WASHINGTON — There will be fewer choices next year for shoppers looking to buy individual insurance policies on the D.C. health exchange.
CareFirst will be the only company offering individual preferred provider organization plans on the exchange — formally known as DC Health Link — in 2016.
That’s the traditional coverage that allows more flexibility in choosing doctors and hospitals than health maintenance organizations, or HMOs.
Currently, there are two companies offering PPO plans to individuals on the DC exchange. The other is Aetna — but the Washington Post reports it has sent out letters to people with these plans telling them their policies are going away at the end of the year.
In the letter, Aetna says it can no longer meet the needs of its customers while remaining competitive in the market, which is dominated by CareFirst.
Only individual Aetna plans are affected. The company will continue to offer coverage on the exchange through employers, including Congress.
Individual plans on the exchange are usually purchased by people who are self-employed or otherwise not able to obtain a policy through an employer.
WTOP’s Paula Wolfson contributed to this report
