Attorney General Neronha issues statement on proposed Blue Cross Blue Shield insurance rate increase

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – Attorney General Peter F. Neronha issued the following statement after submitting a final brief as part of his obligation to represent consumers in the insurance rate review process and as the State’s Health Care Advocate.

“Rhode Islanders deserve affordable and accessible health care, and right now they are receiving neither. Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Rhode Island is statutorily required to provide reasonably priced health insurance, and yet the company is seeking an average increase of 14.3% affecting more than 17,500 individual market plan consumers. In a vacuum, this is a significant increase, but when you consider that BCBSRI has sought and received a combined 21.6% increase since 2019, we’re now looking at nearly 40% in seven years. This premium increase is staggering, unfair, and certainly does not reflect enhanced accessibility.”

“Our State’s health care system is broken, overburdened by the loss of primary care physicians and other primary care providers, and an aging workforce. My Office hears from Rhode Islanders who struggle to find a PCP, and if they can find one, they have a hard time getting an appointment. And yet, insurance companies continue to pursue dramatic rate hikes even as the health care they insure moves further and further out of reach for many Rhode Islanders.”

“Health care in Rhode Island is in desperate need of systemic reform. Unless and until this changes, I will not support significant insurance rate increases.”