WASHINGTON — The Maryland Insurance Administration has approved premium increases for individual health care insurance plans of an average 25.2 percent for 2017.
CareFirst, whose plans are the majority of Affordable Care Act individual coverage in Maryland, was granted the largest premium increases. Its CareFirst BlueChoice premiums — its HMO coverage — will go up 23.7 percent. CareFirst of Maryland PPO premiums will go up 36.6 percent.
While the increases are large, they are lower than what the company had requested.
Cigna Health premiums will go up 29.8 percent, matching Cigna’s request. Evergreen Health Cooperative was granted a 20.3 percent premium increase in Maryland for 2017.
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States was given approval for a 26.6 percent premium increase.
Open enrollment in Maryland runs from Nov. 1, 2016 through Jan. 31, 2017.
About 4.4 percent of Maryland residents are enrolled in individual health plans.
