I am calling on behalf of the rate increase for Wellmark plans. All of them in general, a 12 % increase is not ideal. Insurance is expensive enough as it is and more often than not, all individuals find that their insurance doesn't cover as much as what we thought it does, making it even more expensive. I simply cannot afford a 12 % increase on my insurance, and I only pay for a single individual plan.
Logan
I received a letter about my Welmark proposed base premium rate increase today and the public hearing. Is there anything else you need to know about that? Wellmark Health plan of Iowa has asked permission to increase the base premium rate by 12.6 %. I'm calling because I'm a retiree on the ACA plan, and I already pay, I mean the full cost of that plan is eight to $900 a month, so a 12 % increase for its retiree to pay. I have from 60 to 65 until I get on Medicare. So that's a lot for me. It seems our rates just keep going up, up, up, and there's NO relief. And other countries don't have to pay all this money for medical care. And I'm worried that the budget bill in Congress might have impacted it, so I called my senator Grassly and representative none to discuss it with them. But I do not agree with this in rate rate increase. I cannot afford it, and that's a lot for one year or 12 %. That's a lot for retiree's budget. So what are we doing to curve these costs? What are we doing to make it reasonable? It seems like we're turning back the clock. I mean, everything I've heard about the budget bill, people are gonna lose coverage in mass numbers for Medicaid. We're gonna go back to, to when, before ACA, when so many people were uninsured or can't even afford it. We're going backwards in time. So NO, I don't agree with this rate increase. My name is Lori Runkle again Ankeny Iowa. I'm on the Wellmark Health Plan.
Lori, Ankeny
12.6% is too much of an increase for our premiums. We had a fairly sizable increase for this year already. I can see a 6% increase, but no more. Please consider us consumers who aren’t flush with income.
Jon S.
I am currently working at a family run nursery and garden center business in Cedar Falls, IA. I enjoy helping our customers with my expertise in the field of horticulture. Because of the rising costs facing the independent small business that I work for, they are not able to provide me with health insurance. It is a struggle for me to pay for my own health insurance through Wellmark via the affordable care act, even on the sliding scale based on my wages. I fear that the proposed rate increase of 12.6 percent would be more than I could afford. I would have to choose whether or not to go without insurance or to give up other necessities. I am already living as frugally as I possibly can while working as hard as I possibly can, putting in as many hours as I am allowed to at my job, never missing a day of work.
I believe that Wellmark should also operate their business as conservatively as I run my household budget. Then, we would be able to continue with the status quo. If not, I will have to forgo health care, or dental visits or other essentials of my life. I have no discretionary income to part with.
In addition, I do my best to eat well, exercise and avoid stressors that would cause me to be a burden to Wellmark. I believe that Wellmark should reexamine their books and make necessary cuts as I have to do as well as the business that I work for does.
LuAnn E.
I just received a letter regarding Wellmark's proposed 12.6% increase. This amount is well above the inflation rate. I do not believe this is right and should not be allowed. Health care should not be a luxury which it is certainly becoming. Please do not let Wellmark have this outrageous increase.
Nancy G., Sioux City