US individual health insurance enrollment fell to 20.5 million as of June, KFF says
XLV•Enrollment in Affordable Care Act and other individual health insurance plans fell 18% year over year to 20.5 million in June, the steepest annual decline since 2015. KFF expects enrollment to keep falling through 2026.
1. Enrollment declines
Enrollment in Affordable Care Act and other individual health insurance plans fell 18% to 20.5 million members in June, from 25.2 million a year earlier, KFF said. The decline was the steepest annual drop since 2015. KFF’s analysis also includes plans sold directly by insurers and plans not regulated by the ACA, such as short-term coverage.
2. Costs and coverage
Millions have dropped coverage this year after extra COVID-19 pandemic subsidies expired, doubling or tripling costs for some people. KFF said plan membership is expected to continue falling through 2026; a March survey found 17% of Obamacare plan members were not confident they could pay premiums through the year. Insurers seeking higher payments cited a sicker or higher-risk patient mix, and companies offering the plans requested a median 14% rate increase this year, the second-highest in nearly a decade.
