Vermont Regulator Cites Small Market for Two-Insurer Exchange
VTDigger reports that only BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont and MVP Health Care sell plans on Vermont Health Connect, the state's ACA marketplace, which serves more than 60,000 Vermonters during open enrollment for 2027 coverage, running through Dec. 28 with a Dec. 15 deadline for Jan. 1 coverage. Department of Financial Regulation Commissioner Kaj Samsom attributes the limited number of insurers to the state's small population, saying "insurance is a game of large numbers, and we don't have those numbers." KFF data cited in the story shows seven other states and Washington, D.C. also have only two marketplace insurers. BlueCross BlueShield of Vermont CEO Beth Roberts says two carriers are "likely the exact right size" for Vermont's small individual and small-group market, and the story notes marketplace insurers nationally lose money, paying out $1.01 in claims for every dollar of premium revenue collected.