Excellus Health Plan, Inc. Small Group 2020 Public Comments · premiums go up 6.8% we will be paying over $900 a month with a $13,000 deductible. Please note that is almost $24,000

Excellus Health Plan, Inc.Small Group2020 Public Comments

I am writing to inform you that I am extremely confused and surprised to have received communication that my health insurance premiums might go up. As they have gone up every year significantly since we signed up for health insurance through our small business. I have worked in the medical field all of my life and have never seen such ridiculousness!! And such a condescending letter. changes in medical costs, population characteristics, and other factors. If our premiums go up 6.8% we will be paying over $900 a month with a $13,000 deductible. Please note that is almost $24,000 before the perceived benefit of having health insurance is recognized. Society is going backward if this premium rate is approved. There should be legislation for lower premiums, lower deductibles, and an overall change in this crazy institution called healthcare. :(

Please do not give Excellus the proposed increase. They have made a profit every year and our employees are suffering by the raising cost of health insurance. Nothing will change until you stand up and say NO. These rate increases have to stop.

To whom it may concern: I am strongly opposed to the proposed premium rate increase of 6.8%. While this percentage might not seem like a lot, this proposed increase will be devastating to Excellus's customers. To be frank, I cannot afford this increase. Every month, I get by with barely $30 to spare in my checking account. If I have an unexpected medical bill--which my plan will not cover due to their absurdly high deductible limit (which I am not happy about at all, but I could not afford their plan with better coverage)--I must choose between paying for heating, buying food, or going into debt. Any change to my insurance premium will only make things harder. The State of New York needs to do more to protect its citizens' health. If you cannot get insurance companies to lower their premium rates, at the very least you need to negotiate better terms that will provide their customers with lower deductibles and more affordable care. Respectfully,

We are a small company (approx. 60 employees) and all increases in health insurance premiums are passed along to our employees. These average American, working class people cannot afford these rate increases by big insurance companies, year after year, after year. They are driving young (healthy) employees out of the insurance market and it has just got to stop somewhere! Check on the compensation for Mr. Arthur G. Wingerter, President of Univera Health Insurance, as well as other executives, and I am certain you will find that they have no problem, with the compensation they receive annually, affording health insurance.........in fact, I'm sure it's fully funded by Univera, off the backs of hard working, middle class (at best) workers like we have here at It would be grossly negligent for N.Y. State to allow Univera to raise premiums again this coming year when they, and their officers rake in MILLIONS in compensation year after year. This is way out of hand and it has got to stop!! These health insurance executives are criminal, greedy and self entitled and they are killing New York small (and big) business's!!! Please put a stop to this!!!!! We can't afford it!!!!


Every year it seems the premium continues to climb. Being a middle class family, we struggle to keep up with the continual premium increases. Any cost of living pay increase I receive (2% for this year) seems to get consumed into the annual premium increase. Please reconsider the premium increase, many others I work with, middle and lower class families struggle to just pay their bills. Our high deductible health plan is most cost efficient for the Village I work with, however it is taxing on the average family. Health costs continue to skyrocket as the average family is just barely making it. Consider the middle and lower class families that struggle to survive...and who will skip the doctor to save money. Please......

My notice indicates a rate increase of 7.1%. I already pay 25% of my hourly wages for my premium cost with no relief from the other parent of my children. The Family Court Magistrate has already indicated my Health Care Premiums are un-affordable. There is no allowance to force said other parent to help. Perhaps more importantly, I have a child that is dropping off this plan as of September 2019 (age . Due to health conditions she has been the primary user of this plan and with her leaving I feel is is unfair for an increase. This could cause undo hardship on me financially.

a 4.9% increase as proposed would put my fixed income in jeopardy. I don't understand why providers are willing to put peoples lives at risk so that they can pay their own people exorbitant salaries.

Our rates have been rising faster than the national average and this is just not acceptable.

I would like to be more informed on the reasoning behind a rate increase for our health insurance. Does anyone actually do the math on what it costs to have a health insurance policy. Does anyone actually do the math on what it costs to insure a family. The wages in this area do not support the premiums and deductibles that are offered by the limited pool of carriers to choose from. I can break this down. Individual: Premium $432.57 p/mo + $6,550.00 Deductible Yearly Cost: $11,740.84 ($225.79 p/wk) Family: Premium $1,232.82 p/mo + $13,100.00 Deductible Yearly Cost: $27,893.84 ($536.42 p/wk) Proposed 6.8% Increase cost. Individual: $461.98 + $6,550.00 (assuming the same) Yearly Cost: $12,093.76 ($232.57 p/wk) Family: $1,316.65 + $13,100.00 (assuming the same) Yearly Cost: $28,899.80 ($555.76 p/wk) We are a small business and we try to share the cost as much as we can. But for both the employee and the employer the cost are getting to the point that no one can afford the cost of health insurance. One of my biggest questions for years has been, Where is the ceiling? And after 20 years in this business, I can tell you that we haven't even come close to seeing a glimpse of it. Why don't we push back on these higher profit health insurance companies and make them dig into their pockets. This area does not have the resources for yearly premium increases. We just don't get these kind of raises. The family plan cost is a persons yearly begining salary. I've never been able to understand the costs of health insurance. It's now double the cost of a home mortgage. And at the end of the year, there is no asset to show for it.


I would like to request that you consider denying Excellus' rate increase filings of 5% for the SimplyBlue Plus Silver 2 Planand 6.8% for the SimplyBlue Plus Bronze 4 plan. As a small business it is very difficult watching the strain that the cost of health insurance puts on our employees, their families and our business. In addition to the financial strain placed on our business and employees, these increases year after year are making recruitment and retention near impossible. Year after year these rate increases are being granted while deductibles are increased and coverage shrinks.

There is no way this health insurance should get a 7.4% increase in their rates AGAIN. There are plenty of ways they can cut costs to ensure better service and better client outcomes. Anyone who deals with this company knows that they have a wasteful policy of screwing things up before they pay anything. If they would invest in employee training, less wasteful practices, and cut some management, I'm sure they could make it work on a 20 percent decrease. I would be shocked if anyone commented otherwise. Please deny their request. Sincerely.

My company premiums for 4 people are $2,200+ monthly - the premium has increased in a ridiculous fashion EVERY year for the past 10 years. It is seriously hurting my business. PLEASE, DO NOT allow EXCELLUS to increase their premiums further. This is extremely unfair. I will be forced to cancel my company policy with this carrier if the premium increases. Something has to be done - it is INSANITY. STOP THEM!!!

I just received a notice that my premium will be increasing 9.7% in January 2020. This amount of an increase is an example of price gouging so that the executives at Excellus may line their pockets with outrageous bonuses while stealing that money from the poor, working, and middle classes. I understand that medical costs go up, however, when these insurance companies are making record profits they can harbor some of that cost. Them pushing this cost directly onto the consumer is a crime. Please consider this increase for what it is, a way to keep the rich rich and increase the class gap between rich and poor. When I am no longer able to afford health insurance because of this increase who will be picking up the bill if I get sick or injured? This is an example of capitalism gone wrong. Please review my comments and do not allow Excellus to make an increase so steep.

Health care insurance premiums rise every year and seem to go unchecked. Between my Wife and I we have in life insurance which is policy that is guaranteed to have to pay out at some point and the monthly premium is $109.00. Our combined health care premiums are almost $900.00 per month with combined deductibles of $10,000.00 annually. There has to be a stop to this, I urge you to decline the request for increase.


Our organization received a letter that our rates will increase approximately 7% in 2020. We find this to be absolutely absurd - as we are long time participants of offering high deductible plans to our staff. We offer (and pay for) these plans to make it affordable to our staff to receive good health care. With increased rates and no additional benefit to pass on - we are left sharing the burden of costs with our employees.

I am having trouble affording my insurance currently. I already have the lowest coverage my plan offers and I cannot afford any increase in price. Large insurance companies executives make a lot of money. Please do not raise my rates.

Hello Please Please Please do not increase the rates as this is not acceptable. This would put a burden on my family.

Just a comment that I am sure will be ignored. Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield is filing for a rate increase. That what we need in NY NOT NOT NOT. Lets drive some more people out of this state. Why don't we start containing the Medical fields to contain its costs instead of letting them run wide with insain pricing for services. The rest of NY state has to deal with 2-3% increases in pay, so should medical. We aren't getting better care with our higher premium costs, just higher hospital bills. Insurance Companies need to start holding the line on what they will pay, and Government needs to back them up and tell the insurance companies, THAT'S WHAT YOU GET. NO MORE ACCOUNT BILLINGS. They get what the insurance Company will pay and that's it. We already pay more for services and drugs that other countries. It's time for NY to become a beacon in the darkness of health insurance and set a new trend, instead of perpetuating the old To hell with the people of this state, tax 'em and forget 'em until election time..

this is not affordable. every year my rates have gone up. its to the point where a majority of my check goes to health insurance. its to the point I can barely afford to live on what is left of my take home income. to have a mid-year increase is absurd

These increases, year after year, are not affordable for the average working person!! I cannot afford another yearly increase! Maybe if the Health Insurance Executives took a pay cut instead of making millions of dollars a year off the back off the working class people, that would help out!! Please don't let Univera increase our rates AGAIN.......they are forcing people to make decisions on whether or not they can even afford to live............literally!!!! It's way out of control and it has to stop. We count on you to put a stop to this, people's lives depend on it!!!! These big health insurance companies are CROOKS!! please stop this now!!!!



Please consider not allowing a 7.4% increase in my plan. Year after year, we are expected to absorb such high increases in our health coverage, making it hard to maintain -- especially for multiple people in a family.

As they do every single year, Excellus BlueCross BlueShield is proposing a premium increase for next year. The proposal for 2020 is 7% which would bring the amount I pay each month to $730.09. I pay for 100% of my premium as a sales representative paying all my own expenses from my commissions. The total out of pocket for me in 2020 for premiums will be $8761.12. Please do not allow this increase! I can't afford the continual increases year after year. It does not make sense and it appears that this will be never ending. What will I be paying in 5 years? Please don't continue to allow this every year. We are depending on the DFS to reject this on our behalf. Thank you,










I am a single mother and just closed on my first home a year ago. I am employed by a small business, and they pay a fixed portion toward each of the three plans it offers. SimplyBlue Plus Bronze 4 is the cheapest of these options, and I can barely afford the individual coverage. In the years that I've been employed here, I've seen the monthly premium and the out-of-pocket max increase each time. Last year the increase was 8.93%, which came directly from my pay and forced me to drop the coverage on my dental and vision plans. My employer has been struggling to stay afloat and, in addition to not being able to provide a raise of any kind, they've actually had to lay people off, cut hours, and negotiate pay cuts. While I am lucky enough to not be affected by those factors, the cost of living combined with increased insurance premiums (while not getting an increase in pay or toward premiums) have resulted in losing $2k in income compared to previous years. I make too much to qualify for public assistance, yet not enough to cover my low mortgage, basic utilities, health insurance, and still have money to provide my child with food and clothing. Please review this proposal and understand that small businesses and their employees are already struggling, yet are still getting hit the hardest.

The proposed rate change is cost prohibitive for our practice and we will have to reconsider the plan options that we offer. It is unacceptable that Excellus is claiming that the increase is due to rising medical costs.

Health insurance goes up every year.This is rediculous.This is to pad the pockets of CEO not to cover rising health care costs.The working man cannot afford these payment increases.Please help

My health insurance premiums for this plan already cost my family $252 per paycheck. Any more increases will cause unnecessary burdens on my family and families of my co-workers. Request for a 7.1% increase should be denied

I know that this company will in fact be given their rate increase and that my comment will mean nothing. However, I feel the need to express it anyways. They are not requesting the increase due to rising health care costs. My Dr recently submitted a bill for $120. My co-pay was $40 the Insurance paid $37.63. Yet I pay $140 out of every paycheck for insurance. They are not for profit yet the head people get million dollar bonuses every year. The insurance companies spend more on lobbyists than any other industry. My Dr that I have seen for 20 years prescribed once a week. The insurance co. Dr who has never laid eyes on me decides twice a month is good enough. My sister who is battling said dealing with insurance is harder that the treatment for the Enough is enough, Quit allowing this abuse of the hard working people.


I won't be able to afford health insurance any longer if you let Univera raise their rates AGAIN. This is insane!! They raise rates year after year and the big executives keep getting richer and richer. I didn't get a 7.5% pay raise this year.......did you??? Now I have to make a choice, feed my family and have a roof over our head, or have health insurance. People are getting poorer and poorer and this affects their health so they have to have health insurance to HELP pay for it. It's a snowball effect and this is done intentionally by the health insurance companies, to keep them poor so they get sicker and sicker, then health insurance companies can keep raising rates because people are not in good health! This has got to stop!!! The doctors are in bed with the drug companies, the drug companies are in bed with the health care companies and so on and so on. When is everybody going to wake up and stop this nonsense?? We are well, well on our way to the total destruction of this country, all because nobody that is in a position to do anything about has the to step up and do something! Maybe because they are being paid-off????? Please reject any increase from Univera, at least until their executives agree to a drastic pay cut to show they are willing to suffer likethe average working stiff which would show they at least care.........about anything except lining their pockets!!!!

The request for a seven percent rate increase is unconscionable. Please stop this madness. I am laying out over $1,600 per month to cover three people. We (i.e., working people) are being made to carry the burden of our state's generous Medicaid program on our backs. We need a single payer system for ALL--not this ridiculous setup that rewards those who don't pay their bills and crushes those who are trying to earn an honest living.

The request for a seven percent rate increase is unconscionable. Please stop this madness. I am laying out over $1,600 per month to cover three people. We (i.e., working people) are being made to carry the burden of our state's generous Medicaid program on our backs. We need a single payer system for ALL--not this ridiculous setup that rewards those who don't pay their bills and crushes those who are trying to earn an honest living.

Given the lack of increased reimbursement from the centers for medicare and medicaid over the last 5 years, I strongly oppose any increase in the cost of providing affordable healthcare to our employees. We currently cover >70% of the cost to the employee. I would prefer to see legislation concerning the outrageous cost of prescription medications enacted. thank you


Hello, each year I purchase the most robust health plan offered by my company. This is inevitably Excellus. I did go on my own 1 year with NYS offerings and ended up with MVP. This is a better offering, however, not what my employer offers. Each year I receive a letter from Excellus stating they have requested an increase in premiums. I find this exhausting. As each year, my benefits are more restrictive. This year the request you are supposed to approve is 7.4%. The cost of living hasn't even gone up that much. I think that Excellus needs to be declined on this rate hike. For ONCE let THEM receive a 'no' for a rate increase when I receive a 'no' on health coverage that is necessary and frequent enough to be a hinderance! My premiums are sky high as they are and yes, it is my choice to get the most robust policy, but they are making it more and more difficult for an American to receive decent health care thru insurance! Perhaps instead of a rate hike, the NYS gov't should shut down most of the frivolous law suits submitted against doctors and insurance companies. This would help with their budgets. It would be an amazing thing for an American to receive a GREAT health insurance coverage and wouldn't have to worry about the cost of chemo therapy, the cost to upgrade their mobility device, and honestly, just to get proper treatment should they have (like myself!) I have been denied physical therapy! Would they rather pay for surgery??! It is ridiculous! For once say NO! Thank you,

Please don't let Univera raise their rates AGAIN!!! I can't afford it as it is!! It just isn't fair that these health care executives make Millions of dollars and get FREE health insurance and the working people get screwed. I would be better off quitting my job and going on welfare to get free health insurance and welfare and food stamps. The health care companies are killing AMERICA!!!!! Please stop this!!!!! The average American worker can't afford it anymore!!!!

Insurer: Excellus BlueCross BlueShield (Wasn't listed as a choice in your drop-down list above). Comments: This is a High Deductible Plan (in the thousands of dollars) before any insurance benefit kicks in. The monthly premium is also very expensive. It is hard to afford right now. I think a rate increase of 7.4% is egregious. My health insurance premium is increased every year and quite honestly, this is not sustainable. Please take this into consideration when reviewing this request. Thank you.

I don't receive even one-half of the proposed rate change in a yearly raise, why should them? I get 2% a year....which amounts to less than $0.75 more per hour. Allowing this rate increase wipes out my 2%, for more than one year. And this would mark the third consecutive year we have had our premiums hiked up. We are a small town,and cannot afford to have some faceless building in a city somwhere choking our wallets with their greed.

I am concerned about this 7% increase when most people don't even get a yearly 7% raise to cover these costs. However that doctor can make a ton of money and get a high % increase each year. Why doesn't NY and the insurance companies ask the directly cut your costs some and well give a little back and actually care for the people that they took an oath to help and not hinder during their license procedure.


Cannot afford a bump in rate change.

It is wasteful that our small group policy has to contain pediatric dental! We already provide dental insurance for our employees. None of our employees small children that need ped dental. It is bad enough that we have to carry the cost of the non insured but it is a complete waste of hard earned $$ to have double coverage for something we never will use

Regarding the proposed premium rate increase: We are a small, 10 employee, company who struggle as it is to keep up with the latest NYS regulations and rates ie: minimum wage, environmental taxes etc. Even the smallest of percentage increases for our health insurance can have drastic and harmful effects on our small company. A proposed 7.5% increase seems extremely high and is a cause of great concern for our family-run business. While we realize costs of health coverage are high and continue to increase in NYS, we ask that you please think of your customers, especially the small businesses who, quite frankly, may not be able to keep up with large percent increases in our health insurance premiums year after year. We too, on occasion, must increase our rates for our customers to combat increasing expenses. However, we would not be able to make up for a 7.5% increase in our insurance premiums, and this could potentially have devastating effects on our company. Thank you for your time and understanding in this matter. And thank you for continuing to provide us with exceptional service. Sincerely,

To whom it may concern I am writing to request a complete and total denial of Excellus 6.8% rate increase. Presently our small company has approx. 40 employees. Our cost has risen 300% in 10 years ! Our employer pays half the cost with the employee the other half. This amounts to approx. $7,500 for my wife and I. This rate is lower then many but is kept lower by the year over year increased deductibles imposed on us. So high are the deductibles that we may be better off with no insurance. We put off going to the Doctor due to higher out of pocket cost. WHAT GOOD IS THE INSURANCE IF WE ARE AFRAID OR JUST CANT USE IT ?? Insurance brings nothing to the table to lower cost as a matter of fact they ignore the cost increase problems and instead just pay the Doctors (supposedly a negotiated lower rate ??), and when the cost goes up for them, they ask the DFS for more ?? Doctors ask to be paid in cash and will lower the bill if we do so. My annual checkup used to be $165 for everything now the check up is free but the blood, urine and ekg test cost a total of $365 all of which the insurance company supposedly gets me a discount, but instead it cost me $200 more out of pocket than it did before. We work hard and try to live healthy, have had few major medical issues so we never reach the $5,000+ deductibles, each. Please help us - We need to reduce health insurance cost. We need better cost controls across the board and it must start with the insurance companies - if they have less, maybe just maybe they will try to rein in cost with some belt tightening themselves and enact some real live actual medical savings, instead of just going to the same gimme, gimme money well. Regards and Sincerely


Excellus is proposing a premium rate increase of 6.8%. That’s over TWICE the US inflation rate (over the last 12 months) and over SIX TIMES the inflation rate of New York state!!! That’s nothing short of extortion! Please let common decency and consumer protection prevail and vote NO on this proposed increase. NYS already has the 2nd highest cost of living index in the country…don’t give residents another reason to move out of this state by allowing health care companies to take advantage of hard working Americans! Thank you.

I am fortunate, enough, that my employer pays for me and my husband's health insurance, but with the constant increases, every year, and this year, being the most significant at 7.1% increase, I am afraid, that they won't be able to foot the cost, much longer, for their employees. I do understand about the rising costs of healthcare, but a 7.1% increase is astronomical, and I feel that Excellus is not even trying to work/help their customers! I have one of the highest co-pays, @ $40.00, that even my doctor's offices question the amount. I have to admit, this has made me stop going to the doctor, but in the end, who is hurting, not Excellus or their CEO's, but me and my husband! My husband is a (100% PTSD), and he and his brothers fought and sacrificed, for this country, and the thought, that we might be able to afford healthcare in NYS is frightening and unimaginable in this day and age! I await your prompt reply!

I received a letter from my insurance carrier advising me of their desire to seek a premium increase of 6.8 % on my coverage , starting year 2020. I would like to go on record as holding the position that they should handle their finances the same way that most of their clients do - mainly controlling costs and spending less. My employer [ who is very generous] has not been able to give me a 6.8% pay raise, nor have we been able to raise our rates to our customers by that amount, due to business realities. It is ludicrous for an insurance company to believe that they can raise their rates,just because their profit margin is down and to do so at the expense of their clients. I'd be curious to see what kind of compensation increases their top level executives have received in the last few years. Why do I think it's better than 6.8 % ! If our Government is truly by the people, for the people , you should be able to stop this scam in it's tracks. Thank you,


I'm forwarding your comments to the appropriate area for consideration.

Regards,

Consumer Assistance Unit

New York State Department of Financial ServicesOne Commerce Plaza, Albany, NY 12257Phone1: (800) 342-3736 | Phone2: (518) 474-6600 | Fax: (212) 480-6282 | [email protected]

www.dfs.ny.gov

From:Sent: Tuesday, June 11, 2019 1:07 PMTo: dfs.sm.Consumers <[email protected]>Subject: EXCELLUS BLUE CROSS BLUE SHIELD PROPOSED 2020 RATE INCREASE 7%

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Simply stated

The proposed rate increase is absolutely INSANE.


I think a 7.2% increase is too much. When I am struggling to make ends meet and pay medical bills (even with insurance), I believe that insurers are paying executives exorbitant amounts and need to look at how to cut their internal costs rather than having such a significant increase. Splitting the 7.2% increase with my employer at the current rate means my health insurance cost will go up higher than my annual merit pay increase, meaning that once again, I end up with a net decrease in pay because health insurance costs are rising faster than my income. I understand that costs rise, but a 7.2% increase is just too much. Thank you,

Excellus has requested at 7.2% increase to our premiums. This rate increase is unnecessary due to the profits that Excellus currently holds. In addition, this kind of increase cannot be borne by a small-nonprofit organization like our, nor by our employees who make less than $60,000 per year. We would ask that this increase be turned down.


A 6% increase in premiums hurts families, and will mean people die because they cannot afford the care they need. Single Payer Health Insurance must be implemented in NYS. We cannot continue to fund corporate profit-making while children and families are denied healthcare they cannot afford. It's wrong. I will vote for Single Payer to keep healthcare accessible to all and affordable to everyone.

On behalf of employees and others in Central New York, I implore you not to approve premium rate increases for Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in 2020. In 2018 the wages for top executives of Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield increased by 11% and the CEO received a pay increase of 13% for a salary of $2.36 million; yet this still not enough for the leaders of this non-profit organization based upon proposed premium rate increases for 2020.

a small non-profit organization serving central New York, has not received a funding increase since 2008 therefore our staff (most of whom make less than $50,000 annually) are lucky to receive a 2% pay increase. This meager pay increase is offset by the increase in insurance premiums. This insult is compounded by the fact that Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield premium rates for the same, or better coverage, are considerably less in other parts of New York State and the nation. Central New York agencies are held hostage by Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield’s high rates due to lack of competition in the region; we must pay whatever Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield charges because there are no other options. Health insurance premium rates for the same coverage should be consistent regardless of where a person lives or how large their employer is.

I implore you not to approve premium rate increases for Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield in 2020. It saddens me that in 2018 the wages for top executives of Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield increased by 11% and the CEO received a pay increase of 13% for a salary of $2.36 million; yet this still not enough for the leaders of this non-profit organization based upon proposed premium rate increases for 2020. I work for a small small non-profit organization serving central New York, and we have not received a funding increase since 2008 therefore we are lucky to if we receive a 2% pay increase. My pay increase goes completely to cover the increase in insurance premiums. Thus no matter how had I work I never can get ahead as my insurance cost continue to sky rocket. The fact that Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield premium rates for the same, or better coverage, are considerably less in other parts of New York State and the nation is appalling. Central New York agencies are held hostage by Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield’s high rates due to lack of competition in the region; we must pay whatever Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield charges because there are no other options. Health insurance premium rates for the same coverage should be consistent regardless of where a person lives or how large their employer is.


I pay $130 every pay period (26 weeks) for 3 people to be on a high deductible plan. The deductible is so high for each individual, the only benefit I am getting is the reduced negotiated rate with the provider. I have paid around $2500 in medical bills in addition to the premiums and the insurance hasn't covered anything. I understand this is what I signed up for but what I don't understand is why the insurance company needs to increase the rates again for this plan. The idea behind a high deductible plan is to keep the premium low but I do not think paying almost $3400 a year for a plan that doesn't cover anything until a person has reached the individual $6550 deductible or the group has reached $13,100 is affordable. Do not allow the insurance companies to raise the rates on these types of plans again this year.

Excellus (a non-profit organization) has made hundreds of millions in profit over the last few years, according to publicly available information. Annual rate increases are hurting businesses, while lining the pockets of health insurance providers. It's abundantly clear that Excellus can operate without a rate increase for many years, and a notable rate reduction should be considered for the time being.

I currently have a SimplyBlue Plus Bronze 4 plan and received notice of a potential rate increase. Due to the premium increase to my Silver15 which became Silver14, I was no longer able to afford that plan. Basically I was forced to accept the Bronze4 which really does me no good with such a high deductible. I can no longer afford to go to the doctor for

or since nothing is covered until I meet the astronomical deduction. I had hoped in the future, to be able to go back to a silver plan, but these rate increases put insurance out of reach. Please reconsider.

Another rate increase will force to go with a cheaper policy for the second year in a row. pays over $4200 a month to cover employees. This isn't sustainable.

For years we have dealt with single and double digit increases. We need to move to a single payer plan like Canada and Europe. I don't get a 7.2% pay raise why should Excellus or any other HC provider be allowed to raise rates like this? I am not political but this is just getting ridiculous.

I need to know who keeps on approving the proposed rate increase and why. Also I need to know when is enough a enough? 2018 we saw double digit increases and then now you want to approve another 7.4%. Are you mad?! I need a response by not only telephone but in writing as well. This is outrageous and you people cannot keep doing this! I would love to see anyone in a government position make it in the private sector, my guess is high double digits would account for the percent of people who could not make it! I expect a response as my tax dollars dictates so.


They do not NEED to raise rates by 7%. I do not understand why Excellus continues to raise premiums while denying coverage for necessary testing and medicine and treatments. Maybe they need to negotiate with Hospitals and Doctors groups on lowering costs instead. The American health care system is badly broken and the constant premium increases are the best example of what looks like pure greed from consumers point of view. I think the DFS needs to look at these requests and say Who is getting rich due to the increase?

I really do not see where a 7% increase is necessary when the cost is already well above national and regional standards for equitable coverage. Such increases are offsetting any cost of living increases and inflation increases the general public are receiving on a annual basis, actually more than offsetting it is putting the employee in a deficit.


June 25, 2019 NYS Department of Financial Services Health Bureau- Premium Rate Adjustments One Commerce Plaza Albany, NY 12257 To Whom it May Concern: This letter is in response to the Proposed Premium Rate Adjustments for 2020 for our organization, information as follows: (We received this letter regarding the proposed increases on June 5, 2019 so our response is within the 30 day timeframe) Insurer: Excellus Blue Cross/Blue Shield Plan: Simply Blue Plus Gold 6 HIOS Plan ID: 78124NY1000025-00 Plan: Simply Blue Plus Silver 4 HIOS Plan ID: 78124NY1000105-00 Plan: Simply Blue Plus Silver 14 HIOS Plan ID: 78124NY1000185-00 Plan: Simply Blue Plus Silver 17 HIOS Plan ID: 78124NY1000265-00 Plan: Simply Blue Plus Bronze 4 HIOS Plan ID: 78124NY1000169-00 New York State, in particular upstate New York has continued on a downward spiral of job losses in the manufacturing sector. As a small business in Upstate New York keeping and retaining valuable employees has become extremely difficult. The cost of doing business in New York is steering large and small organizations alike to other states or outside the United State altogether. There are more than 2 million small business in New York State. These small businesses employ 4 million people and account for 99.8% of all businesses in the state. The Southern Tier Region has been one of the hardest hit areas since 2010. See the chart at the end, showing double digit declines in manufacturing. Health Insurance is just one piece of the equation driving the loss of jobs, but a very important piece. The ability of small businesses to attract and keep viable sound jobs here is increasingly difficult when the state and Insurance industry keep passing along large increases to the small business community. We as a small organization have provided health insurance to our employees every year for the past 36 years. But that is becoming increasingly difficult as we have seen costs soar. Each year we are finding it more and more challenging to offer affordable options. We have spent countless hours researching and transitioning through traditional, low deductible plans, to self-insured plans, to High Deductible plans with Health Savings Accounts, to now offering 4-5 different plans that we feel meet both the needs of our employees as well as remain cost effective to them as well as our corporation. The following chart shows where our premiums have gone over the past 7 years, an astonishing increase. These are just two of the plans we offer and the numbers shown do not include the Deducible and Maximum out of pocket costs that our employees must pay. You can’t put enough money into a Health Savings Account to cover the Maximum out of pocket on a Silver family level plan of $13,100. New York is phasing in increases in the minimum wage over the next few years to $15.00/hr. How do small businesses compete with these kinds of rising costs? In addition to managing rising costs and increased regulations and demands on small businesses like ours, there’s little time to run efficient, sustainable operations. Each year it seems we have to pass on some of the increase to our employees in order to maintain business costs. These numbers are exorbitant for an organization our size. We cannot see increases like this and remain competitive in business and attract and retain good people. We are on the Pennsylvania border and have chosen to do business in New York State, but these kinds of increases will eventually drive out any business and job growth in our state. There needs to be some pushback for change or we will find there to be NO industries let operating in New York State. There hasn’t been any appreciable inflation during the past seven years in this area to justify these kinds of increases. The response to our last letter just a few years ago regarding rate increases was simply unacceptable, “the increases were needed to keep the insurance companies in business…” We urge you to consider the effects on the 99.8% of business in New York State and what that might do to the economy. Best regards,

CC: Excellus BC/BS P.O. Box 22999 Rochester, NY 14692 Senator Thomas O’Mara Legislative Office Building Room 406 Albany, NY 12247 [email protected] Assemblyman Christopher Friend 1250 Schweizer Rd. Horseheads, NY 14845 [email protected]


Would just like some more information on the potential rate changes for our employees and for our company.

I'm 100% against a rate increase, especially mid year. Excellus has THE WORST customer service ever. When I've called for assistance I've been misquoted, laughed at, hung up on, and they refuse to allow me to issue a formal complaint. They would not provide an address to mail the complaint or allow me to speak to a supervisor regarding the horrible service provided by call center employees. The company will not provide documents pertaining to coverage nor will they put in writing what the coverage includes. 100% no additional charges until they can treat their customers with dignity and respect.

I am opposed to these increases because I and my employer cannot sustain them. I work for a non-profit.

I urge the Department to not approve any rate increases beyond an amount to reasonably account for inflation. The insurance companies have been doing fine on their margins for some time and the cost of living continues to become a greater portion of average New Yorkers' income. I urge the Department to use the power of the State to keep health insurers from having run-away profits at the expense of New Yorkers. limit rate increase to an inflation adjustment.

Dear Sir/Madam, I do not support any increase for the health insurance premiums. We have to look at the premium increase, year after year, in light of how other industries are doing. The salaries of the executives, in particular, have tobe compared to other industries of the same size. I am specifically NOT asking to compare to the businesses of same nature because all insurance companies ask for increase. Who in the world gets this much increases year after year? If the reason for the increase is because of the payout, is the NY population getting less healthier that it warrants an increase every year. If the population is getting unhealthier at this rate, then we are in a much bigger problem. So, please don't listen to the well funded lobbyist, but use your common sense. There are many people in our company who cannot afford the health insurance because of the high rates. Please do something to bring this out of control health insurance premiums under control and affordable for many if not for all. Please do not approve the raise for one year and see the insurance companies are surviving - they will. Thank you.

provides health insurance to its employees.


The annual inflation rate for the United States is 1.8% for the 12 months ended May 2019 (cf. June 12 press release by the Department of Labor). A 7.3% increase in our premium, four times greater than the rate of inflation, is obscene and a clear indictment of the greed of Excellus/BCBS. Like many New Yorkers, I received a 3% raise this year. Why is that not enough for the capitalists at Excellus? My wife and I are expecting our first child; already we question whether that was a reasonable choice, as Excellus barely proves its usefulness in dealing with the cost of OB/GYN visits, let alone the expenses a hospital delivery will incur. This 7.3% increase means that even less of our income will be available to care for the child, and is just one more motivation for us to continue fighting for Medicare for All.

I am against this 5.1% rate increase. I realize prices go up, but in the medical field insurance is making money off medicine consumers. Univera doesn't need to raise prices. They already don't cover enough or anything for that matter. Still have co-pays, nothing is covered until I pay their ridiculous prices of $400 a month. My employer was nice enough to cover $100 because I feel for what I pay we get nothing. Univera is crying/claim they 'Have To' raise prices, but in the meantime what extra benefits or better coverage do I GET. What 'NEW' coverage is going to benefit ME MY FAMILY that will warrant an increase in MY Plan that I WORK HARD FOR-NOTHING. NOTHING MORE than what I already (don't) Have. The deductibles we have to meet now as family or individual is nuts. Hardly any doctors even know of Univera or are partnered with them. SO, No, you DON'T have MY permission to raise MY Premiums by any % until I SEE better coverage for my family I. I work hard for my money which by the way, doesn't grow on trees last time I knew. SO, NYS don't even give a thought to approve this nuts plan. Health care sucks as it is any which way you look at it. I'm sorry, unless I'm dirt poor, in poverty, have 10 freaking kids, middle -income families get screwed. We don't get any additional help from NYS, no food stamps, or WIC because we actually work for our money. All people that can work get the help, their just too dam lazy. Don't even think of upping my premiums! There, my thoughts for whatever their worth. Probably nothing because Univera will cry about what they claim they have lost. If approved, 5.1% of all their consumers premiums will be raised which means a raise for the big wigs already making millions in pay. Leave my money alone, leave my so-called plan alone even entertaining this idea means it's nothing about consumers. NO, NO, NO!!! I DON'T APPROVE of this. Rant over.


Insurers need to reign in the spending they do on expensive testing, injections, and surgeries that have been unproven or where comparable alternatives exist re efficacy. Orthopedics is a great example of wasteful spending on arthroscopies that have been oftentimes shown no more effective than PT alone yet cost dramatically more and have far higher risks involved, MRI's that often demonstrate age related variable changes that cannot be clearly associated with a given condition with high certainty as the causative factor in one's symptoms or loss of function, and injections that oftentimes have very poor evidence base compared to alternative sx control methods and that do not change the actual condition but very often mask or limit the awareness of the actual condition - potentially allowing the pt to persist in deleterious activity knowing that more invasive procedures stand in ready should the condition worsen. Orthopedics is likely a smaller piece of the pie than cardiology and oncology among others. We are allowing insurers to charge more because they pay more due to the lack of constraint on testing and treatments. While some controls have been put on things like routine XR's or MRI's done too quickly, still too much is allowed. Overuse of antibiotics and expensive non-generic brand prescription med's exorbitantly priced....etc are skyrocketing health care costs without clear evidence we are getting healthier. We are one of the sickest nations in the industrialized world. A stop needs to be put on the insurance companies passing the buck to consumers who cannot continue to afford the purchase health care insurance. When the DFS approves these rate increases it reinforces the spend it or you won't get it next year and just pass the rising costs of care on to the consumer mentality that exists. I do believe there are altruistic motives within the walls of insurance companies but the bean counting continues to dominate. Non-profit or even Low margin is a ridiculous concept when massive multi-million dollar bonuses continue to be paid out yet there's people being cut off from reasonable care and yet controls don't exist on the freedom physicians and surgeons have in racking up expenses enough. PT has been cut tremendously over the past decade plus and continues to experience gross underpayment compared to the rest of the US here in NYS. Physicians meanwhile continue to be free to order a multitude of services and drugs that exponentially add up health care costs but oftentimes do not contribute to better health or personal responsibility in one's health. It's no doubt a fine and difficult to define line in healthcare re the freedom for professionals to perform their jobs without undue scrutiny or control from 3rd parties but at the same time a responsibility exists on the part of insurers to control the reasonable costs average Americans must pay for coverage so that insurance doesn't become out of reach of middle America and become something only the wealthy can afford, or strong union based organizations like police or state employees or teachers can afford. I urge you to deny Excellus's request for a rate hike on the Simply Blue Bronze 4 product. As a family we presently pay ~ $1000/mo for insurance that we rarely use. Then when we do use it we pay the first $6650 per person ($13k family) before any real coverage kicks in. For middle class working families to absorb over $12k yr in expense that only covers a few routine health care exams and pays nothing toward actual needed services/care is ludicrous. Say No and make Excellus and other insurers become increasingly more careful with how freely they allow expensive tests and treatments that do not change health or resolve conditions continue to go unchecked. There has got to be a point where people engaging in healthy living and lifestyles and eating etc are not penalized for the carefree prescribing of physicians unconstrained by the system or by the oftentimes irresponsibility of so many others who are reckless with their health but end up consuming a high proportion of health care services.

Documents

Excellus Health Plan, Inc. Small Group 2020 Public Comments · premiums go up 6.8% we will be paying over $900 a month with a $13,000 deductible. Please note that is almost $24,000