Blue Cross ACA plan premiums to go up 13% next year

North Carolinians who buy health insurance on an individual basis – meaning those who don't buy through an employer – from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina will see between a 13 percent and 19 percent premium rate increase on average next year.

That applies to roughly 550,000 North Carolina residents who buy health insurance on the individual market from BCBSNC, the state's largest health insurer. Although BCBSNC holds a commanding market share in the individual market, those customers still represent only about 14 percent of the company's overall customer base. Including those who buy health insurance through an employer, BCBSNC covers more than 3.8 million North Carolinians.

Individual plan designs will remain largely the same, says Patrick Getzen, BCBSNC chief actuary, meaning individuals will not see major shifts to health care coverage, co-pays or deductibles.

Average BCBSNC plan premiums by type on the individual market

2015

• ACA: $421.32
• Grandfathered: $250.36
• Transitional: $278.65

2014

• ACA: $364.39
• Grandfathered: $223.31
• Transitional: $239.45

This past year was the first year of the so-called "individual mandate," or the provision in the Affordable Care Act that requires Americans to have health insurance or face a penalty. Although individuals were initially required to by ACA-compliant plans, the Obama Administration allowed for grandfathered and transitional plans.

Grandfathered plans are those which individuals purchased before March 23, 2010, and transitional plans are those purchased between March 23, 2010, and Oct. 1, 2013. BCBSNC has some 239,000 customers in those plans.

Jason deBruyn covers The Biopharmaceutical and Health Care industries. Follow him on Twitter @jasondebruyn.