1343 Highmark Inc.; requesting approval to increase rates for Direct Pay Medical/Surgical Plans; filing no. 1-DPMS-99-HI

Highmark Inc.; Requesting Approval to Increase Rates for Direct Pay Medical/Surgical Plans; Filing No. 1-DPMS-99-HI

[29 Pa.B. 4396]

   By Filing No. 1-DPMS-99-HI, Highmark Inc., d/b/a Pennsylvania Blue Shield, requests approval to increase its premium rates for its Direct Pay Medical/Surgical Plans in the Capital Blue Cross, Independence Blue Cross and Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania regions. No change is requested for the Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield region. The filing requests an average increase of about 10.8% of current premium. Increases will vary by plan and region. This will affect about 22,300 contract holders and produce additional annual premium income of about $2.2 million. The requested effective date of the change is January 1, 2000.

   The increases by region are shown as follows.

		Average
	Percentage	Increase per
Region	Increase	Contract Month
Capital Blue Cross	15.0%	$15.08
Independence Blue Cross	6.4%	$  4.43
Blue Cross of Northeast PA	15.0%	$10.77
All Regions Combined	10.8%	$  8.13

   Copies of the filing are available for public inspection during normal working hours, by appointment, at the Insurance Department's Harrisburg, Pittsburgh, Erie and Philadelphia Regional Offices.

   Interested parties are invited to submit written comments, suggestions or objections to Rashmi Mathur, Actuary, Bureau of Accident and Health Insurance, Insurance Department, 1311 Strawberry Square, Harrisburg, PA 17120, within 30 days after publication of this notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

M. DIANE KOKEN,   
Insurance Commissioner

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 99-1343. Filed for public inspection August 13, 1999, 9:00 a.m.]