INSURANCE DEPARTMENT Geisinger Health Plan Individual, Grange and Association Base Medical and Pharmacy Rate Filing [34 Pa.B. 6374] On November 8, 2004, the Insurance Department (Department) received from Geisinger Health Plan a filing for a rate increase ranging from -7.56% to 10.61% for the medical plan and -5.81% to 8.59% for the pharmacy plan. The magnitude of the rate increase will be determined by the subscriber's age, gender and contract type. The following uniform benefit changes are proposed:
* Implementation of a $500/$1,500 deductible (for nonoffice visits).
* 30% coinsurance (for nonoffice visits)--with a $1,500/$3,000 out-of-pocket maximum.
* The $20 specialist office visit copay is increased to $35.
* Only the 50% coinsurance option will be offered for the pharmacy plan.
The company requests an average increase of 5.68% (medical and pharmacy), to be effective April 1, 2005. This filing will impact approximately 9,900 medical contracts and 4,165 pharmacy contracts.
Additional revenue of $1.77 million will be generated from the medical increase and $114,676 from the pharmacy increase.
Unless formal administrative action is taken prior to February 9, 2005, the subject filing may be deemed approved by operation of law.
A copy of the filing is available on the Department's website at www.ins.state.pa.us. Scroll down the home page and click on ''Consumer Information'' located on the left side. Next scroll down to ''General Information,'' located in the middle of the page and click on ''Notices.'' The pdf copy of this filing is located at the link ''Filing.pdf'' following the name of the filing.
Copies of the filing are also available for public inspection, by appointment, during normal working hours at the Department's regional office in Harrisburg.
Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, suggestions or objections to Cherri Sanders-Jones, Insurance Department, Insurance Product Regulation and Market Enforcement, Room 1311, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17120 (e-mail at csandersjo@state.pa.us) within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
M. DIANE KOKEN,
Insurance Commissioner[Pa.B. Doc. No. 04-2117. Filed for public inspection November 24, 2004, 9:00 a.m.]
