Highmark seeks rate hikes

Health insurer Highmark Inc. has asked the state Insurance Department for approval to lift rates on various products an average of 8.6 percent and affecting a total of 75,000 members. For its medical underwritten CompleteCare Program, the insurer wants to increase rates an average of 9.9 percent, which would generate about $5.3 million additionally annually, according to the filing that was published in the Pennsylvania Bulletin on Saturday. The company also wants to increase average rates 4.6 percent for its medically underwritten Direct Pay PPO High Deductible Health Plans, Direct Pay Non-Qualified HDHP and Simple Blue medically underwritten Direct Pay PPO, which would generate an additional $2.1 million annually.