Blue Cross Flees Nebraska Thanks To Ashford-Supported Obamacare
BREAKING NEWS: Blue Cross just announced that they will no longer be participating in Obamacare’s Nebraska exchange, causing roughly 20,000 people to lose their health insurance plans. That’s not just bad news for Nebraskans, it’s also bad news for career politician Brad Ashford who has opposed repealing Obamacare and is running for reelection in a GOP-leaning district.
Ashford tries to spin his stance on Obamacare, but in reality has joined with Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton in opposing efforts to repeal the failing law. Ashford has also opposed other more targeted efforts to repeal specific, yet damaging provisions. Now Nebraska voters are left looking for new health insurance and potentially facing higher premiums thanks to Ashford’s blind partisanship
NRCC Comment: “2nd District voters will hold career politician Brad Ashford accountable for his support of Obamacare as it causes 20,000 Nebraskans to lose their health insurance. Ashford’s blind partisanship is costing Nebraskans dearly, and they won’t forget his steadfast defense of Obamacare this November.” – NRCC Spokesman Zach Hunter
Blue Cross drops out of Nebraska’s Obamacare marketplace
Omaha World-Herald
By Steve Jordon
September 23, 2016
http://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/health/blue-cross-drops-out-of-nebraska-s-obamacare-marketplace/article_ba159306-81b9-11e6-a263-039caebdcf91.html
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska said Friday it won’t sell individual health insurance on the Affordable Care Act marketplace next year because of continuing losses.
Blue Cross’ departure removes the state’s largest health insurer from the individual marketplace, leaving only Aetna and Medica Health to offer individual policies on the Nebraska’s exchange for 2017.
Steve Martin, the chief executive of Blue Cross, told The World-Herald that the company has lost $140 million on the exchange policies since 2014. If the trend continued, losses could total $250 million by the end of 2017, he said.
As of this year, around 20,000 people out of Blue Cross of Nebraska’s 750,000 clients have individual exchange policies.
The decision won’t affect the thousands of Nebraskans covered by Blue Cross group policies through their employers or people who plan to renew their pre-Affordable Care Act individual policies.
State and federal rules require companies to submit proposed policies and rates for approval well ahead of time. Blue Cross had proposed substantial rate increases for 2017 and received approvals, but those rates were based mostly on 2015 claims.
If the planned 2017 rates turned out to be too low, Blue Cross would have lost money next year, too, company officials said.
Friday was the deadline for insurance companies to sign agreements with the federal government to offer policies on the exchanges. Open enrollment on the exchanges starts Nov. 1.
Read more here.