With BlueCross/BlueShield, the largest health care provider in Tennessee, announcing last week that it will not offer health insurance on the Affordable Care Act’s marketplace in 2017, the number of company choices for those on the healthcare exchange drops to two.
BlueCross/BlueShield’s decision to drop coverage in regions surrounding Nashville, Knoxville and Memphis means 130,000 people will lose their health plan. Williamson, Rutherford, Wilson, Trousdale, Sumner, Robertson, Montgomery, Cheatham and Davidson Counties make up the “Nashville region” that BC/BS is dropping. The five remaining regions BC/BS will offer plans in rural areas where there is no other provider, in which case it is illegal to leave under ACA.
Humana and Cigna, which will presumably split up the 68.9 percent market share left by BC/BS, will remain as the only two companies to offer plans on the exchange for 2017. Their rates had already been set to dramatically increase:
- Cigna (8.6 percent of the exchange market share): 46 percent average rate increase
- Humana (6.7 percent of the exchange market share): 44.3 percent average rate increase
The change does not affect seniors with Medicare Advantage plans, those enrolled with BlueCare or anyone who has insurance through their employer.
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