New health insurance rates still trickling in for New York, latest proposals ...

MVP Health Care, a Schenectady, New York health insurer, is the latest to discuss its premium rate proposals for 2015.

The insurer is proposing an average increase of 17 percent for its 625,000 members. New rates could range from slight decreases for some plans to 26-percent increases for others, data from the company shows.

Proposed 2015 insurance rates in New York have been trickling since the Albany Business Review first reported on the issue last week.

Karla Austen, interim CFO for the insurer, said MVP plans to raise rates for several reasons, including rising medical costs and new regulations under the federal Affordable Care Act. The 2010 health reform law is seeking to expand insurance coverage while overhauling government regulations. Changes include new fees and taxes for insurers.

'In addition, we're absorbing sharp cuts in federal reimbursement for the highest cost patients,' Austen said, referring to adjustments to various health care payment programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid.

Christopher Berg, an architect in Beacon, New York, about 90 miles south of Albany, is facing a 20 percent increase in MVP Health Care insurance premiums for his business -- Berg + Flynn Architecture. He is frustrated prices are rising under the Affordable Care Act, or ACA, a 2010 law trying to expand health insurance coverage while overhauling government regulations.

'This is just typical of every year,' he said of the law bringing little relief so far from annual spikes in premiums.

There are cases, however, of some other New York health insurers proposing less severe price hikes under the ACA -- several coming in well below 10 percent. Among issues behind differences are the location, type of health plan, and financial health of the specific insurer. The amount of risk the insurer's leaders are willing to take to attract new members is also a key factor.

Meanwhile, a recent report on nine other states shows a typical mid-level health insurance plan would increase by less than 10 percent.

Robinson covers breaking news and health care.