Modern Healthcare quoted Manatt’s Joel Ario, a managing director with Manatt Health, in an article about health insurers that are asking state regulators to approve giant rate increases for 2018 individual policies.
The publication reports that the severity of the requested rate hikes was a surprise to health insurance experts, for many had assumed that the large increases experienced in 2017 were a one-time correction by health insurers that initially priced their plans too low. A few studies showed the market was improving, and experts expected more modest rate increases in 2018 as insurers grew closer to making a profit or at least breaking even.
"There are warning signs here," said Ario. "We still need some market stabilization. We are still not out of the woods."