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.
My daughter, Deb, now age 45 has had the policy since coming off our family plan 20 years ago.
Every year the price of this policy has increased. The quarterly payment is now $3,787.05 or $15,148.20 per year. This does not include drugs or co-pays. This is after-tax dollars. This is obscene and this rate increase should not be authorized.
I have Wellmark HMO ACA plan. I pay over $400 a month for coverage for myself, single female. With the 5% increase I will pay over $500 a month. I have to pay at least 60/month for eye gtts (about $800/year). WIth Drs. visits, labs (which are no longer included in copay), dental, vision, total healthcare costs for the year are at least 10,000..This is outrageous. I don't remember a time where my health insurance has not increased. As these increase have been allowed to continue for years. The only way these increases would probably ever stop is if the insurance division actually does something. I am not sure Wellmark would ever voluntarily not want more money. I urge the insurance division to consider their role and purpose and carefully scrutinize this request. We are not getting the value out of this system we are putting in....
I'm self employed and feel my premiums are already very high per month. I have rate increases yearly, which is frustrating enough. Usually they range at about 4%, but now the proposal for 2027 will be 10.5%! That's ridiculous and inhumane, especially in this economy and, with the cuts to the ACA, others will have it even worse than I will. That is, ones who can still afford insurance at all. I can't wait to vote for those running for office in Iowa who oppose such increases and will work to change laws that will help the people of Iowa instead of raking them over the coals.
This has to stop at some point. Health Insurance is out of control. I currently pay $27,000 a year for my HSA plan and then pay $8750.00 into my HSA and Wellmark only pays anything once my $8750 is gone. So I actually pay $35,750 for health insurance for Me, my Wife both 55 very healthy are on no meds not over weight , dont smoke , My 25 year old daughter and 24 year old sone both who were college athletes so they are fit and take care of them selves. My daughter is a type one diabetic with an A1C in the 6's. Very well controlled and she takes care of herself. I have looked into getting on a different plan or different company but keep getting told it wont be cheaper and we don't qualify for ACA reimbursement ( ACA is a freaking joke!! people that gave us that should go to jail!!) I essentially pay about 1/5 of my total income to these crooks and am mandated to do so by my government. These insurance companies are making money! They spend billions on advertising, naming rights to stadiums and the list goes on. THIS HAS TO STOP SOMEWHERE. THE STATE OF IOWA NEEDS TO SAY NO ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. THESE CROOKS DONT NEED ANOTHER 10.5%. THEY DONT NEED 1%. OUR GOVERNMENTS JOB IS TO DO FOR THE PEOPLE THING THEY CAN NOT DO ALONE. PLEASE STEP UP AND STOP THIS INSANITY.
If this rate increase goes through I will be paying almost $40k a year for health insurance. Say that 10 time and let that sink in.
I am asking you to please say no!!!