Sticker shock: WA health insurance buyers confront steep price hikes

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

The roughly 300,000 Washingtonians who buy health insurance through the state’s online marketplace are set for a rude awakening as they begin shopping for plans.

That’s because premiums for individual insurance bought on the Washington Health Benefit Exchange through the Affordable Care Act are set to rise an average of 21% next year. The steep hikes stem from the expiration of federal tax credits that congressional Republicans refuse to extend.

Similar price jumps are happening nationwide. Last year’s average rate increase in Washington was 10.7%. Nationally, over 24 million people are covered with insurance from the marketplaces, which are used by people who do not have access to health insurance through their jobs or from government programs, like Medicaid.

Open enrollment begins Nov. 1 and will run through Jan. 15. To begin coverage by Jan. 1, enrollees should sign up by Dec. 15. Existing customers will be automatically renewed but can still shop around and compare plans. The window-shopping period for plans began Tuesday.

https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/10/22/sticker-shock-wa-health-insurance-buyers-confront-steep-price-hikes/

[BOSSHOG]

1. Have we no compassion?

Republican supporters can’t be expected to keep that old yacht another year.

[Moostache]

2. I'm sorry, but I can't take it any more...

The willing suspension of disbelief that allows "for profit" healthcare to persist and papers over the simple fact that 100% of EVERY DOLLAR SPENT ON ADMINISTRATION AND CORPORAQTE PROFITS is taken FROM the healthcare and ADDED to the costs of the patients is fucking insanity.

Its just one of many examples of the fictious world we live in, one where Trump' slies go unchallenged and are repeated so frequently that many people actually believe them. We are literally having 24 hours of hate (instead of the Orwellian two minutes of hate) on Fox News and the right wing blogs and "man-o-sphere".

We have universities being offered (and in some instances TAKING) hush money to shut up and report what they are told and study what they are allowed by oligoarchs and monied interests.

We have a housing cost crisis (and rent crisis) at the same time we have record ownership of residential propoerties by private equity entities.

We have a con-man in the OVal Office who is trying to steal everything he can't knock down or destroy.

We have Congress doing NOTHING. Literally NOTHING.

We have the Supreme Court happily destroying the separation of powers and cutting out co-equal from the non-Executive branches of the government, including themselves.

I can't take this nonsense.
I can't believe that so many CAN.

In the end, if this is the status and path of this country, it is a better thing to see it totally collapse, a bloody war fought in the aftermath, and the formation of a 2nd American Republic (on as much contiguous land as can be managed).

Maybe next time we can strengthen the guardrails BEFORE a lunatic arrives to intnetionally drive into every single one of them at the same time... Maybe...

Maybe we can fix certain things - like allowing $$$ to be called speech, or human beings to be called illegal.... Maybe...

Maybe I'll live to see the other side of this and help in the building of something better, more robust, more perfect union...

I doubt it.

[Deuxcents]

3. Hearing and feeling like you, and that's a fact. We gotta hold on 🌺

[PaxPixie]

4. Medicare plans in WA are affected too

I've been looking on the Medicare site at currently available plans in Washington and the premiums are higher there too. The only plans with zero or small premiums offer hardly anything. My old policy was with Regence, and they discontinued it. They have new plans available, but again coverage is less and the deductible is higher.