Anthem plan eases fears

Health insurance giant proposes to join state exchange

Health insurance giant Anthem announced late Monday that it has submitted proposed 2018 plans to the state, easing fears that it might back out of Colorado’s health insurance exchange and leave residents of several counties without an insurance choice.

But an Anthem spokesman declined to provide specifics on those plans — including where the company expects to offer them — meaning it remains unclear if Anthem will continue to provide coverage to the same number of Coloradans it currently does.

Monday was the deadline for insurers hoping to participate next year on the Connect for Health Colorado exchange to file their proposed plans and rates with the state Division of Insurance for review. The exchange is a one-stop shop for health insurance on the individual market — where people buy their own plans, instead of receiving coverage through an employer or the government.

The individual market covers about 6 percent of Coloradans. But, because its annual policies and rates are seen as being closely tied to evolving federal and state regulations, the individual market has become something of a barometer for assessing the efficacy of health reform efforts. When Republicans argue that the Affordable Care Act is collapsing or when Democrats argue the GOP-backed American Health Care Act would spike premiums, they are largely referring to changes in the individual market.

That makes the 2018 proposals especially significant in the ongoing health policy debate in both Colorado and Washington, D.C.

The Colorado Division of Insurance is expected to announce this week which insurers filed proposed plans and if any backed out of the exchange. But full details on those plans won’t come until mid-July, when the division releases the proposals for public comment.

Currently, Anthem offers insurance in each of Colorado’s counties. In 14 counties on the Western Slope, Anthem is the only carrier on the exchange in 2017 — meaning if the company withdraws from those counties, it would leave customers there without a way to buy insurance that meets Affordable Care Act rules. All other insurers on the exchange offer policies in counties where they have at least one competitor.