BISMARCK, N.D. – North Dakota Insurance Commissioner Jon Godfread announced yesterday in a live television interview that after careful consideration, following President Donald Trump’s announcement regarding non-payments of cost sharing reductions (CSRs) to insurance carriers, he will deny any additional rate increases to individual health insurance premium rates for Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plans to be offered in North Dakota beginning Jan. 1, 2018.
In a statement to Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota, Medica and Sanford Health Plans, Godfread said, “This decision was made in order to protect the 22,000 covered North Dakotans who have coverage from an individual insurance policy that is off of the federal marketplace along with those on the exchange who do not receive the subsidy. As you know, this is an issue that is between insurance carriers and the federal government and while I understand the strain you are under in participating in this marketplace, it is my duty to look out for those consumers who have had to absorb multiple rounds of increases to their health insurance premiums without receiving any assistance from the federal government.”
As a result of this decision, the approved rates previously released by the North Dakota Insurance Department on Oct. 6, 2017, will continue to be the approved rates for 2018.
| Carrier Information | 2018 Rate Information | |
| Company Name | Group/Individual | Average Increases |
| Noridian/BCBS | Small Group | 11.8% |
| Sanford Health Plan | Small Group | 2.3% |
| Medica Health Plan | Small Group | 6.2% |
| Medica Insurance Company | Small Group | 8.8% |
| Noridian/BCBS | Individual | 22.6% |
| Sanford Health Plan | Individual | 7.9% |
| *Medica Health Plan | Individual | 18.8% |
*Medica Health Plan will not be selling on the Federal Exchange, meaning consumers who qualify for a subsidy through healthcare.gov will not be able to purchase a Medica policy using a subsidy. Consumers may still purchase a Medica policy outside of the Federal Exchange (for example, through an insurance agent), but would not receive any subsidy to assist in the purchase of the insurance.
Depending upon the plan, health insurance rates will increase by an average range of 2.3-11.8 percent for approximately 30,000 North Dakotans enrolled in an ACA-compliant small group plan. Rates will increase by an average range of 7.9- 22.6 percent for approximately 42,000 North Dakotans enrolled in ACA-complaint individual plans. Approximately 84 percent of North Dakotans are covered by health insurance plans offered through employers that self-insure, participate in “grandfathered” plans purchased before March 2010 or receive benefits from government plans (such as Medicaid, Medicare, Tricare or federal employee plans).
The 2018 open enrollment period runs from Nov. 1, 2017 through Dec. 15, 2017. North Dakotans are encouraged to use this time to compare rates and sign up for new plans or renew existing plans during this period.