Vermont health care regulators have approved rate increases for people covered by the state's online health benefit exchange known as Vermont Health Connect.
The rate increases approved Thursday by the Green Mountain Care Board were less than those sought by both Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont and MVP Health Plan.
The rate increase approved for Blue Cross and Blue Shield, which insures more than 65,000 Vermonters through the portal, was 5.9 percent — reduced from the insurer's 8.6 percent request.
The increase authorized for MVP was 2.4 percent — less than its 3 percent request. MVP covers about 6,500 Vermonters through Health Connect.
The board says that depending on the plan, people who use Health Connect could see premium changes higher or lower than those announced Thursday.
The Health Care is a Human Right Campaign called any rate increase unjust and says this will burden thousands of Vermonters with increased financial hardship.
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