The projected average rate change for plans effective January 1, 2026 is 16.0% which is an average rate change of about $87 per member per month (pmpm). Because 16.0% (or about $87) is an average, it is possible to have a different rate change. Factors affecting a member's premium are age, tobacco use, family composition, plan, and geographic area. Expected cost differences by product are updated every year to ensure premium differences are appropriate. BridgeSpan has approximately 200 members enrolled in this line of business as of March 2025.
...The rate change described above is driven by the following factors:
Medical Trend : 9.1%
Change in Benefits, Age, Area, and Network : -1.5%
Change in Market Morbidity : 5.0%
Exchange User Fees : 1.0%
Other : 2.0%
Other includes: actual results vs. expected, changes to admin expenses, and rx rebates. Actual results vs. expected reflect differences between actual results and past assumptions, including a true-up of market morbidity estimates
In the most recent chapter of the ongoing 2026 Arkansas rate filing saga, I noted that both the total number of residents enrolled in ACA individual market policies as well as the average 2026 rate increases for the six insurance carriers participating in the individual market next year kept changing, often in ways which were contradictory with other numbers claimed within the same press releases:
You'll notice that in addition to the rate changes being updated (increasing from a weighted average hike of 26.2% to 35.7%), most of the current enrollee figures were also modified, although these only changed slightly in most cases. Overall the total number of current individual market enrollees statewide dropped a bit from ~354,000 to ~345,000.
Minor changes like this aren't unusual; sometimes the carriers make slight tweaks as more recent data comes in or clerical errors are corrected; other times they round off the enrollee totals (that doesn't seem to be the case here, however).
Iowa Code §505.19 requires the Commissioner to hold a public hearing on a proposed individual health insurance rate increase which exceeds the average annual health spending growth rate as published by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services of the United State Department of Health and Human Services. For 2026 the growth rate is 5.6%.
The Iowa Insurance Commissioner will hold a public hearing regarding the relevant rate increases on August 19, 2025.
The purpose will be to hear public comments on the proposed increase in the base premium rate. Consumers wishing to make a public comment at the hearing are encouraged to attend the hearing via the live webcast.
All comments received will be considered public records and will be posted here. The Consumer Advocate will present the public comments received at the hearing.
Iowa has around 136,000 residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans, 88% of whom are currently subsidized. I estimate they also have another ~9,600 unsubsidized off-exchange enrollees.
Oregonians continue to have at least five health insurance companies to choose from in every Oregon county as companies file 2026 health insurance rate requests for individual and small group markets
In-depth rate review process just beginning, opportunities for public review and input remain through June 20
June 2, 2025
Oregon health insurers have submitted proposed 2026 rates for individual and small group plans, launching a months-long review process that includes public input and meetings.
Five insurers will again offer plans statewide (Moda, Bridgespan, PacificSource, Providence, and Regence), and Kaiser is offering insurance in 11 counties, giving six options to choose from in various areas around the state.
A Washington Post poll conducted on Oct. 1, the first day of the shutdown, found that 47% of U.S. adults blame Trump and Republicans in Congress, while 30% blame Democrats and 23% said they're not sure.
The survey found that independents blamed Trump and Republicans over Democrats by a wide margin of 50% to 22%. And one-third of Republicans were either unsure who to blame (25%) or blamed their party (8%).
Federal subsidies that reduce the cost of Affordable Care Act health insurance plans are scheduled to end at the end of this year. Should these subsidies...
Federal policy shifts drive higher 2026 rates for individual and small group health plans
State actions blunt increases tied to the reconciliation bills and policy direction of the federal government
St. Paul, MN: Health insurers have submitted their proposed increased rates to the Minnesota Department of Commerce for 2026 plans available to Minnesotans who buy individual or small group health insurance through MNsure or directly through insurers. These proposed rates apply to coverage starting Jan. 1, 2026, with open enrollment beginning Nov. 1, 2025.
The Department of Insurance receives preliminary health plan information for the following year from insurance carriers by June 1 and reviews the proposed plan documents and rates for compliance with Idaho and federal regulations.The Department of Insurance does not have the authority to set or establish insurance rates, but it does have the authority to deem rate increases submitted by insurance companies as reasonable or unreasonable. After the review and negotiation process, the carriers submit their final rate increase information. The public is invited to provide comments on the rate changes. Please send any comments to Idaho Department of Insurance.
Back in July, I warned that my original projections from earlier in the year of how much net ACA enrollee premiums will increase starting in January 2026 in all 50 states +DC if the enhanced premium tax credits are allowed to expire would have to be revised & updated due to two major changes which had taken place since then:
OK, this is a bit embarrassing, but I just realized that the last time I wrote anything significant about about Illinois joining 20 other states in moving off of the federally-facilitated ACA marketplace (HealthCare.Gov) onto their own fully state-based platform (Get Covered Illinois) was nearly 2 1/2 years ago, when the state legislature passed the bill and Gov. Pritzker signed it into law!
For obvious reasons it feels a little weird to be writing about it at this particular moment in time, but the fact remains that yes, Illinois will be making the move starting November 1st, 2025. Here's a formal press release from August:
Get Covered Illinois Transitions to a State-Based Marketplace this November
