This is big news for my state, Blue Cross Blue Shield is pulling out of the Nebraska ACA exchanges for 2017. I’m pretty sure they are the #1 insurer in our state. Not only are they pulling out of the ACA, they are also dropping their Silver and Gold individual plans. So if you are buying your own coverage off the exchange (this would affect anyone self employed or without employer coverage) you’ll have to choose a bronze plan with a crazy high deductible or choose a different insurance carrier if you want silver or gold level plans. They are reported to have lost $140 million since it started on the exchange. Ouch.

In my annual comparison post each November I always compare to the Blue Cross bronze plan to Samaritan and then scout out the cost of the gold plan because it’s the closest to what we had before this whole ACA mess began. To think I couldn’t even buy that level of plan now if I wanted to is disturbing. It seems clear to me that Blue Cross doesn’t want customers unless they are part of a group business policy. It leaves only 2 insurance carriers on the exchange for Nebraska, Aetna and Medica. Blue Cross is reported to have almost 65,000 individual members both on and off the exchange so it would seem a large percentage of them could be affected. I am hearing of large premium increase and shocking letters about this action from those in my area. Of course I recommend Samaritan Ministries to those in need of something else. 🙂

Something really needs to be done to get health care pricing under control. I don’t know where the fault lies, but clearly this system isn’t working. Americans are breaking under these costs and many are unable to even use the coverage they pay for. When is it all going to break? I’m so thankful to be part of Samaritan Ministries. They are a soothing balm during this time of great angst in our nation’s healthcare system.