2026 Rate Change Project Update: Across 17 states, final rate hikes drop a bit

This is just a quick update to my ongoing 2026 ACA indy market rate change tracking project.

As of this morning I've confirmed final/approved filings across 17 states. Across these state the weighted average year over year increase is 21.5%, down about 1.4 points from the preliminary increase of 23.0%.

I expect final filings for at least a dozen more states to come in over the next week or so, but unless a couple of large states like Texas or Florida have dramatic reductions in their rate increases along the lines of New York or Vermont, I'd still expect the overall national average to and up over 20%.