Michigan Seeks Comment on Proposed Health Insurance Rate Changes

State insurance regulators are seeking public comment on requested health insurance policy rate changes.

The Department of Insurance and Financial Services said that insurers’ proposed changes for individual rates in 2017 range from about 39 percent to about 6.7 percent.

Proposals for small group plans range from a negative-5.6 percent to 15 percent.

Insurers say the proposed changes would affect nearly 750,000 people.

Comments must be submitted prior to July 31.

Open enrollment for 2017 begins Nov. 1 and continues through Jan. 31, 2017.

Last year, regulators said individual rates would increase an average of 6.5 percent and the small group plans would increase 1 percent for 2016.