Anthem pulls out of Obamacare market in two more states

Anthem announced Wednesday it is pulling out of the Obamacare marketplace in two more states, Indiana and Wisconsin. The insurer announced earlier this month that it was pulling out of the Ohio market. From Forbes:

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Anthem, which operates under the Blue Cross and Blue Shield brand in 14 states, described the situation in a statement Wednesday as a “difficult one” that followed “dialogue with state leaders and regulators.” The decision comes amid regulatory uncertainty in Washington and a lack of funding for cost-sharing subsidies for millions of Obamacare enrollees in 2018…

“Planning and pricing for ACA-compliant health plans has become increasingly difficult due to a shrinking and deteriorating individual market, as well as continual changes and uncertainty in federal operations, rules and guidance, including cost sharing reduction subsidies and the restoration of taxes on fully insured coverage,” Anthem said in a statement Wednesday.

In Wisconsin, Governor Scott Walker responded to the decision. From Business Insider:

“Growing uncertainty in the health insurance market was created by Obamacare’s costly regulations and it is causing higher premiums and a lack of options,” Walker said in a statement. “If we do nothing, more companies will back out and more people will lose coverage. Wisconsin families expect and deserve better health care coverage options and the time to act is now.”

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Another insurer, MDwise, also announced it was also dropping out of the Indiana market today. From IndyStar:

Anthem and MDwise, the two insurance providers that sold Obamacare plans in all 92 Indiana counties this year, are pulling out of the health exchanges created by the Affordable Care Act.

MDwise, which covers 30,800 in exchange plans, wants to focus instead on its Medicaid plans, which serve 370,000 Hoosiers. The decision was also influenced by the growing uncertainty over the future of the federally-subsidized market, MDwise said Wednesday.

There are two remaining insurers in Indiana, CareSource and Centene, so it’s possible that the entire state will still be covered by one or both.

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David Strom 5:20 PM | April 19, 2024
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