Charles Gaba's blog

Originally posted 8/08/25

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

CareSource WV:

(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.

Change in Medical Service Costs:

Originally posted 8/08/25

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

Blue Cross Blue Shield of ND:

(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.)

Welp. From the Colorado Dept. of Regulatory Agencies:

 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.

Note: I already published what should be the final gross rate change filings for Colorado last week: +21.2%

I've already noted that 17 states have launched window shopping for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP), allowing residents of the following states to plug their household information into their states ACA exchange website to see just how much their net health insurance premiums are going to increase starting January 1st, 2026:

Originally posted on 8/08/25

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

Aetna Life Insurance Co:

(Aetna/CVS is pulling out of the entire individual market nationally; I've estimated their current enrollment, see below for methodology)

AmeriHealth HMO:

AmeriHealth HMO, Inc. ("AHNJ”) is revising premium rates for the New Jersey Individual Health ACA compliant products, effective from January 1, 2026. Rate increases average 16.8%, ranging from 16.8% to 16.8%. The proposed revisions to each plan are shown on the last page of this exhibit. About 35 members will be affected.

AmeriHealth Insurance Co of NJ

Originally posted 12/19/24

Colorado has around ~282,000 residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans, 80% of whom are currently subsidized. I estimate they also have another ~39,000 unsubsidized off-exchange enrollees.

Combined, that's 321,000 people, although assuming the national average 6.6% net enrollment attrition rate applies, current enrollment would be back down to more like 322,000 statewide.

In the middle of the ongoing 2026 ACA Tax Credit Expiration Crisis, healthcare think tank KFF (formerly the Kaiser Family Foundation) published the annual update to their Employer Health Benefits Survey analysis, finding that...

Annual Family Premiums for Employer Coverage Rise 6% in 2025, Nearing $27,000, with Workers Paying $6,850 Toward Premiums Out of Their Paychecks

• More of the Largest Firms Cover GLP-1s for Weight Loss, and Use Is Higher Than Expected; Some May Be Limiting Coverage

Family premiums for employer-sponsored health insurance reached an average of $26,993 this year, KFF’s annual benchmark health benefits survey of large and smaller employers finds. On average, workers contribute $6,850 annually to the cost of family coverage, with employers paying the rest.

I've already noted that 14 states have launched window shopping for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP), allowing residents of the following states to plug their household information into their states ACA exchange website to see just how much their net health insurance premiums are going to increase starting January 1st, 2026:

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.

Last week I noted that thirteen states have launched window shopping for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP), allowing residents of the following states to plug their household information into their states ACA exchange website to see just how much their net health insurance premiums are going to increase starting January 1st, 2026: