State to release 2018 health insurance premium rates despite HMOs’ warning

State officials today release 2018 health insurance premium rates for the individual market, despite pleas from H-M-Os to wait. It’s expected the numbers will show relatively stable health insurance premiums, with modest increases in some cases and significant decreases in others, depending on the carrier. It’s because the state kicked in hundreds of millions of dollars to cover cost of care for the most seriously ill, to hold down other people’s premiums. The federal government gave Minnesota permission for that “re-insurance,” but federal funding for Minnesotacare would also be reduced. The Dayton administration is trying to re-negotiate that — and HMOs warn that leaves actual premiums for 2018 still potentially in a state of flux, and they don’t want misleading information going out to the public.