Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama’s 2019 Premiums Decrease on Average for ACA Individual Plans

BIRMINGHAM, AL. — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama customers, who have one of our nine  individual health plans compliant with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), are being notified that premiums will decrease on average 0.5%, effective January 1, 2019.  Premium changes will range from -3.8 % to 3.9 % depending on which health plan is chosen.  All ACA-compliant individual plans’ premiums also take into account members’ ages, family size, and county of residence, and therefore some customers may see additional premium changes. 

Approximately 175,000 of our members (6 percent) who purchased these plans on and off the federal exchange are being notified of their new premium.  Over 75 percent of these members may qualify for an advanced premium tax credit which will lower their 2019 premium. 

Health insurance premiums reflect the costs associated with providing medical care to our members.  Premiums are determined by the number of doctor and hospital visits our members make, the cost of those visits, and the cost of prescription drugs and medical procedures.

To help keep premiums more affordable, more healthy individual members are needed to offset the costs of our members with serious health conditions. Some initiatives we are implementing to help influence healthcare costs and premiums include: 

  • Promoting healthy choices in communities statewide and encouraging our members to adopt healthier lifestyles;
  • Providing education, awareness and member advocacy programs to our members with chronic health conditions;
  • Partnering with doctors and hospitals to implement programs that improve healthcare quality; and
  • Negotiating prices with hospitals, physicians and other providers to keep costs for medical treatments as affordable as possible.

The 2010 Affordable Care Act overhauled how health plans could be designed, priced and sold. Though the ACA individual market has been challenging, this market is beginning to stabilize.  We believe everyone in Alabama should have access to quality healthcare at the most affordable price.   

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama has insured Alabamians for 82 years. Blue Cross offers coverage plans to corporations, individuals and the senior market. For more information about Blue Cross, visit AlabamaBlue.com. Connect with us on Facebook, check out our videos on YouTube and follow us on Twitter for more up-to-date information.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About Blue Cross Blue Shield Association

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is a national federation of 34 independent, community-based and locally operated Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies that collectively provide health care coverage for one in three Americans.

 

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association is an association of 35 independent, locally operated Blue Cross and/or Blue Shield companies.