Below are comments received regarding Wellmark, Inc.
We are self-employed in farming. Please consider opposing this increase for those that use every dollar to make ends meet, which means we do NOT run to the doctor, walk-in clinic, or ER for sniffles or a slight ache or pain! Please consider the self-employed who are paying all of this out of pocket!
I can't afford 10% rate increases every year. I don't understand why health care costs rise sooooo much faster than every other sector. Maybe fix that.
I am so sick and tired of rate increases. Rate increases have occurred yearly, since the implementation of Obama Care. I have a bare bones policy: No copays, dental, or vision, with a $5,600 deductible. I am in good health, rarely reach my deductible, and never use my insurance. I feel it is important to have health insurance, but I feel that I don't have health insurance. I am just a premium payer. Here is an idea how about we require everyone, within the boarder of the United States carry some form of health insurance. How about every illegal alien, visa holder, foreign national, and U.S. citizen carry some form of health insurance (Regardless of income). Eliminate free ambulance rides to emergency rooms, and turn away individuals with the sniffles due to must treat policies. People need to prioritize their lives, carry health insurance, and forego wants and desires.The economy is terrible. As a Farmer, it is impossible to earn a living. Input costs are too high, inflated, and manipulated. I simply do not receive a price, for the commodities I produce, above the cost of production. It is capitalism at its finest. I wish I could just set prices, above my cost of production, to secure a desired profit margin. I feel this is how Wellmark operates. If you call Wellmark and complain, a representative will constantly explain how they are a NOT-FOR-PROFIT BUSINESS. I guess this nonprofit classification makes it okay to raise rates, and I should feel great about. Maybe if they were a profit-based company, they would cut cost and be more competitive. Competition needs to be a part of the Health Insurance scam. Something need to be done. Solutions to the problem. Don't punish policy holders, like myself, that do without and prioritize health insurance.
I beg you to not increase health insurance! We farm, fuel prices are high, temps are baking the crops which many are suffering because of the saturation of rain in June. Chemical and Fertilizer is outrageous and our repair bills come one after another. We are a 7th generation family farm that is paying $2,446.40 a month for health insurance. I don't know how much more we can take.
My name is Janet and I have insurance with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa, and I got a notice in the mail that the insurance premiums will be going up again and they went up last year. Since 2023, my insurance increased $4,395 a year in three years. This is ridiculous. My phone number is ********** and insurance rates should be frozen in three years. This is ridiculous. Thank you for listening. Bye.
I very strongly appose the 10% increase. I already pay $3,926.80/MONTH for just my husband and I who rarely go to the doctor. This premium is just ridicules. I work at an independent insurance office and i have looked into other health insurance, but i would be loosing coverage. Something needs to be done to help people out. Please reconsider the increase!!!!!!
You guys sent a letter out I got Saturday saying that you want to raise rates again on healthcare premiums, and I got a letter saying you have the right to make a public comment. Well, you got a hearing on August 20th, well, who's going to go to that? I have a right to make a public comment, and I would like to know why do you think you need to be raising rates again? Nobody can afford the insurance right now. How in the **** do you guys think anybody can afford it if you keep raising rates every single year? Don't tell me that it's all because of high hospital costs and all that ********. No, you guys are making money left— hands over foot. Stop raising the rates. Nobody can afford the insurance. You're going to start losing people because nobody can afford it. Stop raising the rates. It's that plain and simple. I'm already paying over $20,000 a year. How much more blood can I give you? Stop raising the rates.
Yes, my name is Catherine, and I'm from Scott County, and I'm calling about the rate increase for Wellmark. I received a letter in the mail, a notice of proposed base premium rate increase, and a public hearing, and I'm calling because I opposed this, I, I don't have the funds for an increase, I can barely pay what I have right now. I'm on social security and my family we're limited on funds. I would appreciate if I could hear from someone, and I'm hoping that, this increase doesn't occur, for all that are involved. My number is **********. Thank you.
Hi, my name is Laura K., and we currently are, we are self-employed and we have a policy with Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield. Currently there's four individuals of our family on the policy and we pay $35,000 a year. And we received a notice that they're looking at the base premium rate increase of ten and a half percent, which is ridiculous. We look around every year, we have our insurance person look around every year and we can't, the other thing, we can't get anything better. That's even what's even worse. Our one child's a type one diabetic, so we have to have good insurance, and this is just going, it's gouging people, it's making health care unaffordable. And I'm asking you to deny this when they go in front of you to deny this approval to not allow any more increases. The insurance companies make enough money. They don't need to take any more from us. If you'd like to talk to me in person or my husband, my number is **********. Thank you.
I am Steve C., a Wellmark insured, who would be adversely affected by the proposed 10.5% rate increase in premium that Wellmark is proposing. I have cerebral palsy which causes physical limitations and limited mobility. I am limited to office or computer careers which I totally accept. However, when potential employers find that I have a disability and that I am not able to complete a task as quickly as others or don't like my work history, they don't hire people like me. I have been on disability many years now due to not being able to find adequate employment with adequate pay. When I was placed on disability, it was cheaper to keep my individual Wellmark policy in place as supplemental insurance cost was higher than my Wellmark policy. Therefore, I won't be eligible to take those additional supplements out until I turn 65 without being penalized. I feel as an insured individual, our premiums go to help cover the cost incurred by the uninsured which is unfair. I am currently paying $769.85 per month in per premium. If this proposed increase is allowed to be put in place by Wellmark my premium will increase my monthly premium to around $850.68. I will most likely become [un]insured due to lack of affordability. I am not abusing my health insurance coverage. I am only using it when it is needed.