US individual health insurance enrollment fell to 20.5 million people 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 members in June, KFF said. Insurers requested a median 14% rate increase this year, the second-highest in nearly a decade.
1. Enrollment declines
Individual health insurance enrollment fell to 20.5 million members in June from 25.2 million a year earlier, the steepest annual decline since 2015. Millions have dropped coverage this year after extra pandemic subsidies expired, with costs doubling or tripling for some people.
2. Costs and coverage
KFF said plan membership is expected to keep falling through 2026. In a March survey, 17% of Obamacare plan members said they were not confident they could pay premiums through the year. Insurers including Centene and UnitedHealth have flagged rising medical costs in their Obamacare businesses, and insurers requesting higher payments cited a sicker or higher-risk mix of enrollees.
