A letter was recently sent to nearly 55,000 members of Blue Cross of Northeastern Pennsylvania’s non-group plans, indicating that the insurer would raise its rates by 9.9% Jan. 1, 2010.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department recently approved $5.65 million in increases in four of the insurers’ plans, according to the Wilkes-Barre Citizens Voice.

They include the Security 65 plan, a Medicare supplement program; Special Care, a plan for low-income subscribers; and BlueCare cooperative, a plan largely covering seniors.

A spokesman for the Wilkes-Barre, Pa.-based insurer told the newspaper that members using the plans tend to be “high utilizers” of health care, and what the company is bringing in from premiums “doesn’t even cover what we’re paying out in claims.”

In the letter, the insurer noted cost-saving solutions it has developed including the Blue Care Direct family of individual health care plans and Blue Health Solutions products as well as encouraging the use of generic drugs.