2026 Rate Changes

Every year, I spend months painstakingly tracking every insurance carrier rate filing (nearly 400 for 2025!) 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.

I really only need three pieces of information for each carrier:

Originally posted 7/17/25

Well, the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies isn't mincing words:

Chaos from Congressional Republicans Leads to Average Premium Increases of Over 28% for 2026

  • Average increases as high as 38% have been requested for the Western Slope, and insurance companies estimate nearly 100,000 Coloradans will lose their health insurance coverage

DENVER - The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) released the preliminary information on private health insurance plans for 2026 for the individual market (for people that don’t get coverage from an employer plan). The filings will be public once the DOI finishes the preliminary completeness review on or about Friday, July 18.

via the Michigan Dept. of Insurance & Financial Services:

DIFS Encourages Michiganders to Plan for Health Insurance Coverage Now for 2026

(LANSING, MICH) The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) is encouraging Michiganders to be ready for the upcoming Health Insurance Marketplace Open Enrollment period, which starts Nov. 1. A record 530,000 Michiganders are currently enrolled in health insurance through the Marketplace. Recent federal changes, as well as expiring tax credits, mean it has never been more important to review your insurance coverage and make a selection during the upcoming Open Enrollment period.

Fair enough so far...

Originally posted 8/13/25

SCROLL DOWN FOR IMPORTANT UPDATES

Overall preliminary rate changes via the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and/or the federal Rate Review database.

Aetna Health inc:

(Aetna/CVS announced last spring that they're pulling out of the individual market in EVERY state in 2026.)

AmeriHealth Caritas Florida:

Amerihealth Caritas Florida, Inc. (AHC) has offered comprehensive and fully insured coverage to members in the individual ACA market since 2023. AHC is filing a rate increase for 2026 products. The plans associated with this filing will be offered both on and off the Federally Facilitated Marketplace (FFM) in Florida.

Originally posted 8/7/25

Overall preliminary rate changes via SERFF database, state insurance dept. website and/or the federal Rate Review database.

Ambetter Health of LA:

The proposed rate change of 16.4% applies to approximately 97,401 individuals. Ambetter Health of Louisiana’s projected administrative expenses for 2026 are $91.51 PMPM. Administrative expense does not include $17.45 for taxes and fees. The historical administrative expenses for 2025 were $79.64 PMPM, which excludes taxes and fees. The projected loss ratio is 81.4% which satisfies the federal minimum loss ratio requirement of 80.0%.

CHRISTUS Health Plan:

(as far as I can tell, CHRISTUS is dropping out of the Louisiana individual market...they aren't listed on the federal Rate Review database website, nor do they show up in the LA SERFF filings or on the LA Insurance Dept. website.)

HMO Louisiana:

Originally posted 8/29/25

Via the Massachusetts Division of Insurance:

Merged Market Summary for Proposed Rates Effective for 2026

The following tables depict the proposed overall weighted average premium increase and the key assumptions behind premium development for the merged (individual and small employer) market filed by insurance carriers as part of the Massachusetts Division of Insurance rate review process (for rates effective in 2026). This information is subject to change as the rate review process continues.

The Health Care Access Bureau within the Massachusetts Division of Insurance is currently reviewing these assumptions. This review process will culminate in a final decision in August 2025.

There are 711,563 consumers enrolled in merged (individual/small group) market plans (data as of December 2024).

Originally posted 8/11/25

Overall preliminary rate changes via the SERFF database, Wisconsin Insurance Dept. and/or the federal Rate Review database.

Aspirus Arise Health Plan of WI

The average proposed rate increase of 12.6%, effective January 1, 2026 is expected to impact 13,677 members, based on membership as of March 31, 2025. The rate increase varies by plan, ranging between 4.4% and 20.5%. Rate changes vary by plan due to the impact of changes in benefits and rating adjustments to account for the non-funding of Cost Sharing Reduction (CSR) payments.

Originally posted 8/8/25

Overall preliminary rate changes via the SERFF database, Nebraska Insurance Dept. website and/or the federal Rate Review database.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of NE:

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (BCBSNE) is setting new rates for its Individual ACA market business in Nebraska. The rate change will take effect January 1, 2026, and will impact an estimated 22,300 members. On average, rates will go up by 20.5% compared to 2025 individual rates. Depending on the network and plan, rate changes will range from a decrease of 1.1% to an increase of 33.3%. Additionally, premiums will go up a bit each year as people get older, even if their plan rates stay the same.

BCBSNE used its own claims and enrollment data, and other publicly available information to set these rates.

Originally posted 8/08/25

Overall preliminary rate changes via SERFF database, Mississippi Insurance Dept. website and/or the federal Rate Review database.

Ambetter of Magnolia Inc.

The proposed rate change of 39.0% applies to approximately 142,324 individuals. Ambetter of Magnolia Inc.’s projected administrative expenses for 2026 are $89.76 PMPM. Administrative expense does not include $34.22 for taxes and fees. The historical administrative expenses for 2025 were $73.84 PMPM, which excludes taxes and fees. The projected loss ratio is 84.4% which satisfies the federal minimum loss ratio requirement of 80.0%.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of MS:

The 2026 monthly health insurance premium is made up of four pieces: estimated claim costs, administrative costs, taxes and fees, and risk/profit margin.

Just a few days ago I reported that the final, approved 2026 individual market rate filings in Michigan have been published to the SERFF database, for an overall weighted average rate increase of 20.1% marketwide:

This hasn't been officially published by the Michigan Dept. of Insurance & Financial Services yet, and technically speaking the filings aren't 100% approved yet, but 10 out of 11 filings have been moved to "complete pending form review" which I think just means that a supervisor has to give the paperwork a final once-over to make sure there are no typos etc.

*Also, Meridian Health Plan (which holds an impressive 30% of the total ACA indy market in MI when you include the carriers dropping out) is listed as "draft decision forwarded to Manager" so if any of them end up being off I'd guess it would be that one.

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