COVID-19 Impacts
The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (the Department) reviews health insurance rates to ensure that the plans available to consumers are priced appropriately — that is, they are neither excessive (too high) nor inadequate (too low) — and are not unfairly discriminatory. At the beginning of this calendar year, insurers were already developing their Plan Year (PY) 2021 rates based on 2019 claims and membership enrollment experience.
In March, the COVID-19 pandemic struck. The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted consumers, businesses, health insurers, health care providers and the economy. It will also impact health insurance rates for PY 2021. However, the COVID-19 situation is changing rapidly, and more information comes out every day. More time will allow for the most up-to-date information and therefore more accurate assumptions about the impact on 2021 rates.
Because of this, the Department is developing a thoughtful approach to incorporate potential COVID-19-related impacts into the PY 2021 rates. This approach means that insurers' initial rate filings submitted to the Department in May will not include COVID-19-related impacts. Instead, it will allow health insurers additional time to analyze emerging data during the early summer. Then, in July, the Department will receive revisions to the rate filings that reflect the most up to date COVID-19-related impacts. This process, while different than in prior years, provides for a consistent approach for all the insurers, while allowing the time needed to most accurately account for COVID-19-related impacts.
Because the initial rates filed in May will not include COVID-19 assumptions and therefore will not paint a complete picture of 2021 rates, the Department will first release rate information publicly once insurers have submitted proposed rate filings inclusive of those COVID-19 assumptions. It is currently anticipated that rates will be made public in or near early August. At that time, the Department anticipates the usual transparent process, including the opportunity for public comment on each filing as well as making available county level data as has been provided in prior years.
The Department recognizes the need for health insurance rate stability, affordability, and availability. It is the Department's goal to approve rates that best reflect future health care costs, while maintaining a health insurance market that is stable and competitive.
Timeline:
- May 19, 2020
- Initial filings without COVID assumptions
- July 16, 2020
- Filings with COVID assumptions
- August 7, 2020
- Public release
ACA-RELATED RATE FILINGS FOR 2021 PLANS - INDIVIDUAL MARKET
-
CompanyName
Tracking #
On Exchange?
% Requested
% ApprovedView Filing Summary View RequestedFiling
View Final Filing View Decision Summary Capital Advantage Assurance Company
CABC-132354885
On/Off
-14.43%
-14.43%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Capital Advantage Insurance Company
CABC-132354933
Off
-15.50%
-15.50%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Keystone Health Plan Central
CABC-132354935
Off
-1.69%
-1.69%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
First Priority Health HMO
HGHM-132324148
Off
-19.18%
-19.18%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark, Inc. HGHM-132324142
On/Off
-0.67%
-0.67%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Benefits Group
HGHM-132324173
On/Off
-3.96%
-3.96%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Choice Company
HGHM-132324143
Off
N/A
N/A
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Coverage Advantage
HGHM-132324161
On/Off
3.12%
3.12%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Health Insurance Company - HHIC
HGHM-132324144
Off
-15.55%
-15.55%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Geisinger Health Plan
GSHP-132364648
On/Off
-11.28%
-11.28%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Geisinger Quality Options
GSHP-132364636
On/Off
-13.57%
-13.57%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Keystone Health Plan East
INAC-132358787
On/Off
-2.15%
-3.91%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
QCC Insurance Company
INAC-132358777
On/Off
-1.95%
-3.88%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UPMC Health Coverage, Inc.
UPMC-132364646
Off
N/A
N/A
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UPMC Health Options, Inc.
UPMC-132364637
On/Off
1.28%
1.28%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
PA Health & Wellness CECO-132346847
On/Off
-6.60%
-6.60%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Oscar Health Plan of PA
OHIN-132375235
On/Off
6.86%
6.86%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
ACA-RELATED RATE FILINGS FOR 2021 PLANS - SMALL GROUP MARKET
CompanyName
Tracking #
OnExchange?
% Requested
% ApprovedView Filing Summary View RequestedFilingView Final Filing View Decision Summary Aetna Health, Inc/Aetna Health Insurance Company
AETN-132308679
Off
6.20%
6.20%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Aetna HealthAssurance PA AETN-132308680
Off
7.33%
7.33%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Aetna Life Insurance Company
AETN-132308748
Off
7.33%
7.33%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Capital Advantage Assurance Company
CABC-132352718
Off
-6.91%
-6.91%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Capital Advantage Insurance Company
CABC-132352732
Off
-5.95%
-5.95%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Keystone Health Plan Central CABC-
132352804
Off
-8.74%
-8.74%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
First Priority Life Insurance Company
HGHM-
132380627
Off
12.41%
12.41%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark, Inc.HGHM-132381011
Off
1.59%
1.59%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Benefits Group
HGHM-132380419
Off
2.37%
2.37%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Choice Company HGHM-132381009
Off
N/A
N/A
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Coverage Advantage
HGHM-132380500
Off
0.78%
0.78%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Highmark Health Insurance Company - HHIC
HGHM-132380665
Off
-1.06%
-1.06%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Geisinger Health Plan GSHP-132364598
Off
17.87%
15.64%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Geisinger Quality Options GSHP-132364597
Off
16.48%
14.28%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
Keystone Health Plan East/AmeriHealth HMO Inc
INAC-132358832
Off
0.88%
0.88%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
QCC Insurance Company INAC-132358831
Off
0.87%
0.87%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UnitedHealthcare of PA UHLC-132374427
Off
7.18%
8.75%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company
UHLC-132374424
Off
5.32%
4.01%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UPMC Health Benefits
UPMC-132364942
Off
-2.99%
-2.99%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UPMC Health Coverage, Inc. UPMC-132364928
Off
4.05%
4.05%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF
UPMC Health Options, Inc.
UPMC-132364924
Off
3.59%
3.59%
PDF
PDF
PDF
PDF