Highmark Inc.; Special Care Medical Surgical Plans; Rate Filing [35 Pa.B. 2485] By Filing No. 1A-SCMS-05-HI, Highmark Inc. d/b/a Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield and Highmark Blue Shield requests approval to revise premium rates for its Special Care Medical/Surgical programs in the Central Region, Independence Blue Cross Region, Western Pennsylvania Region and Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania Region.
Region Percentage
IncreaseAdditional Premium
per MonthNumber of
ContractsCentral Region 0.0% $0 2,800 Independence Blue Cross 9.9% $720,000 10,300 Western Region 9.9% $864,000 14,700 Blue Cross of Northeastern PA 9.9% $216,000 4,200 All Regions Combined 9.0% $1,800,000 32,100 The filing requests an average increase of 9.0% or $4.66 per contract per month. This will affect about 32,100 contract holders and produce additional premium income of about $1.8 million per year. For the Central and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Regions only, the filing also adjusts the relativities between contract types to be consistent with Highmark's other programs; thus some contract holders may receive rate adjustments that are less than or greater than the average. The requested effective date of the change is September 1, 2005.
A copy of the filing is available on the Insurance Department's (Department) website at www.ins. state.pa.us. Under the Quick Links section, click on the link ''Rate Filings Published in the PA Bulletin.''
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 James Laverty, Actuary, Insurance Department, Insurance Product Regulation and Market Enforcement, Room 1311, Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17120, jlaverty@state.pa.us within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
M. DIANE KOKEN,
Insurance Commissioner[Pa.B. Doc. No. 05-804. Filed for public inspection April 22, 2005, 9:00 a.m.]
