Aetna Has Left The California Health Insurance Market

Aetna Health Insurance revealed they were leaving the California marketplace for individual and household plans. Completion date of all their plans was December 31, 2013. All 49,000 of Aetna’s California customers would have to determine exactly what health insurance they ought to transfer to. In this short article we’ll give you a simple mapping that suggests which health plans you ought to switch to based upon the health insurance you had, a “gotcha” to look out for, and a number of silver linings to feel excellent about.

The most basic method to replace your Aetna Health Insurance is to just try to find an alternative plan with the very same (or comparable) deductible quantity. The suggestions below will make that simple to do. With a little more effort, you can re-think exactly what you need in annual medical benefits and pick a plan that is a better fit for your present requirements. In either case, you ought to be able to find a great California option listed below.

Aetna Underwriting Was More Tolerant

This will be the gotcha for some people. Aetna has actually  been more prepared to accept individuals with health conditions. I understand a variety of my customers are in Aetna plans because they had certain health conditions that the other carriers either would decline, or would “rate” much higher than Aetna did.

As an outcome, the brand-new Obamacare plans may be a lot more expensive than the Aetna plan you had. Although you can not be charged more for a California policy, since your Aetna plan was not rated, you will most likely pay more for less protection.

Let’s begin mapping replacement plans …

Aetna Open Access MC Value Plan Alternatives

The Aetna Open Access Value plans were Aetna’s low-priced alternative. The Value plans offered a variety of various deductibles, $8,000, $5,000, $2,500, and offered 3 office visits to for a basic co-pay, and protection for Generic prescriptions.

These are very similar to the California exchange Bronze plans.

Aetna Open Access MC Plan Alternatives

The Open Gain access to plans were Aetna’s high-end providings. These plans provided unrestricted office brows through for simply a co-pay, supplied both Generic and Brand name prescription protection, and offered deductibles of 5,000, 3,500, 2,750, and 1,750.

These plans are similar to the California Silver plans, both on the Covered California exchange and directly through the major carriers plans.

Aetna Open Access MC High Deductible Plan (HSA Compatible) Alternatives

These were Aetna’s entry in the Health Cost savings Account (HSA) suitable insurance market. Like all HSA plans, they supplied no benefits other than zero-cost precautionary care till after you reached the deductible. The plans came with two deductibles, either 5,500 or $3,500.

There are a few HSA alternatives readily available on the Covered California exchange that are good substitutes. Off the exchange, each provider provides a Bronze choice HSA plan, and Cigna supplies numerous Bronze, Silver, and Gold HSA plans to choose from in California.

Silver Linings In This California Health Insurance Decision

I believe this is just the very first in a line of big and small health insurance business that will leave the California person and household health insurance marketplace over the next 3-5 years. They had a very small market share, and would have a tough time taking on the insurance business that dominate the California market. So having Aetna leave now will reduce the turbulence we see throughout open enrollment in 2015.

The very first silver lining in all of this is that Aetna plans have the tendency to have really high Out-Of-Pocket Maximums (OOPM). As an example, for a family, the Open Access Value 8000 plan has an OOPM of $25,000, while a lot of Obamacare plans have an OOPM of $12,700 or $8,000.

This is among the reasons people have actually stayed away unless nothing else health insurance company in California would accept them. There are a lot of new Affordable Care Act options that will lower a specific or families’ complete out-of-pocket risk.

The last silver lining of this modification at Aetna, is they have actually not been cost competitive the last number of years. So changing to comparable plans need to give you a decrease in premiums. With the details we have actually provided you above, you need to be able to find a great California replacement plan, now go forth and succeed.