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SCHENECTADY
State lets MVP boost rates by 4.5% to 24%
BY MICHAEL LAMENDOLA Gazette Reporter
Reach Gazette reporter Michael Lamendola at 395-3114 or lamend@dailygazette.com.

    The state Insurance Department last week granted rate increases to MVP Health Care, based in Schenectady, for eight commercial insurance products affecting approximately 330,000 people in New York.
    Increases range from 4.5 percent to 24 percent, and one set of rates — for MVP’s large group health plan — will remain unchanged.
    The state had earlier granted rate increases of up to 8.2 percent to CDPHP and up to 9 percent for HealthNow, the two other predominant health insurance plans in the Capital Region.
    The increases take effect Jan. 1.
    MVP spokesman Gary Hughes said employers will determine the amount subscribers will pay under specific MVP plans. “The employer purchases from us a group plan at a set rate and the employer determines cost-sharing arrangements with the employee, sometimes through negotiations,” he said.
    The MVP rate increases range from no change to up to 13 percent on large group plans outside of Rochester; 7 percent to 19.8 percent for large group plans in Rochester; 5.5 percent to 19.8 percent on small group plans (companies with 50 people or less) outside of Rochester; 11.6 percent to 19.8 percent on small group plans in Rochester; 7.5 percent to 12.5 percent on Health NY; up to 1.5 percent on the standardized individual plans; 12.6 percent to 24 percent on the small group exclusive provider organization plans; and 4.5 percent to 24 percent on the small group preferred provider organization plans. .....................>>>>..................>>>>................http://www.dailygazette.net/De.....r00701&AppName=1

its a ploy.....if the private insurers look no different than the government ($$$) then when national healthcare is in effect everyone will just listen to
the change(or lack of)in the jar. the insurers wont go anywhere.....they become government managers......pay attention....this conversation is
deeper than the conversation on top......Atlas Shrugged

Expect this from all companies this year.  One does it and they have an excuse for them all to do it.