Excellus Health Plan, Inc. Small Group 2022 Public Comments

Excellus Health Plan, Inc.Small Group2022 Public Comments

The proposed premium increase of 11.5% should be rejected. Anything more than maybe 4-5% beyond the annual medical inflation index is profit padding and excessive. A cursory glance through premium increase requests shows that Excellus usually asks for increases greater than 10%. This should be investigated in detail. They are either running a terribly inefficient organization or making excessive profits. I suspect that it is the latter.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShiled's request for a healthy 11.64% SimplyBlue Plus Bronze 4 rate increase is unhealthy for businesses and consumers. As a business we cannot get that kind of price increase from our customers and we cannot give our employees that kind of a wage increase. Excellus BCBS's rate increase needs to be something much more reasonable. Even 4-5% is more than most businesses can raise prices, and more than most employees will see for a raise, yet is is less than half of what BCBS is requesting.

Let me first start by saying, I really do appreciate part of economics is an increase in cost and our current political administration came with expected increases. I appreciate the change in leadership, though I am having a hard time watching the cost of living sky rocket significantly. During COVID, I, like many, did not participate in typical medical appointments, and while in some ways we saw a decrease in travel costs, we also saw significant increases in many areas. Now I am watching groceries soar in price, gas, and tax increases on my home. I will not see that much of an increase in my salary. Health insurance are expected to have some increase, but almost 10% each year, is burdensome. This brings us back to when ObamaCare was first implemented. Wonderful in concept, saved the lives of many, at the same time, the middle class was hammered. I went from $132 per month with no deductible and $20 copays, being expensive, to $287 with a $3,000 deductible, to $431, to $600+, to HDPs. I paid almost $1000 each month for a plan for myself and my husband in 2020 and 2021. I make less than and my husband at the time, lost his job. This is not the time to increase rates again. The cost of basic medical care has become the equivalent to a significant mortgage....and yes, I have one of those too. I respectfully ask, that if there is an increase, that it is reasonable. Thissets the tone for years to come. Cost of living salary increases have been typically at the expected 3% for decades, agencies are not able to offer more, yet cost of living continues to exponentially increase, well beyond 3% per year. We are expecting a super inflation based on many of the current trends as well with groceries and gas alone. Health insurance as a right has been deeply debated, that said, it is a basic need. As a need, it's important to remember that affordable to the middle class is not perceived as the same dollar amount as the upper class and significantly higher financial brackets. To give a final perspective. In Oneida County as a , when the numbers are calculated for someone on TANF, a single person with aid for housing, food, and medical benefits, and basic needs, in about 2014 that yearly number was about $43,000, per single individual. This was the number of cost for basic sustainable quality of life that was produced by the county. The former middle class is really financially in this basic needs bracket now. As someone who makes , salaried, exempt, to work as many hours as needed to get the job done, in 2021, with my full time job, that $5,000 difference over a 7 year span should be considered. Again, I respectfully ask for the rate increase to be significantly reduced, as we continue to fight for basic living standards in a time of expense we are struggling to adjust to. Thank you for your time.


I did not get a raise this year do to the pandemic and the cost of health insurance went up so essentially I am making less than the year before by thousands of dollars, now you want to propose a 10% increase to rates for small groups. The quality of healthcare you can get should not be based on your income bracket. If the rate increases that much I would have to make the choice to get a cheaper plan that does not cover as much therefore, every time I go to the doctor I would end up paying out of pocket. What a way to kick the middle class while they are down.

Each year we’ve faced an increase in rate, sometimes as high as 11% but never less than 5%. This year would be the highest, in the tail end of a pandemic. This is outrageous. Please - do not approve this rate increase. As an employer who covers our employees at 100% for their premium and deductible, you are making it slowly impossible for us to be this generous and to care for our employees the way we want to. I’ve watched the video on Excellus’ website, I get why it’s supposedly done, I still think that this is not sustainable. If the cost-of-living increase for our country/state is approximately 3% how can we possibly continue to utilize Excellus as they grow at a rate at least 3 times as fast? We’ve had to change our plans three times now in the last 11 years, offering less and less coverage, because you are driving us out of the higher, more comprehensive plans that our employees deserve. I actually took myself off the plan to help alleviate our company’s position. Please. Please. Do not increase the Excellus plans by 11.64%. It makes it impossible for us to continue to work with them. I responded with a similar complaint last year and the year before and was completely patronized with no result. I expect nothing less as you roll over real people’s concerns and respond to this horrible big business. But I can’t stay silent even with that knowledge. You are making it so that healthy people can’t remain that way without severe consequences for the rest of their lives.

To see the potential of the three policies held by our company increase anywhere from 11.64% - 12.49% next year is ridiculous! First off the country as a whole is struggling with paying basic bills and insurance wants to raise their premiums!?! I basically don't use my plan - rarely go to the doctor, but have it just incase, which many people do. Why should we be penalized for that? I can understand that Covid has wreaked havoc on our health care system but for the many that were not or were minimally affected our premiums should not be upped. If one uses it more then they pay more, simple. I should not be charged more because it needs to make up for those that use or over spend within their plans. Also what will this do to businesses that pay or help pay for portions of their employee's healthcare, the same businesses that have been ravaged financially by Covid! If these insurance policies were truly to help our health then these insurance companies should not be able to profit so much from us, the emphasis should be on a healthier population provided by affordable insurance. NOT overpriced insurance plans that barely cover/if at all any of the treatments, visits and medicines, etc that are needed.

This proposed increase is insane. We have a very high deductible plan and have never been able to file a claim that has meet the deductible. There is no way that we can continue paying $500 per person per month. We survived the last year and kept working. We had to cut all profit goals to stay open. It is time Excellus does the same. Maybe if they did not mail $ notices to my office, they could save some money. Please, small business in NY cannot take much more. I have to compete with companys from out of state that have no Insurance.


To Whom it May Concern, I am writing you in regards to the premium rate change request by Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield. They are requesting a premium increase of 8.64%. If I understand this correctly, our minimum cost will go up 8.64% if we stick with the same plan. I am asking for additional clarification on why they feel this raise is justified. The average inflation rate in the US is 2.25% (1.53 for the last two years). Minus that average inflation rate using 2.25%, Excellus is asking for 6.39% guaranteed price increase. Running a small business we usually increase our prices to stay up with inflation, to each their own. However, we are required by law to have insurance (as individuals and companies) (nothing against that) but I would like to know what additional services or why the industry’s work is so much more demanding going forward, that it feels it necessary/deserves to jump their prices 6.39%. In addition, the last two years (since I’ve been doing the insurance) the features associated with the plan have not gone in our favor, aka copays go up, medicine coverage declines→ we paid more for less but we have to. So now, I ask again, what is the justification for the three and half times more than average inflation price increase and outside our specific ins. is the competition doing that same thing?

I would like to contest a proposed 8.27% premium rate increase. Health insurance plans seem to be focused on constant increased rates for decreased coverage. Especially considering the pandemic, it is abhorrent to continue to increase sky-high health insurance premiums. My health care costs are minimal and this increased rate is not justified. Despite the desire of Excellus BCBS to increase insurance premium rates, they still managed to increase the salary of their CEO Christopher Booth from $3.21 million in 2019 to $3.25 million in 2020.

YEAR AFTER YEAR, THERE IS A REQUEST TO RAISE INSURANCE RATES. THERE IS NEVER A YEAR WHERE THERE IS A STATUS QUO OF LEAVING THE RATES FLAT, OR EVEN A DECREASE IN RATES. EVEN OIL HAS A DECREASE IN PRICE. THE LEVEL OF CARE CERTAINLY HASN'T GOTTEN ANY BETTER WITH THE INCREASE OF RATES, AND AMIDST EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON IN THE WORLD, DO YOU REALLY THINK NOW IS THE BEST TIME TO BE ASKING FOR A RATE INCREASE. AS A STATE ENTITY LOOKING OUT FOR ITS RESIDENTS, I URGE YOU TO BLOCK THE RATE INCREASE FOR INSURANCE PREMIUMS.

I am the owner of , since we switched to this plan in the last 6 years you have allowed Excellus to double the premiums and triple the deductibles. Every year they increase it by at least 8%, this year it’s over 11%. It’s not sustainable and will eventually force us to switch plans and maybe providers eventually. I give my employees their insurance at zero cost to them and I'm very, very lucky that so far everyone has remained healthy and we have avoided paying out entire deductibles this far. I will not be able to continue in this way if there is not a halt put on this exorbitant increasing year after year. Please, do not allow it to continue at this insane rate. Inflation is 3%, hold to somewhere similar.

Excellus has doubled the premiums and tripled the deductibles since we started using it 6 years ago. Every year they increase it by at least 8%, this year it’s over 11%. It’s not sustainable.


Our company plan premium has doubled in the past 6 years and the deductible has tripled. This year alone the increase is 11.64%. Meanwhile inflation rates for this same time period has been an average of 2.33% a year. This is completely unacceptable and unsustainable, we're all going to lose our health insurance over the insurance company greed, and medical field doesn't care and government just let's them, because insurance companies and not about providing beneficial services at a fair rate, they're about maximizing profits, and maximizing what they can get away with, and the government gets paid (lobbied) to allow it to happen. This system encourages providers to increase their billable rates exponentially, they just find ways to bill more for the same services year after year. The rates they charge go in excess of the allowable limits set forth in the insurance so they can continue to increase insurance rates to cover it in an endless cycle. Not once has a health plan I have been on not increased any where near the inflation rate or even more laughable, stayed flat, the percentage increase is always near or in in the double digits. The Excellus 'notice' and excuses outlined in the paragraph As you know,.... , is meaningless dribble.

Over the past 6 years, our premiums with this plan have doubled and our deductibles have tripled. These are unsustainable increases, and should not be allowed to continue.

Every year they increase it by at least 8%, this year it’s over 11%. It’s not sustainable and will eventually force us to switch plans and maybe providers eventually.

Premiums have doubled and tripled since we started using it 6 years ago. It’s not sustainable and will eventually force us to switch plans and maybe providers eventually.

After an unprecedented year and taking massive financial hits from covid 19 i can't believe this insurance company is attempting to raise our premium by over 11%! If this goes though this would be the last straw, either all my employees including myself would lose all of their insurance and or we will have to close down. I understand this was a tough year from everyone but this was more than double what they should be allowed to raise it. They should not be doing it at all!

The 8.53% increase is double the 4.4% increase that Excellus requested in 2020. Currently Excellus is pricing small businesses out of the healthcare system. Our insurance has increase yearly for the last three years. While I understand the cost of services increase, especially after the previous year when small businesses have taken a beating because of the economy and COVID this seems hardly fair. My employer worked hard to keep us employed and with our benefits and at this rate she will not be able to keep the plan we have. We will have to move to a lesser plan with higher premiums and deductibles. We are a small company that has been punished enough during this trying time. I am requesting that the state not approve these draconian rate increases. Small businesses have been hurt enough this year.


I find it ridiculous that Excellus is requesting over a 10 percent increase in the middle of a pandemic. I strongly object tothis rate increase , the cost would be detrimental to my family.

You are talking about a 10.31% increase on my hearh insurance this is not fair and the increased cost is going to make me have to cancel my policy

I do not support a 10% increase in my insurance premiums for 2022. After enduring a financially difficult year due to the pandemic, it seems absurd to increase rates this much.

I understand that costs have in many industries risen consistently and in some industries reduced. I see the cost of healthcare rising double digits every year and am concerned that no one is watching the details. As long as healthcare entities can justify spending the funds they receive, I feel they are not challenged. What about holding the healthcare industry accountable for efficiency? The more they make the more they spend in various liabilities which they control so its easy to justify increases. My customers would not accept this as a normal business practice. We compete on a daily basis and must watch our efficiencies to be competitive otherwise we are out of business. The healthcare industry must be held to the same account. lets consider detailed operational plans as part of the process. How much have they saved in various areas? and how are they planning to control costs going forward. if these are considered and we are still seeing double digit increases then in my opinion this organization needs to be refocused to be more customer oriented. Utility companies do not always get rate increases.

An insurance premium rate percentage increase of 9.99% for 2022 passes an excessive cost onto members. By comparison, the insurance premium rate percentage change for this same plan in 2021 was 4.65%. According to annual reports, Excellus executives received approximately 5% pay increases for 2020 with profits of $97 million, while I suspect the majority of members faced additional economic hardship due to the global pandemic. While the pandemic almost certainly increased Excellus' healthcare and medical costs, passing a double-digit healthcare premium increase onto members will only prolong our economic hardship in exchange for increased profits and executive salaries.

This insurance company could easily save the 10 percent rate increase they are asking for by simply paying for what they contract to pay for instead of fighting every single claim someone makes. They also could tighten up their procedures and simply be more efficient. Please don't let them suck any more money from our economy. Thank you.


I received the notification from BCBS regarding proposed rate increase of 9%. I am rather shocked by such a move as cost of living has not increased that much year over year. Health insurance is already expensive. And to make a request as the country is hopefully coming out of Covid, outright offensive.

this insurance is through my employment, but it is already too much, with little benefit if I'm healthy, and thank God I am. It is almost a total waste of money already

Health Insurance Plan SimplyBlue Plus Gold 6 HIOS ID 78124NY1000025-00 Excellus BCBS has raised rates every year I can remember. In 2020, they made a $171 million profit last year and gave its top executive a 10% pay raise. There is no justification for a 9.84% premium increase. From the article linked below, “'Just as the stock market’s strong performance in 2019 improved the value of people’s 401(k) plans, it also produced gains that should allow us to seek smaller rates increases in 2021,' Christopher Gorecki, the insurer’s chief financial officer, said in a prepared statement. While 2020 was certainly an exceptional year with regards to the pandemic, the reduced performance of elective medical procedures should have also translated into Excellus BCBS savings relative to premiums paid. Due to the frequency with which my family meets the annual out of pocket maximum, this high deductible gold health plan is ironically the least expensive health care I can access when accounting for premium, deductible, and out of pocket maximum. It is immensely frustrating to see an increasing portion of my income by eroded by health insurance premiums with each passing year. https://www.syracuse.com/health/2020/02/excellus-makes-171m-profit-see-how-much-it-paid-top-execs.html

Excellus is increasing our rates again over 8% for each of our plans. Since 2014, Excellus has increased their premiums by over 30%. That does not include the proposed rate hike for 2022. However, the Fee Schedule that we receive for providing mental health counseling services to their members has increased by only 6.3% in that same time period -20% of the premium hikes. Clearly, Excellus is not paying their providers commensurate with their premium rate hikes. So where exactly is Excellus using the other 80% of the premium hikes in the sham Not for Profit company they pretend to be? Because they are definitely not paying the providers the money they are taking in and do not argue that it is prescription drug costs because they only constitute 15% of healthcare costs.

Every year medical cost goes up- as a small business it is getting harder and harder to cover the cost of medical for employees. Without the company covering part of the cost, employees are unable to afford insurance regardless of the plan. Each year they get an approval of some percentage and then you read about the bonus the executives got after the first of the year. Even prior to covid healthcare was an issue for several- and premium increases are not helping. We offer 4 excellus plans ( Platimum, Gold, SIlver and Bronze)in an effort to try and get affordable and necessary coverage for our employees- most can only afford Bronze which is basically catastrophic coverage and that is even with our offset of subsidizing of the premium. Many people in this state live paycheck to paycheck and insurance is becoming a burden on them and I see some people choosing not to have it and that is very concerning.


Health insurance rates are raised almost every year in New York. I cannot believe that the changes in health care delivery change that drastically year to year. Especially now, as we are trying to get back to normal after an 18 month pandemic, Excellus is now asking people to shoulder more of a burden!? Clearly this corporation does not truly care about the health of the people they are supposed to be helping, but more interested in money.

Excellus BlueCross BlueShield has proposed a rate hike to customers every single year in recent memory without providing any added value. The CEO of Excellus, Christopher Booth, earned $3.25M in 2020 and the combined pay of Mr. Booth and the 4 other highest paid employees totaled $7.53M. There are over 130 employees of Excellus who make over $200,000. With a majority of the country struggling to pay medical and funeral costs as a result of Covid-19, it is characteristically tone-deaf of Excellus to attempt to offset the company's 2020 loss of $73.6M by extorting money from their customers. If the company is looking to tighten their purse-strings, I suggest they start at home and cut their administrative payroll before asking me to give more of my money to support the lifestyle of their C-Suite executives.

Doubled premiums and tripled deductibles since we started using it 6 years ago.

The proposed 8.2% is three or more times the rate of inflation. This should not be approved in any manner until the excessive administrative costs at Excellus are under control.

This is utterly ridiculous. We pay over $900.00 per month for insurance and get denied test that Doctors feel we need. I think that the top dogs at your company should take LESS in bonuses and they should pay the 9.84% out of their bonuses or salaries.

Received Notice that Excellus is requesting Insurance Premium increase of 8.38%, which is ridiculous absurd! We barely kept our jobs during the pandemic with increased premiums and NO increase to our wages, but this percentage is outrageous compared to the past increases. Even if we were blessed with increased wages in 2022, with this premium increase of 8.38%, we all will be making LESS than we did in 2020. Yes, understand health care costs in New York are higher than most states (shouldn't be, but it is), but it needs to be reasonable as our professional personal economies recover from this pandemic insanity.


We are asking that the proposed insurance premium increase not through. For years these premiums have been deemed affordable but to the average working person, they are anything but. Our company tries to absorb a significant portion of the premium each year, but then that doesn't leave much room for employees to receive raises. We go 6 to 7 years without a raise, as the company tries not to significantly raise what they charge for the employee contribution portion of the premium. Heath Insurance is NOT affordable! The premiums and deductibles go up and insurance pays less or denies care. Stop increasing premiums! You are punishing the people who are actually paying for insurance but leaving little else for us to work for. Punishing people who have been working throughout this entire pandemic. Please reconsider these excessive increases. Health insurance is not affordable! It wasn't 10 years ago and is even less so now.

I have written a letter that I will forward via Mail. We don't understand how increases could be thought of since for one year services were not available and yet employers and individuals were still required to make premium payments. So they had an entire year to take monies in and they only had to spend a small portion of it on medical expenses and the rest went to the 6 digit bonuses given to their executives. It's a travesty and an insult to the people who have already suffered enough. At this rate we won't need medical coverage as we will be waiting to die because we couldn't afford medical insurance and without it couldn't afford treatments necessary for survival. This is the America we now live in where only money talks on all levels from the greed of the politicians and large businesses that have it all to the poorest of the poor who have nothing and will die because of it.

Our rates have been increased every year for the past nine years, as they reduce coverages, and there executives bonuses continue to expand and increase while they say that they cover their ever increasing costs. How about 1 year without a rate increase ?

I wish to respectfully protest what has become an annual tradition of raising health insurance premiums over 10%. Our past president was correct in proclaiming that this is out of control. Rate hikes need to be capped at cost of living. This is unfair pressure on small business and salaries are not able to keep pace.

It's time to take a stand. With all that has gone on during this pandemic, we need leaders who are willing to put a hand up in the face of corporate America. Those of us who were lucky enough to stay fully employed, have take enough of a hit, while our unemployed counterparts stayed home and enjoyed what equated to $40K-$50 a year jobs, and free medical insurance. With the cost of Gasoline up 51%, Lumber cost up 65%, and food getting out of control, the average American family does NOT need another expense, especially from a company reporting a NET profit of $97Million. It's time to make the Hospital charge reasonable rates. The average American gets a 3% raise (IF THEY EVEN GET THAT!) Yet the insurance companies can request a 10% raise? Tell the insurance companies and hospitals, NO RAISE THIS YEAR..


Excellus BCBS is seeking a 10.04% increase on a high deductible plan with a deductible of over $13,000/year! On a good year, my family, and most families do not receive a 10% increase in wages, let alone on the heels of a pandemic and high unemployment. Insurance costs are already exorbitant. I believe this increase is unjustified and untenable. With insurance companies in bed with hospitals and other medical facilities, they are already dictating health care and should be able to better control their costs, not push more costs on hurting families.

I am wholly against the proposed increase to my premium of 10.21%. There is absolutely no reason to justify such a drastic increase, especially on the heels of a year where the access and affordability of healthcare was made so painfully clear. Please reject Excellus' proposed increase.

Please submit to us justification of this rate increase. We just started health benefits for our employees in Jan 2021 and the recommended rate increase is >10% for each plan that we carry. Seems like a substantial increase.

The latest request by Excellus for an increase is not reasonable. They are looking for an increase that is larger than the cost of the services they insure.

To Whom It May Concern: I feel that a premium increase of 11.64% is an unreasonable increase even in a standard year but let alone the year after the country and state is trying to get back on it's feet financially. Insurance premiums have unfortunately already become a large percentage of a monthly budget making a significant increase that much more negatively impactful. I truly hope you will reconsider in caring for the average citizen who cannot afford these increases. Sincerely,

I'm very upset that my premium is increasing AGAIN. My healthcare plan is already terrible. I have a ridiculously high deductible ($6750) that is impossible reach as it's just me. Everything that I need-any doctor's visits or procedures, costs an astronomical amount. I paid $2000 for an , $600 for , $350 for a visit to an urgent care, $300 for an MRI, etc. Even a visit to my cost $100. It's insane. Clearly I have to pick the high deductible because the copay plans would cost half my paycheck in premiums. BCBS should be ashamed- you guys make a TON of money, do not tell me you're losing money and need to increase prices. Maybe try cutting the pay of your CEOs.


The increase in health Insurance premiums feels like its suffocating me in a bill that I have no control over. Even before the increase in premiums I feel overwhelming amounts of frustration at the amount of money we are required to pay, and this increase hits like a kick in the teeth. I understand that times are hard for everyone and costs are constantly increasing, however increasing plan premiums by what looks like triple inflation year after year is excruciating while struggling to pay bills. It feels like more of my money goes to paying for advertisements and pointless bureaucracy then paying doctors for my health, especially when you look at the number of middle men with 6 figure incomes who appear to be profiting off providing as little service as is legally allowed. I haven't been able to even receive an accurate pre treatment estimate in years so when it comes time for any procedure I am in constant fear of not knowing what my bill will be. I wish there was more I could do to fight this planned rate hike however my comment and words here feel like the only option I have to voice my displeasure from years of oppressive service.

I object to Excellus's proposed premium increase. This proposes a large (10%) increase in the middle of a pandemic in which health care needs remain high and income is limited. The percent covered by us in copays already increased this year and the percent covered by Excellus decreased - we are paying more out of pocket for the same amount of coverage - so this would amount to significant back-to-back increases in insurance and health care costs at a time when most would struggle to afford it. As well, I'll note that the letter we received from Excellus noted we had only 30 days to comment. This letter was dated May 2021 without a day date, but only arrived in mid-June, essentially eliminating most of the window for submitting a comment.

Health insurance premiums continue to rise rapidly year after year, continuously adding strain to the pocketbooks of employers and their employees. Premium rate increases like the ones proposed for 2022 are completely impractical. The proposed increase to my premium rate is 8.43%. Very few companies increase their income by 8.43% each year; needless to say, even fewer employees. Allowing such increases further forces employers and employees to spend more money, often for less coverage. It’s absurd that Excellus is allowed to increase their premium rates year after year without adequate justification. Once again, Excellus is back at the table for 2022 asking for an arbitrary increase. I ask that you hold them accountable, and demand them to prove that a 8.43% increase in my premium rate is reasonable because once again their appears to be no clear justification.

This rate hike is absolutely RIDICULOUS! I work 40 hours a week and am not sitting home collecting unemployment PLUS $300 extra a week. I have a mortgage and car payment and other bills PLUS trying to save for retirement in 10 years. I had EMERGENCY surgery , in which I could have died as , yet I couldn't get AUTH to have a CT SCAN done to prove this and was subjected to a HUGE Copay bill that I still have not paid off yet. The Hospital I stayed in for days was so short staffed and filthy and I was not cleaned nor had my blood stained sheets changed the entire time I was there, but lets give Excellus more money! NOPE!!! I cannot afford any more money taken out of my tiny paycheck so that Excellus can give their employees raises and bonuses while the rest of us struggle to put food on the table and make ends meet paycheck to paycheck. Excellus should be ashamed of their selves for being so greedy! NO PREMIUM RAISE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


So I cannot afford another increase in my insurance I had to take money out of my 401k to have surgery or I would have gone Blind for and I also have a flex spending and HSA to afford my Dr. bills and prescriptions. We pay enough already with everything else going up. But you can afford giving your employees big bonuses this year and when the country was shut down and no surgeries you made tons of money last year and had to reschedule surgeries.

There is no mention of executive level pay, including management level bonuses, or other non-essential expenditure by Excellus (e.g. naming rights to the Blue Cross Arena in Rochester) in the plain English summary justifying the rate increase. I believe Excellus should attempt to further mitigate any rate increase by reducing executive level salaries and eliminating executive level bonuses.

It is completely unacceptable for Excellus to continue raising rates for health insurance to consumers who are mostly low and middle income earners while CEO's and other company exec's are paid $100k+ and $1,000,000's in bonuses and stock options. Note this article - https://buffalonews.com/news/nonprofit-health-insurance-execs-rewarded-with-healthy-salaries-top-officers-of-two-insurers-get-7/article_8f461035-6f95-5c1c-8bb4-9d26acdd53fe.html When a company deems itself non-profit yet creates $171M in profit and finds ways to divvy things up to exec's thru pay raises and bonuses, far far beyond the reserves fund req'd by NYS and also provides salaries that are not merely competitive with but beyond those of public traded companies, then this service of health care insurance deserves more control than standard capitalism mindsets and allowances and freedoms provide for. Clearly more premiums are not necessary because massive salaries and bonuses are being paid out. There are numerous areas of cost-cutting that have not been utilized. High cost items like surgery, imaging and medications are not well controlled yet for a company like ours, doing

, reimbursements were essentially cut 30% despite us being one of the low cost, lowest risk of adverse events and downstream costs, and effective natural treatments. is a low burden to the system and cutting rehab type services doesn't provide nearly the savings to Excellus or to consumers/plan members that medication/injection/surgery controls would produce. Studies have over and over again shown that all sorts of commonly practiced medical procedures/medications don't result in better or always good outcomes yet are blindly paid for w little scrutiny. The physician lobby is no doubt a strong one. But these premiums are affecting the lives of common working people who cannot afford to continue paying through the nose for HDHP plans that still stick us with nearly all the costs of our health care to begin with. A limited few have medical costs rise over 5k or 8k or 13k a year where a deductible is met and finally the insurer becomes on the hook for anything to begin with. More scrutiny needs to be internally managed by insurers for high cost, low outcome procedures and treatments, esp appreciating the iatrogenic issues also associated with std health care. I urge the DFS to, seemingly for once, say NO to these cyclic yearly requests for more premiums out of the pocket of NYS citizens to just have the privilige of protecting ourselves from the highest cost health care items so we can have the privilige of paying for everything under 5k or 8k or 13k ourselves anyways. Enough is enough!!! How about we petition the DFS to limit the bonus and salary compensations allowed on what is supposed to be an altruistic thing as health care insurance as a non-profit. Just tell the truth - these non-profits are really for profit and find beancounting ways to divide earnings up so that the books show no profit. That's not what common workers who grind away every day to earn a paycheck view as non-profit....a term we familiarly associate with things like charities that give money away to those in need rather than pay salaries and bonuses out to exec's that far exceed their competitors. Can't have it both ways.


Univera Is not listed in your choices for Insurance Company. How can these companies be asking for more money, when their members aren't making enough to pay them. I received a 50 cent raise this year, now Univera wants to take out $27 out of my pay each pay period. That's on top of all other bills that have increased, plus trying to feed . Now instead of enjoying a very minimal raise I am losing money again from my take home pay. Each year I work my butt off, I get less money. 40 years now I am stagnant at the same low median income. Tell them to cut costs(eliminate CEO and all Board members) or revamp what these crazy health care professionals are charging.

We were shocked to receive notice of a projected 10% increase to our plan premium for 2022. As a small business owner who provides employees with health insurance I can’t tell you what a blow this was. We have just come off of what will end up being two years of unprecedented hardships for small businesses across NY. We have all collectively jumped through hoops and moved mountains to keep up with ever changing mandates by the states and keep our clients and employees safe. We’ve seen no decrease in our liability insurances, workman’s comp, property insurance, health insurance, etc. labor rates have rose, material costs, etc. To now have AN INCREASE in premiums when Excellus claims 171 million in profits is such a gut punch. 10% is absolutely astronomical, any increase would be almost undoable at this point. I will never understand how NY can’t see how these types of hikes are crippling small businesses and the amount of employees we’re able to provide employment to. Please say no to these outlandish hikes and advocate for decreases in premium rates and more affordable health care coverage for all. How 1,400$ a month for a family plan as it is now is not seen as criminal is beyond me. As it stands now, nothing about health care in this state is affordable. An increase is simply unethical and undoable. Thank you for your time.

Excellus BCBS is requesting a 10.4% rate hike on their bronze plan for 2022 when most families have been struggling to get through this year and haven't even seen their physicians for regular visits due to the pandemic. The bronze plan has an over $6,000 deductible (over $10,000 if you go out of network) which most individuals are not going to meet in a year which means Excellus isn't really paying for my healthcare, I am. Excellus profited $97 million in 2020. If they are turning a profit that large, they don't need a rate hike at the expense of struggling families and individuals. Please deny the rate hike they are requesting for 2022.


I would like to express deep concern over the proposed Health Insurance rate increases for my plan for 2022. I am on a family plan that would have a total premium cost of $26,377/year, that equates to $12.68/hr, a cost that is more than the minimum wage in NYS and that figure does not include the Deductible and Out of Pocket Maximum for the insurance plan. If you add the potential out of pocket exposure that puts the cost at $32,577/year or $15.66/hr. I work, I contribute, I set money aside on a tax free basis into a Health Savings account to help offset the deductible and max. out of pocket, but how high can these plans continue to go?? Wages are being forced higher, costs for everything have gone up. As an individual trying to be responsible for myself and my family this is beyond affordable. I have experience with all kinds of situations at my job and I see when people have insurance and never pay their bills and have garnishments lined up one after another. Who is ultimately responsible for picking up the slack on those individuals for their shortfall is those of us trying to be responsible. I have seen Health insurance premiums for a family plan increase 275% since 2011. This is crazy. The Federal Government covered the majority of COVID related health expenses in the past year, how is an 8.28% increase justified?? Please do not allow for this kind of increase!! The working middle class can't afford this. I know of individuals dropping their coverage because of the proposed increase and where do you think that shortfall gets made up, by everyone else, because they are jumping to state run plans, where all taxpayers pay the price, so that leaves some getting hit twice with the cost, to cover all state and government sponsored plans and to cover their own health plan costs. DO NOT APPROVE THESE EXHORBITANT RATE INCREASES!!

Firstly, I'd like to clarify that my insurer is Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. This was not an option on the drop down menu. I am writing concerning their recent request for a 10.39% rate increase on my group plan. They have increased it a similar amount every year I have had the insurance. This means it has gone up at least 50% in the last 5 years. My employer used to cover the cost of my premium as a work benefit, but they have been unable to cover these rapidly rising costs. Therefore, my direct cost has gone up and up in recent years. This is a high-deductible plan - and I am healthy - so most years I have not even reached my deductible, and therefore have received little to no insurance benefits. This is basically a disaster plan. To increase the rate 10% each year is not sustainable, and this cannot continue.I request you deny this yearly rate hike. Thank you.

First I want to let you know that I wasn't sure which company to check as my insurer. My card say Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. I received the notice that they are asking for a 9.84% premium rate increase for 2021, raising it by $75/month to $830.17. My monthly mortgage with escrow and taxes was the same amount!! This would be about a 24% increase since 2018 when the premium was $672.20. It's becoming more and more difficult to afford these increases and I urge DFS to deny Excellus BC BS yet another request for such a large increase which they ask for every single year. Thank you,

The rate change requested, 8.49%, is untenable for a small non-profit like ours. Post-Covid, with so many challenges, and employees rethinking benefit packages, we are not able to attract people to use our plan due to the high expense. This request would be understandable if the insurance company was operating in the red or on a slim margin, but it is showing increased profits. We ask that the rate be held steady this year.


I find it absolutely ridiculous that Univera is attempting to increase my rates by over 10% after not being with their poor coverage for even a full calendar year. Multiple times during COVID we were unable to access doctors and hospitals due to capacity... and now they want to increase my rates as a healthy year old with no pre-existing health conditions? How pathetic. Put people over profits and stop increasing premiums for your customers. Univera's coverage must be so poor they're not even listed on the DFS/NYS website.

The past year has been unprecedented and I dont need to be burdened with increased health insurance cost especially as the cost of everything else in the economy has gone up. Please do not let this increase happen this year.

Documents

Excellus Health Plan, Inc. Small Group 2022 Public Comments