet.
Survey Results Come as Wallet Hub has Ranked the Ocean State as #1 in the Nation for the Best Health Care
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I.– A preliminary analysis of the latest Rhode Island Health Insurance Survey (HIS) shows that Rhode Island has reached its lowest uninsured rate ever recorded. For the first time, just 2.9% of Rhode Islanders are uninsured, a reduction from the 4.0% the last time this survey was conducted in 2020. According to federally collected data through 2020, only Massachusetts and Vermont have ever recorded a state uninsured rate lower than 3.0%. This news comes as WalletHub has ranked Rhode Island as the best state in the country for health care.
No formal press release from the Rhode Island Insurance Dept. yet, but according to the SERFF database, here's the preliminary rate filings for 2023 for their individual & small group markets.
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island:
CY 2021 Experience Period
We did not adjust the 2021 experience period for Covid‐19. We also did not make any adjustments due to the end of the expanded federal subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) or the end of the federal public health emergency.
CY 2023 Projection Period
We included a Covid‐19 factor in Other to adjust CY 2023 to reflect a 50% decrease in anticipated Covid‐related spend for the CY 2023 projection period compared to the level in the CY 2021 experience period.
EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (April 14, 2022) HealthSource RI’s Open Enrollment period was held from November 1, 2021 and ended on January 31, 2022. This was a very successful Open Enrollment period for HealthSource RI (HSRI), with enrollments increasing to 31,445 in 2022 compared to 30,071 in 2021. These mark HealthSource RI’s highest enrollment numbers since 2020.
The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), enacted by the federal government in February 2021, provided historically high savings in the form of subsidies/tax credits for eligible individuals and families in Rhode Island. ARPA also created a new opportunity for individuals and families whose income is over 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to receive financial assistance.
HSRI’s extended Open Enrollment period begins today and runs through January 31, 2022 with huge savings on health coverage available to most Rhode Islanders.
EAST PROVIDENCE – Open Enrollment through HealthSource RI, Rhode Island’s health insurance marketplace, begins today November 1, 2021 and runs through January 31, 2022 to help connect Rhode Island residents with high-quality, low-cost or no-cost coverage for 2022. Thanks to the federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), coverage through HealthSource RI is now more affordable than ever.
State of Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner Requested and Approved Summary for 2022 Rates in the Individual, Small Group, and Large Group Markets
The Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner (OHIC) has completed its review of plan year 2022 rates for the individual, small group, and large group markets. This document is a summary of the requested and approved amounts for each insurer by market.
As required by the ACA, OHIC reviews premiums in the individual and small group markets by examining the following components:
I've once again relaunched my project from last fall to track Medicaid enrollment (both standard and expansion alike) on a monthly basis for every state dating back to the ACA being signed into law.
For the various enrollment data, I'm using data from Medicaid.gov's Medicaid Enrollment Data Collected Through MBES reports. Unfortunately, they've only published enrollment data through December 2020. In most states I've been able to get more recent enrollment data from state websites and other sources. Unfortunately, Rhode Island is among the few states where I haven't been able to get ahold of post-2020 data yet, even estimates.
Rhode Island's total Medicaid enrollment (including ACA expansion) reached an all-time high of around 313,000 back in mid-2017. Since then it gradually dropped to around 290,000 just ahead of the COVID pandemic...but since then non-expansion enrollment has gone up by 7% and the ACA expansion population has risen by over 30%, meaning total enrollment is up 12% overall.
Now that I've developed a standardized format/layout & methodology for tracking both state- and county-level COVID vaccination levels by partisan lean (which can also be easily applied to other variables like education level, median income, population density, ethnicity, etc), I've started moving beyond my home state of Michigan.
Delaware, Hawaii and Rhode Island only have 3, 6 and 5 counties respectively, so it seemed a little silly to run separate graphs for each one (I was already pushing it by giving Connecticut (8 counties) its own entry). So...I've merged all three onto one graph.
It also seemed a bit disingenous to try and come to any conclusions about a trendline with these three states in particular, so I didn't bother (not that there's much to make of that anyway...every county in these states is running between 40 - 65% vaccinated, and within 30-55% Trump support...except for tiny Kalawao, Hawaii, which only has 86 residents (none of whom appear to have been vaccinated yet, according to the CDC?), which I didn't bother listing at all.
Anyway, I'm including them mostly for completeness sake.
2020 Presidential Election results via DE, HI & RI Secretary of State's office (thru Wikipedia)
Governor McKee and HealthSource RI Announce New Enrollment Period Extended Through August 15
Historic level of financial assistance is now available through HealthSource RI.
New Enrollment Period has been extended through August 15, 2021, adding three months to the previous May 15, 2021 deadline.
Starting April 1, most HSRI customers will have a lower monthly bill.
Beginning in summer 2021, HSRI will make more financial assistance available to people who previously did not qualify to receive it based on their income.
Individuals and families who have received unemployment payments in 2021 will be newly eligible for additional financial help for this year or may qualify for health coverage at no cost.
Rhode Islanders should enroll in coverage as soon as possible to take full advantage of these new benefits.
This is from a couple of weeks ago; I'm reposting it standalone for clarity. via HealthSource RI:
New Federal Changes Mean An Increase In Financial Help for Most HealthSource RI Customers; New Customers May Also Enroll Now
EAST PROVIDENCE, Rhode Island (March 11, 2021) — Recent changes at the federal level mean most HealthSource RI (HSRI) customers will soon be paying less for their health coverage. This change will result in the federal government providing an additional $30 million dollars in Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTCs) that will bring premium costs down for HealthSource RI customers.
