Alaska sees 26% drop in health insurance rates

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) _ Some of the highest insurance rates in the nation just got a little bit cheaper.

Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield is the sole provider for the Alaska individual health insurance market. It announced Tuesday that its rates will decrease 26.5 percent for 2018.

The company says on average, that means a person paying $1,000 this year will pay about $770 next year.

The insurer attributes the decrease to a significant reduction in the use of medical services and the state’s establishment of a program to address high claims separately.

Premera said the decrease assumes federal...