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Individual ACA premiums are set to rise sharply in 2026, with preliminary filings exhibiting a median enhance of about 20%, the biggest proposed soar since 2018. Before you attain for the panic button (or your calculator), remember: these filings are nonetheless preliminary and will come down.
Historically, ultimate charges are sometimes trimmed from preliminary requests. For instance, federal evaluation efforts have lowered fee hikes by about 1.4 proportion factors in previous years, saving shoppers a whole bunch of tens of millions of {dollars}.
Proposed 2026 ACA Premium Increases
ACA watchers (together with me) have been sharing this scary wanting (however properly finished) graph from the KFF Team across the web:
National common proposed fee enhance for 2026 sits round 20%, with a median of 18%.
But averages don’t inform the complete story…
ACA Rate Increase Averages Are Lying Liars
While 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). If your ICHRA technique pins all hopes on one plan or service, you could be locking your workers into the worst-case eventualities.
Here’s one other reduce of the information from the Take Command group as an example the purpose in a couple of choose states (extra obtainable upon request when you ask properly or wish to run ICHRA design with us):
While no class of well being advantages (particular person, group, level-funded, and so on) 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 affect. This 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 shoppers or workers might miss with out the suitable ICHRA setup.
Why Plan Variety for ICHRA Isn’t Just Nice, It’s Essential
Some ICHRA directors restrict the plans workers can select from. They may solely help plans from insurers they’re contracted with, or limit entry to solely on-exchange choices.
In a typical 12 months, that could be inconvenient. In 2026? It’s borderline reckless.
Our evaluation exhibits that fee will increase vary from -5% to +59%. Roughly one in 4 insurers are asking for will increase over 25%. If your ICHRA administrator solely gives or “recommends” a couple of plans, and so they occur to be on the excessive finish of the dimensions, your shoppers and workers will really feel it of their wallets.
Let’s give an instance. Say ABC Co. gives their workers $500/mo by an ICHRA. If workers solely have entry to a single plan or restricted plan set, a 25% enhance means the employer might want to increase their ICHRA allowance to $625/mo to permit their worker to take care of buying energy, or the worker must eat the associated fee and pay out of their paycheck.
However, if the worker has a sturdy set of plan choices (together with off-exchange), the worker will possible have the ability to discover a completely different plan that meets their wants at a a lot decrease price.
It’s why this 12 months, though the common enhance is 20% nationally, most Take Command shoppers are in a position to solely enhance their allowances 5-10% and workers nonetheless keep buying energy.
Off-Exchange Plans are the Unsung Hero in ACA Market Volatility
Because 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 increasingly insurance coverage corporations roll-out ICHRA-specific plans which are solely obtainable off-exchange. That means decrease will increase, and even higher plan design, on your workers. In the states sampled above, off-exchange plans present a noticeable benefit. That’s the sort of financial savings your individuals won’t ever see in case your ICHRA admin doesn’t help these plans.
Why Take Command: More selections than Healthcare.gov
Take Command gives the broadest entry to each on- and off-exchange plans, empowering workers with true alternative and shielding them from extreme premium spikes. Our platform is constructed to accommodate each ACA-compliant plan out there, so your group will get the pliability and management they want.
Brokers and consultants that examine Take Command’s purchasing expertise to others are sometimes shocked to search out 40-50% extra plans obtainable than they even knew existed.
We’ve crunched the information. We’ve constructed the integrations. We have deep insurance coverage firm relationships. And we’ve made it simple on your group to save cash, even in a risky 12 months like 2026.