DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) – About 30,000 Wellmark Blue Cross & Blue Shield customers next year could face big increases in their premium payments. The Des Moines Register reports that Wellmark plans to raise their premiums by 38 percent to 43 percent in 2017. The steep increases will affect people who bought relatively new plans that comply with the Affordable Care Act. About 90,000 Wellmark customers who hold older individual plans are expected to face smaller increases, which will be announced in June.

The increases being proposed to state regulators don’t affect the Wellmark customers who have coverage through their employers. Their premiums are expected to increase less. Wellmark Executive Vice President Laura Jackson says poor health and rising medical costs forced the company to seek state permission to raise premiums so much.