Oklahoma Insurance Regulators: No Authority to Approve ACA Rate Hikes

The Oklahoma Insurance Department does not have statutory authority to approve or deny rate increases filed by insurers on the federal health insurance exchange, state regulators say.

Oklahoma, along with Texas, Missouri, Alabama and Wyoming, is a direct enforcement state meaning it has no authority to enforce provisions of the Affordable Care Act.

“We know consumers enrolled in ACA health plans are about to experience another round of rate increases in 2017,” Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner John D. Doak said in release by the OID. “These rates will be evaluated and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). We are aware of the need to balance consumer needs with insurers’ requirements to sustain their participation in the marketplace. CMS must consider these elements as they review and approve 2017 rates.”

State Question 756, passed in 2010, amended the Oklahoma Constitution to prohibit laws which compel individuals, employers and providers to participate in health care systems. Because of that legislative change, insurers offering products on the exchange were required to submit rate filing justifications to CMS by May 11.

The initial proposed rate change information is now available at https://ratereview.healthcare.gov.

According to the American Academy of Actuaries, the major drivers of 2017 premium changes are growing health care costs, the elimination of reinsurance program funds, changes in risk pool composition and changes in provider networks.

CMS officials will review the proposed rate changes and determine if they are justified. The rates will be finalized by August 23.

Source: Oklahoma Insurance Department

Topics Pricing Trends Oklahoma