1497 Pennsylvania Blue Shield: Community rated Medicare supplement group product rates; filing no. 96130000

Pennsylvania Blue Shield; Community-Rated Medicare Supplement Group Product Rates; Filing No. 96130000

[26 Pa.B. 4381]

   By filing no. 96130000, Pennsylvania Blue Shield requests approval of an increase to its Community-Rated Medicare Supplement Group product rates. The filing requests an average increase of 17.8%, varying by Blue Cross Plan area as follows:

	Percentage	Average Increase
Plan Area	Increase	Per Sub. Month
Blue Cross of Northeastern    PA	23.027%	$7.15
Blue Cross of Western PA	0.000%	0.00
Capital Blue Cross	21.062%	6.15
Independence Blue Cross	15.476%	8.17

   This is the first rate increase requested for this product since 1991. The request is to implement the new rates effective November 1, 1996. The rate increase will generate an additional annual income of about $28 million and will affect approximately 32,000 policy holders.

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

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

LINDA S. KAISER,   
Insurance Commissioner

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 96-1497. Filed for public inspection September 6, 1996, 9:00 a.m.]