Commissioner Paulette Thabault of the Department of Banking, Insurance, Securities and Health Care Administration (BISHCA) announced that her Department has received no 4th quarter rate increase requests for Catamount Health Insurance. The state-subsidized health plan is sold by both Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health, and neither has filed for an increase since the inception of the program in October 2007. Commissioner Thabault said, The rates are so far holding steady. That speaks well for the early success of Catamount as a public/private partnership to provide affordable health insurance to all Vermonters. All health insurance rate changes must be filed with and reviewed by BISHCA, and may be approved, adjusted or denied by the Commissioner.
Governor James Douglas said, I m pleased that our Catamount Health insurance initiative is holding a steady course. As the country tackles the complexities of national health care reform, I m proud that Vermont has led the way with concrete gains in the effort to give all citizens access to affordable health care.
Catamount Health opened for enrollment in October of 2007. It offers comprehensive, quality health care to uninsured Vermonters no matter how much they earn. Premiums are tiered by income, and premium assistance is available to those in the most need.
This time of year, many college grads face a loss of health insurance coverage because they are no longer students and, with other young people, reach the age at which they can no longer be covered under their parents policy. Catamount Health may be an option.
There are two important reasons not to let your coverage lapse:
First, even when you are young and presumably healthy, it s a dangerous wager to decide to just skate without health insurance for any length of time. No one ever plans to have a serious accident or illness. They can happen to anyone. Without health insurance, major
medical expenses could snarl you in debt for decades. Second, with a lapse in coverage, pre-existing medical conditions may be excluded from your coverage under a future health insurance plan. To see an online overview of Catamount eligibility and costs, go to www.greenmountaincare.org. Green Mountain Care has free or low-cost health insurance programs for Vermonters offered by the State of Vermont and its public and private partners.
Source: BISHCA
Health insurance rates hold steady for Catamount Health Insurance program
Submitted by tim
on