Choices, costs rise in Missouri for insurance site

ST. LOUIS -- Some Missouri residents could have more choices but also see higher prices when the annual enrollment period begins for health insurance plans offered through a federally run website.

Open enrollment starts Saturday for people who want to purchase insurance for 2015 through HealthCare.gov, which offers subsidized coverage under the federal health care law.

In the St. Louis area, there will be four insurers selling a total of 42 plans, up from two insurers offering a combined 25 plans this past year, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

But some of the monthly premiums also will be higher.

For example, premiums for the lowest-cost "bronze" plan will rise nearly 12 percent to $163 a month from $146 a month for a 27-year-old nonsmoker in St. Louis County. Deductibles for the 15 available bronze plans in the St. Louis area all will be above $4,000, and many will top $6,000.

The lowest-cost "silver" plan will have a smaller premium increase -- about 5 percent for a young nonsmoker -- and a slightly higher out-of-pocket maximum than this year's coverage.

Many consumers won't have to pay the full price for coverage because of subsidies provided under the federal health-care law.

For example, the monthly premium could drop to $59 per month for the lowest-cost bronze plan for a 27-year-old nonsmoker whose income is double the federal poverty threshold, or $23,340 for an individual. The lowest-cost silver plan's premium could be cut in half with a subsidy for the same person, the newspaper reported.

Last year, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Missouri and Coventry Healthcare were the only entities offering plans in the St. Louis area through the federal marketplace. UnitedHealthcare and Cigna are joining this year.

In addition to cost, consumers could also have to consider the provider networks available through each insurer. For example, some plans don't include BJC HealthCare -- one of the largest hospital systems in the St. Louis area -- while others do.

"For people looking to contain their cost, those limited networks are a major cost-saving feature," said Emily Bremer, an insurance broker based in Clayton.

Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com