Covered California premiums will rise an average of 9 percent

Covered California said it expects to increase its health insurance premiums by an average of 8.7 percent in 2019, double what it would have been if Congress had not dropped the Affordable Care Act individual mandate, officials said Thursday.

“Covered California continues to benefit millions of people in our state by giving them access to high-quality, affordable health coverage,” said Peter Lee, the agency’s executive director.

“It is unfortunate when a rate change of nearly 9 percent is generally viewed as good news, when the rate change could — and should — have been much lower.”

Lee said all 11 insurance carriers currently with Covered California will continue to offer plans through Covered California.

The healthy mix of consumers in the Covered California pool has helped to keep rates lower than the nation as a whole.

Pricewaterhouse Coopers has said that health insurance rates in the employer marketplace will increase by 2 to 4 percent on average for U.S. workers, Lee said, because of the overall decline in enrollment through the health plans offered on state and federal marketplaces.

Covered California is the Golden State’s health insurance exchange that works to offer affordable, high-quality insurance plans from the same companies offering coverage through employers.

The Covered California rate increase proposal must go to state regulators for approval.

The exchange offered a table Thursday of how the increases break down by region:

Region 3

Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties Total enrollment: 79,158 Average rate change: 8.8 percent

Region 10

San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Merced, Mariposa and Tulare counties Total enrollment: 68,817 Average rate change: 6.8 percent