Connecticut Could Lose Government Subsidized Insurance In 2018

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By Robert Donachie

The state of Connecticut is at risk of losing all insurers on its state Obamacare exchanges in 2018.

The only remaining insurers on its state exchanges are Anthem and ConnectiCare, but neither provider is currently committed to offering plans beyond 2017. If both insurers back out of the Obamacare marketplace in Connecticut, tens of thousands of consumers will be left without an insurance plan and will face higher out-of-pocket costs.

If Anthem and ConnectiCare both opt out of the state in 2018, Obamacare subsidies, like cost-sharing reductions, that help low and moderate income individuals pay for health insurance will vanish for 73,000 individuals in Connecticut. Nearly 48,000 will lose federal assistance for covering out-of-pocket health care costs. (RELATED: Obamacare’s Potentially Unconstitutional Feature Set For Reckoning)

State health officials claim that the state exchanges will not collapse if both insurers exit the market, The Connecticut Mirror reports. The exchanges will  continue offering plans under Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion program and small businesses will still be able to purchase plans through Access Health CT.

Both Anthem and ConnectiCare are seeking large premium hikes if they are going to offer plans on the exchanges in 2018. Anthem wants an average increase of 33 percent and ConnectiCare an average premium increase of 15 percent.

Consumers reliant on the Connecticut Obamacare exchanges for health insurance could face a grim reality in 2018. Either they see their premiums soar by double digits, or they lose the option of purchasing government-subsidized health insurance.

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