This article provides a summary of the 2014 individual health insurance plan rates and carriers for the West Virginia Health Insurance Exchange.
The Health Insurance Exchanges ("Marketplaces") are new websites where state residents can go to compare and enroll in health insurance plans. All individual health insurance plans offered through the Exchanges cover a set of essential health benefits, are guaranteed-issue, and offer premium subsidies for eligible residents. West Virginia residents can access the Exchange at www.healthcare.gov.
West Virginia Health Insurance Exchange - Carriers
Two insurance entities are offering individual health insurance plans through West Virginia’s Exchange. The carriers include:
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Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia
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Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield
These insurance companies will be offering 13 different individual plans throughout the state. The health insurance exchange opened for enrollment on October 1, for coverage that can go into effect as early as January 1, 2014.
West Virginia Health Insurance Exchange - Individual Health Plan Rates
The chart below shows the average rates for a 27-year-old, a 50-year-old, a family of four with 30-year-old parents and two children, a single-parent family of three with a 30-year-old parent and two children, a 40-year-old couple without children, and a child (under age 21). The plans are divided into four standard "metallic" tiers of coverage, to help compare plans by level of coverage. There are also catastrophic plans, which are meant to only cover health expenses in the case of emergency. These below are averages; premium rates will vary based on carrier, plan, age, region, family size, and tobacco use.
Source: HealthCare.gov
West Virginia Health Insurance Exchange - Federal Premium Subsidies
The average rates above reflect the prices of premium prices before any cost sharing or premium subsidies, which may further decrease healthcare costs for eligible residents. The actual amount that West Virginia residents will pay depends on their household income. New federal health insurance tax subsidies will cap the cost of health insurance at 2% - 9.5% of household income, if household income is up to 400% above the federal poverty line (FPL).
See more: Health Insurance Tax Subsidy Charts.
Additional Resources
For information on how to use the online Health Insurance Exchanges see: How to Sign Up for Individual Health Insurance via the Marketplaces.
More information on West Virginia's Health Insurance Exchange is available at healthcare.gov.
How do the West Virginia Health Insurance Exchange rates compare to other states? The Department of Health and Human Services recently released individual premium rates for all federally-run state Health Insurance Exchanges. See: Health Plan Rates for the 36 Federal Health Insurance Marketplaces.
Questions about the individual and family health plan rates for the West Virginia Health Insurance Exchange? Leave a comment below.
