Five insurers are seeking an average 9 percent increase in rates for health coverage in Pennsylvania through the federal Healthcare.gov marketplace in 2018, a significant drop from this year's increase.
The state Department of Insurance said Thursday that proposals filed before last week's deadline could still change, and won't be approved until just before open enrollment starts in the fall.
However, Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller warned that an effort by the Trump administration or Congress to undermine the marketplaces could drive up premiums.
The department says it'll release details about the proposals in July. Customers in all 67 Pennsylvania counties would have at least one plan available. Proposed increases in small group plan rates averaged 6.6 percent.
Premium increases averaged 33 percent this year, but Miller says that helped stabilize the market.
