Health plans offered by Excellus BlueCross BlueShield will rise in cost by an average of 8.3 percent next year, more than 2 percentage points higher than the 2007 increase, the region's largest health insurer said Tuesday.
The actual increase for individual employers and employees will vary widely according to the plan they select, said Excellus spokesman Jim Redmond.
Increases range from 1 percent for consumer plans with high deductibles to 18 percent for such traditional health maintenance organization plans as Blue Choice Value.
Excellus Vice President Scott Ellsworth said the different prices give employers options to keep insurance affordable.
"Upstate New York isn't immune to national trends in health care costs," Ellsworth said. "With access to new drugs, new technologies and the advancement in medical procedures, people are surviving diseases such as cancer or events such as heart attacks in greater numbers. ... These medical advances aren't free."
Preferred Care, the area's second-largest health insurance provider, hasn't yet announced its new rates.
Some observers of health insurance trends said the average increase doesn't fully reflect the burden of rising costs on employers and workers.
John D. Bartholf, president of Relph Benefit Advisors of Pittsford, said the high-deductible "consumer" plans aren't widely used, so most consumers will see increases above 8.3 percent.
This, in turn, can cause headaches for employers, whose workers demand to know why their premium increases are higher than the publicized average.
"Some of our clients have asked that we address the issue in advance as we conduct educational meetings with all their employees," he said.
Tuesday's announcement came even as Excellus was struggling to defend its most recent move to check the growth of health care costs.
In October, the company enacted a controversial program to reduce the use of expensive radiology exams by requiring doctors to seek advance approval before ordering tests such as MRI and CT scans. Doctors have characterized the program as interference in their relationship with patients.
Excellus is also involved in less controversial efforts to lower obesity and smoking rates and promote awareness of generic drugs.
Sandy Parker, president and chief executive of the Rochester Business Alliance, said Excellus' 8.3 percent average rate increase demonstrates that these efforts are working, but is still "nothing to celebrate."
"Most people in this community won't be receiving 8.3 percent raises, so these increased costs are going to be a burden on workers as well as on their employers," Parker said. "And since that's an average number, that means that many will be paying even higher increases."
The RBA is also seeking ways to lower health care costs, including a technology partnership with Excellus, Preferred Care and other health care providers to cut the administrative costs of managing medical records.
Nevertheless, according to the RBA's 2007 Health Benefits Survey, local employers are preparing for an 11 percent increase in rates next year, and only 21 percent plan to absorb all or a majority of the increase.
"We know this is a huge concern for our members, as it greatly hurts their ability to grow and add much-needed jobs in our region," Parker said. "We must find ways to keep health care affordable, while maintaining access and quality."
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