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:
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.
Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Company (HALIC) has filed for premium rate changes for its Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant Individual health insurance plans. This filing includes an average rate change of 21.23%, effective January 1, 2026, with plan prices changing between 18.75% and 24.73%. The price changes will impact about 52,000 people that have HALIC plans now and will keep HALIC plans next year. An insured person’s actual rate increase could be higher or lower depending on their benefit, where they live, how old they are, number of children, and if they use tobacco.
Overall preliminary rate changes via SERFF database, state insurance dept. website and/or the federal Rate Review database.
Aetna Life Insurance Co:
(Aetna/CVS is dropping out of the individual market in all states; I estimate they have around 35,000 enrollees in Kansas who will have to find a different carrier for 2026)
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Kansas City:
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City (BCBSKC) is requesting an average rate change of -6.1% for 2025 individual rates as compared to 2023 individual rates and calculated by the URRT. The changes vary by plan, with a minimum rate change of -10.8% and a maximum rate increase of 1.8%.
(Moda has heavily redacted their actuarial memo and isn't providing the number of current enrollees)
The average rate change is X.XX% as shown on Worksheet 2 of the URRT. The proposed rate Proposed Rate Increase change varies by product and plan, and the proposed rates vary by plan, age, geographic area, and tobacco use. The average rate change was calculated by comparing the weighted average premium for members on current plans and rates to the weighted average premium for members on renewal plans and rates.
A summary of the major components and their contribution to the rate change is provided in the table below.
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.
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.
(unfortunately, CareSource WV's actuarial memo is heavily redacted)
Highmark BCBS WV:
Highmark West Virgina (“Highmark WV”) is requesting an average ACA individual market rate increase of 17.0%, ranging from 15.2% to 23.3%. Products submitted with this filing will have effective dates from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2026. This rate change is projected to affect 28,179 members.
Historical Financial Experience:
Highmark WV incurred an underwriting gain in its ACA individual market programs in 2024.
(Unfortunately, BCBSND's actuarial memo is heavily redacted, so I don't know their current enrollment. I've had to make an educated guess on that; see below.)
Congressional failure to extend the enhanced premium tax credits will lead to an estimated 225,000 Coloradans seeing an average 101% increase in health insurance premiums
DENVER - The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA), today released the final approved premium information on private health insurance plans for 2026 for the individual market (for people who don’t get coverage from an employer plan). These filings have been reviewed and updated to reflect the passage of HB25B-1006, which blunted some of the premium increases.
