Large Obamacare Insurers are Signaling Big Premium Hikes

ObamaCare premium proposals for 2015 from two states Monday revealed a potentially troubling trend: Big exchange operators are seeking the biggest hikes. 

Some news outlets say that the early data implied that premium hikes would be modest.

Molina Healthcare (MOH), with 2,000 enrollees in Washington, aims to cut premiums by 6.8%. Kaiser Foundation Health Plan seeks just a 0.6% rise. But those carriers account for just 3% of state's combined enrollment. 

Meanwhile, Group Health Cooperative filed for an 11.2% rate increase for its nearly 24,000 exchange enrollees, about 16% of Washington's total.

Weighting proposed rates by the size of the exchange operator suggests an average 8.8% hike. 

Early evidence from Virginia shows a similar trend. WellPoint (WLP) wants an 8.5% hike for its Anthem HealthKeepers plan, while CareFirst Blue Choice has proposed a 14.9% increase. By comparison, Kaiser Foundation is seeking just a 3.3% rate bump.

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