BCBS Highmark here in PA....
38% increase for our HDHP Plan premiums this year.
And suddenly, smoking cessation products are no longer allowable expenses with the HSA Debit Cards. You wanna starve the beast via patches or nicotene gum (which wrecks your fillings, btw), you get to pay for it on your own dime.
Some dimwit has finally figured out they DO need smokers to subsidize their taxation drama....
Same here on rates, even with Federal Employees. My (AETNA FFS)premiums went from $140 per 2 weeks (Jan 2012) to $190 (Sept 2012) to a whopping $315 per 2 weeks on 1/1/13, for a 225% total increase. Luckily, we have about 10 choices on coverage so I was able to choose a similar plan (BCBS FED)for $91 per pay period. This premium is up 50% from last year, too. I was able to add a Humana Dental plan for $28, and still come out paying less. I’m guessing that most Freepers don’t have the options we do, and ended up paying a lot more.
The plans are almost identical, except the new one has higher co-pays on meds. Newer, more expensive meds are covered 80/20 with no upper limit. They were a flat $65 on the old one.