Public Comments:
I'm against this rate increase. I currently pay $950 a month as a single, healthy, average weight 48 year old woman. No major health concerns. Non smoker. Non child bearing. Exercise every day. I am self-employed and this amount is a financial burden. I will shop companies when I go over $1000 a month. This is ridiculous.
Rochelle, Des Moines
My advice is very much no! Customers are still having a hard time or can’t afford health insurance. Plus, deductibles are high because of cost! Also, they don’t need a raise. Because they have $1 billion in the reserves! Also, Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield have bad health insurance.
I keep paying more each year for health insurance and get less! And I’m getting crappy health insurance and get less! And I’m getting crappy health insurance from Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa. If increase again, the State of Iowa better get their butts and find me a higher paying job! To pay for this health insurance.
Steven, Marengo
I have an individual health insurance plan. I pay full premium myself out of my paycheck. I received a notice from Wellmark has asked permission to increase the base premium rate 8.60 and I am asking please do not consider or allow this unreasonable base rate insurance. I am already struggling each month to pay the premium, so please do not consider allowing them to raise the base premium rate 8.6.
Thank you for your time.
Carol, Indianola
Please I beg you not [sic] let this over the top rate increase take place. I pay so much for this insurance now, that I can’t afford [sic] to the doctor and don’t. This increase is almost $100.00 a month and will put my monthly health insurance over a thousand dollars. If you keep letting this happen you are going to force people on government programs. I’m on a limited income and with inflation I simply cannot afford this. This will force me to give up other necessities.
I do not feel this is a fair increase because they state medical trend captures the change in underlying health care services. Then answer me this, I am an American citizen and have paid taxes in my life and why do I have to pay exorbitant health care when the government is taking care of others for free? Shouldn't the government be covering this increase, not us. I guess one way or another we are paying for it.
Please do not let such a large increase take place.
Anonymous
They're talking over 8% increase. I guess my question is, we don't even have a cost of living that high, so I don't understand why you can increase it that much each year or individual year. Then I also was wondering if you screen, do you have to be a United States citizen to get your insurance or the illegals able to, to get this coverage? How come we are having such a big rate increase? I guess that's what I'm trying to understand.
Paul, Algona
I have your insurance. I am a private pay, and you have said you're going to raise a rate another 8%. I just would like to comment that my insurance is costing me, like, 11,000 dollars a year. And I still have a 7,500 deductible and 80/20, it's way too expensive. And I'm not allowed to move out of the group. I've asked to because apparently, when your private users get stuck in a group. So, I don't know if the people in my group are sick, or what. It's not, it's not working for me, so it's ridiculous. Thank you
Cheryl, Unknown Location
I am affected by Wellmark's actions in several ways. I am a small business owner with only six employees, and I provide Wellmark insurance for them. It is a significant part of my payroll expense. As all of the past Wellmark increases have raised our monthly premium, I have not been financially able to increase their salaries which have remained the same for several years due to the cost of health insurance. The proposed particularly deep increase in premiums will mean another year of no salary increases and with other cost increases, I am likely to have to cut a staff member to meet the challenge of staying in business. My employees have no other avenue for health insurance and I feel duty bound to protect them. Another large increase in my business cost will have a marked impact on my family business which is the only medical equipment business selected as an Iowa Targeted Small Business.
I am affected as a caregiver for my mother, who is 93 years old and has only her Social Security income. Her secondary insurance policy is with Wellmark, who has continuously raised the premium far beyond her cost of living allowance and is now the largest monthly expense she has. She simply cannot afford to pay additional premium. If allowed, we will be forced to look at other types of supplements and companies with less coverage and take the risk of unforeseen medical expenses in her last years. This cannot be just or fair to the elderly.
I am affected as a policy holder. I have Wellmark as my primary insurance carrier. My premium is already over $1,000 a month for only me. It is, by far, my greatest single expense. However, because I am diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis and have large medical bills, I must have good coverage or end my very necessary, but costly, medical care. I have a fixed income as well. My health care premium now exceeds one-third of my Social Security allowance. Without coverage for my treatment, MS will certainly progress rapidly and result in my early death.
Please do not allow Wellmark to price the least of us out of our policies which we have carried for over 30 years. They are simply asking too much of us who can least afford it.
Thank you for your consideration
Barb, Burlington
Calling on my plan that the premium rates may increase. I guess I had hopefully encourage that they do not increase much. In the past they have increased quite a bit the last couple of years. So, if we could keep it more equal this year, that'd be awesome. So I'd advise not an increase in premiums this year.
Angela, Unknown Location
My current rate more than covers the medical care I receive. A rate increase would greatly impact my quality of life and would be unfair and uncalled for. Please do not raise my rates.
Donna, Fairfield
I’ll cancel my insurance. I don’t use it ever so my prices should drop, not increase. What’s the profit’s of the company? How much of a raise did the CEO get? Is the company wasting money? Are you hiring the best staff or are you making DEI hires?
Paul, Le Mars
Our premium for our Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Iowa is unaffordable. Every year our premiums go up but our income does not go up. As self-employed farmers, we have been hit with low grain prices, the extreme flooding in Iowa and now proposed higher health insurance premiums AGAIN. Our premiums are horrific, and we cannot afford to continue to pay our premiums now, let alone if they go up another 8.6 percent. We are already at a high deductible and have nowhere to go in order to save money on our health insurance. Please think about the individuals at this public hearing and deny this base premium rate increase, for the sake of Iowans. Thank you.
Ray and Donna, Unknown Location
I would like to see the requested premium increases denied. I am self employed and my rates have gone up every single year since I signed up for coverage. We started off with a 6 month premium of $2585.70 back in 2011 and now are up to a staggering $9134.70 for 2024. THAT IS A RIDICULOUS AMOUNT TO COVER A FAMILY OF 4 WHO ARE ALL PRETTY HEALTHY. Please stand up for what is right and stop the madness of increases.
Dan, Decorah
I am sending this comment because I get to see the insurance industry from both sides, as a consumer and a provider. My premium rates increase every year but my coverage and the reimbursement rates for healthcare facilities and healthcare providers do not. This year is a perfect example, I am a Chiropractor and the newly published reimbursement rates from Wellmark BCBS of Iowa for this year are roughly 15-30 cents LESS per coded procedure than last year. That is a DECREASE of roughly .002% to .003%. I have now received a letter stating the proposed increase of 8.6% to the base premium rate. I see the administrative expenses side is only an increase of .2% and I can understand that. I have seen my own expenses and overhead go through the roof. The cost of doing business is going up but where does the other 8.4% increase coming from? It is not going to the healthcare facilities nor healthcare providers. I am not seeing higher reimbursements even though my costs are increasing. This is what's called a fish story or horse manure aka being dishonest and lying. Greed is the word of the day. They want more from the consumers and pay less to the providers.
I call upon the Iowa Insurance Commissioner to do the right thing and at minimum do some more research, look at the actual reimbursement rates from multiple different healthcare providers and disciplines to see if the rate increases are actually legit. It is NOT for this consumer and provider.
Mitch, Atlantic
I oppose the wellmark increase of 8.6 percent. We are paying $25,050.60 a year for just two of us now, and if they increase it again, we will be paying $27205.14 for 2025. I am sure they will propose another increase again next year! We are 60 years old, and we have not had an increase in wages either. Take into consideration inflation, you can't go to the store anymore and get barely 2 full bags of groceries for less that 100.00 and add up the increases in everything else, and we will not be able to afford it. I have to have insurance, I NEED insurance to pay for procedures etc. For once, PLEASE consider the people! Wellmark high up executives more than likely do not have to pay for their insurance, they get it very cheap or free, so they don't care about anything but their pocketbooks expanding. At the rate Wellmark is increasing its rates, we will not be able to afford it. For the rates we are paying now, we can buy a brand new car every year. It would not take long for us to buy a decent house either with the premiums we pay. Please take all of this into consideration and vote no increase, the people do not need this extra burden!
Michelle, Independence
I am writing to express my complete dissatisfaction in the thought that Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Iowa is again wanting to raise their rates. Absolutely every year since they have been insuring us they have applied for and been granted the rate increase by the Commissioner of Insurance for Iowa. Why? Does the Commissioner have a vested interest in Wellmark, which the rate increase ultimately benefits him personally? Also, I have not received these types of increases to my income every year!! They want money for administrative fees for claims processing , customer service, etc. This is ridiculous. I've called customer service on numerous occasions, and never get the same answer nor are they at all familiar with their product. I've had to self file a couple of claims which proved to be a nightmare waste of time.
like to vehemently oppose this rate increase of almost 8.4% plus the .2%. Cost of doing business and less salaries for management might be a place to look for dollars.
Jacqueline A. Sackett, unknown location
These policies keep going up each year. Started at $55 a month and now $500 a month. Please consider this when deciding about this rate increase.
Darwin, Marion
In response to the 8.4 percent raise requested by Wellmark I would ask to please evaluate this very hard! This raise is way too much at once!! I am sure they are wanting less but even at that it is not a good time for a raise. Inflation on everything else in our lives are too much for people on a fixed income. Also health insurance on me and my wife is costing us out of pocket now 20,000 per year. With a 5,000 deductible.
Glen, Keokuk
I am writing to formally oppose the rate increase of 8.6% for the base premium for 2025. They are stating the primary reason for the increase is an increase in medical trend of 8.4%. I am a healthcare provider myself. From the provider side, for 2024-2025 BCBS is actually decreasing the reimbursement for the primary services we provide. They are recouping their increases from providers and are also trying to recoup increases from the insureds. As inflation rises, they are paying providers less but still trying to make a profit themselves. If they are to raise base premiums on policies they should also raise reimbursement amounts for their providers. As they are decreasing provider reimbursements, it is unclear to me why they must also raise premiums for their insureds.
Christine, Iowa City
I got the rate increase, and I don’t think I can handle that increase. It will be over $2,000 and I can’t afford it.
Jack, Coon Rapids
I am writing to oppose the proposed 8.6% increase in premiums requested by Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield. They have requested and received multiple increases over the last 15 years.
I am a 45 year old white, male, non smoker. I currently am an adjunct college instructor working for 4 different institutions. As an adjunct I don't qualify for employee benefits. I pay $431.55 a month for coverage currently which is almost double what I paid when I first signed up for coverage.
In 2023 I paid $414.35, in 2022 I paid 389,85, in 2021 it was $258.15, in 2020 we saw it go from $183.25 to $230.15. This proposed increase will have me paying $468. 66 A MONTH!!!!
I have one ongoing prescription and that is all. These continual increases are only hurting those of us insured and lining the pockets of the insurance companies.
I realize I'm in a pre Obamacare plan and am on the lower end but these yearly increases are ridiculous.
Respectfully, please deny this proposed increase.
Mark, Unknown Location
Base premium rate increase should NOT be allowed. We pay too much for healthcare that barely provides what we pay for. There’s always some catch for what they’re not covering. Whatever the top 10 earners of the health insurance company’s increase in compensation is going to be, reduce that by 8.6%. You are breaking the middle class with overpriced healthcare that does not provide complete coverage.
Jamie, Milford
I am formally submitting my objection to the proposed increase in base premium rates. An over eight percent increase is terrible! Having insurance is supposed to be a safe-guard not a burden.
Pam, Unknown Location