People that use Pennsylvania’s health insurance will pay more and those that qualify for utility assistance are not receiving them.
Pennie customers are facing another year of higher health insurance premiums.
People who buy health insurance through Pennie will pay an average 16 percent more next year, while small businesses will see increases averaging about 10 percent.
Highmark plans in Western Pennsylvania are going up 14.5 percent, while UPMC plans will rise between 9.7 and 13.5 percent.
State regulators cut about $95 million from insurers’ proposed increases, but say insurers paid $845 million more in claims last year.
The higher rates also come as enhanced federal subsidies have expired, meaning some people will pay more of their premium themselves.
And, most low-income Pennsylvanians who qualify for utility discounts aren’t getting them.
Only about one in four eligible Pennsylvania customers received utility bill assistance between 2014 and 2024.
The programs can lower monthly bills and help customers avoid shutoffs.
A new data-sharing system could make it easier to identify people who qualify.
Consumer advocates and some utilities want eligible customers automatically enrolled, but the PUC has not approved that approach.
The dispute is over whether customers’ existing consent to share income information can also be used to enroll them automatically.
