Three major insurers are returning to ‘Obamacare’ exchanges in 2018, which could mean higher rates for Texans

In this photo taken Oct. 24, 2016, the HealthCare.gov 2017 web site home page as seen in Washington. Consumers will have the least choice next year than at any time since the health insurance markets created by President Barack Obama’s overhaul opened, a new, county-level analysis for The Associated Press has found. (AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais)

According to reports, three large healthcare providers in Texas – Molina Healthcare, Community Health Choice and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas – are returning to the public healthcare exchange in 2018.

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This could mean an increase in the rates people covered by these health care plans would have to pay.

These three companies were the only ones to offer plans on the Texas Healthcare Exchange in 2016.

Only 1 of the 3 has provided anything resembling hard number data on how much rates will increase so far.

Community Health Choice, a provider in the Houston area, told the Chronicle it would be asking the government to approve a 16 percent increase. That number is still uncertain, as healthcare reform is still very much up in the air.

The other two providers declined to comment, citing the fact that their rates were still under review as the reason for their silence.

“We hope to again participate in the individual market, but haven’t made any final decisions concerning our level of participation,” Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas said in an emailed statement.

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Texas is one of few states that rely on the federal government to approve rate increases after determining them reasonable, as opposed to state review. It’s currently unknown how much rates will increase.

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