The summary table below provides an overview of proposed average rate changes for plan year 2025 in the individual health insurance market as reported by the insurers.
It is important to note that while these are initial rates as proposed and filed, rates are subject to review by the Departments of Commerce and Health. Final approved rates may vary from these proposed rates for many reasons.
Proposed rates do not reflect the impact of federal premium tax credits that are available to eligible Minnesotans who purchase their coverage through MNsure.
Additionally, the change in actual premium a consumer will pay in 2025 can vary from the proposed average change due to factors such as the specific plan selected, geographic rating area and age.
Small Group Market Proposed Average Rate Changes for Plan Year 2025
Each year insurers that sell Individual and Small Group plans in Maine's pooled risk market must submit their proposed forms and rates to the Bureau of Insurance, using the System for Electronic Rate and Form Filing (SERFF). Details of the filings submitted to the state since June 10, 2010 can be viewed in the system.
To see details of a filing, click on the Search Public Filings button below and paste or type in the relevant SERFF Tracking Number listed in the table (no need to complete the rest of the form).
There's a couple of noteworthy items going on here:
Health Carriers Propose Affordable Care Act Premium Rates for 2025 New carrier files to enter individual market statewide
BALTIMORE – The Maryland Insurance Administration has received the 2025 proposed premium rates for Affordable Care Act products offered by health and dental carriers in the individual, non-Medigap and small group markets, which impact approximately 496,000 Marylanders. This includes rate submissions from Wellpoint Maryland Inc., an HMO that will begin offering Affordable Care Act products in Maryland for the first time.
The Michigan Dept. of Financial Services hasn't issued any press release yet, but nearly all 2025 preliminary rate filings for the MI individual and small group markets are available via the SERFF database.
The most noteworthy item in Michigan's individual market is that there's a new entry: HAP CareSource. I'm assuming this is some sort of joint insurer effort by CareSource and Health Alliance Plan (which has only offered off-exchange ACA plans for several years now) but am not certain about that.
In terms of actual rate hikes, most of them are in the mid single digits, but Priority Health, which holds exactly 1/3 of the market share (equal to Blue Cross when you combine their PPO & HMO divisions), is seeking an eye-opening 18.9% average rate increase.
With Priority Health included in the mix, rate increases being requested by Michigan indy market carriers average 10.5% for 2025.
Via the New York Dept. of Financial Services, the preliminary, weighted average rate increases being requested for individual market health insurance policies for 2025 sound bad: 16.6% overall according to DIFS. I get a slightly lower weighted average of 16.2%, but it still ain't pretty.
Two of the highest increases are for carriers which are only offering policies off-exchange next year and which have fewer than 100 enrollees each anyway (Aetna and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Co. of NY); I assume they're both winding down their operations in the state.
As for the rest, they range from requested average increases of "only" 8.8% for the other UHC division to a stunning 51% rate hike by Emblem (HIP). The justification summaries are below the table.
It's important to remember that these are not final rate increases--New York in particular has a tendency to slash the requested rate hikes down significantly before approving them.
NY's Small Group market is looking at high preliminary rate hikes as well, averaging 19% overall. Again, these are preliminary only.
CONNECTICUT INSURANCE DEPARTMENT RELEASES HEALTH INSURANCE RATE REQUEST FILINGS FOR 2025
The Connecticut Insurance Department (CID) has received eight rate filings from seven health insurers for plans that will be available on the individual and small group market, both on and off the state-sponsored exchange, Access Health CT. As part of our regulatory responsibilities, we will conduct a thorough examination of these filings to ensure that the requested rates comply with Connecticut’s insurance laws and regulations.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Thirteen health insurers filed an average requested rate increase of 11.3% for Washington's individual health insurance market. The proposed plans and their rates are currently under review and final decisions will be made this fall.
"I recognize that any proposed increase in price is deeply upsetting to those struggling to pay for coverage today,” said Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler. “People should know that these rates are not final and my office will be carefully reviewing each request to validate the assumptions being made by our state’s insurers. We will do everything under our authority ensure that any rate changes are justified."
Every year, I spend months painstakingly tracking every insurance carrier rate filing for the following year to determine just how much average insurance policy premiums on the individual market are projected to increase or decrease.
Carriers tendency to jump in and out of the market, repeatedly revise their requests, and the confusing blizzard of actual filing forms sometimes make it next to impossible to find the specific data I need. The actual data I need to compile my estimates are actually fairly simple, however. I really only need three pieces of information for each carrier:
