Particular person ACA premiums are set to rise sharply in 2026, with preliminary filings exhibiting a median enhance of about 20%, the biggest proposed leap since 2018. Earlier than you attain for the panic button (or your calculator), take note: these filings are nonetheless preliminary and will come down.
Traditionally, closing charges are sometimes trimmed from preliminary requests. For instance, federal overview efforts have decreased price hikes by about 1.4 proportion factors in previous years, saving customers lots of of hundreds of thousands of {dollars}.
Proposed 2026 ACA Premium Will increase
ACA watchers (together with me) have been sharing this scary trying (however nicely executed) graph from the KFF Staff across the web:
Nationwide common proposed price enhance for 2026 sits round 20%, with a median of 18%.
However averages don’t inform the total story…
ACA Fee Improve Averages Are Mendacity Liars
Whereas the 20% common sounds scary sufficient, it is the variation beneath the floor that basically issues. Some insurers are requesting will increase north of fifty%, whereas others are coming in at single digits (and even decreases). In case your ICHRA technique pins all hopes on one plan or provider, you may be locking your staff into the worst-case eventualities.
Right here’s one other minimize of the information from the Take Command group for example the purpose in just a few choose states (extra obtainable upon request for those who ask properly or need to run ICHRA design with us):
Whereas no class of well being advantages (particular person, group, level-funded, and so forth) are actually in a position to escape will increase this 12 months (driving by inflation prices, elevated utilization, and political uncertainty), the ICHRA market has an opportunity to mitigate the impression. That is very true in case your ICHRA administrator can effectuate plans from all kinds of insurance coverage carriers and entry a sturdy off-exchange line-up.
Off-exchange plans have a tendency to indicate decrease will increase—a bonus your purchasers or staff might miss with out the suitable ICHRA setup.
Why Plan Selection for ICHRA Isn’t Simply Good, It’s Important
Some ICHRA directors restrict the plans staff can select from. They could solely help plans from insurers they’re contracted with, or prohibit entry to solely on-exchange choices.
In a typical 12 months, that may be inconvenient. In 2026? It is borderline reckless.
Our evaluation reveals that price will increase vary from -5% to +59%. Roughly one in 4 insurers are asking for will increase over 25%. In case your ICHRA administrator solely affords or “recommends” just a few plans, they usually occur to be on the excessive finish of the dimensions, your purchasers and staff will really feel it of their wallets.
Let’s give an instance. Say ABC Co. affords their staff $500/mo via an ICHRA. If staff solely have entry to a single plan or restricted plan set, a 25% enhance means the employer might want to enhance their ICHRA allowance to $625/mo to permit their worker to take care of buying energy, or the worker should eat the associated fee and pay out of their paycheck.
Nevertheless, if the worker has a sturdy set of plan choices (together with off-exchange), the worker will probably have the ability to discover a totally different plan that meets their wants at a a lot decrease price.
It’s why this 12 months, although the typical enhance is 20% nationally, most Take Command purchasers are in a position to solely enhance their allowances 5-10% and staff nonetheless preserve buying energy.
Off-Change Plans are the Unsung Hero in ACA Market Volatility
As a result of off-exchange plans aren’t impacted by the expiration of enhanced subsidies, they’re usually much less uncovered to premium volatility. We’re additionally seeing an increasing number of insurance coverage corporations roll-out ICHRA-specific plans which are solely obtainable off-exchange. Meaning decrease will increase, and even higher plan design, to your staff. Within the states sampled above, off-exchange plans present a noticeable benefit. That’s the sort of financial savings your folks won’t ever see in case your ICHRA admin doesn’t help these plans.
Why Take Command: Extra selections than Healthcare.gov
Take Command affords the broadest entry to each on- and off-exchange plans, empowering staff with true alternative and shielding them from extreme premium spikes. Our platform is constructed to accommodate each ACA-compliant plan available in the market, so your group will get the pliability and management they want.
Brokers and consultants that evaluate Take Command’s procuring expertise to others are sometimes stunned to seek out 40-50% extra plans obtainable than they even knew existed.
We’ve crunched the information. We’ve constructed the integrations. Now we have deep insurance coverage firm relationships. And we’ve made it simple to your group to save cash, even in a unstable 12 months like 2026.
