Each spring and summer, health insurers submit rate filings to state regulators to justify premium changes for the coming calendar year. Several factors drive premium changes, and usually the cost of medical care (the prices of health services and the amount of care people are receiving) is the primary driver of premiums. However, heading into 2026, there are also policy changes that insurers expect will drive up their costs and, thus, increase premiums beyond what they would otherwise charge. Early indications are that individual market insurers will be increasing premiums in 2026 by more than they have since 2018, the last time policy uncertainty contributed to sharp premium increases. Across 105 ACA Marketplace insurers in 20 markets (19 states and the District of Columbia), premiums are increasing by a median of 15%.
Read the full article: Individual Market Insurers Requesting Largest Premium Increases in More Than 5 Years //
Source: https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/brief/individual-market-insurers-requesting-largest-premium-increases-in-more-than-5-years/