Press Release – September 10, 2025

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 10, 2025

Cuts Will Save $125 Million for Consumers; Open Enrollment Begins November, 1

Connecticut Insurance Commissioner Andrew N. Mais today announced that the Department has issued its rate decisions for 2026 fully insured individual and small group health insurance plans and has rejected every initial request from insurers.

"All of us - regulators, consumers and industry - have faced unprecedented uncertainty this year due to the federal government's pending changes to health care coverage. But our commitment to protect consumers never wavers," Commissioner Mais said.

The Department reduced and modified the requests from seven insurers, saving consumers about $125 million next year on fully insured Affordable Care Act (ACA) compliant plans marketed on and off the state's health insurance exchange, Access Health CT. In the past three years, the Department has saved consumers $267 million. Additionally, the Department has limited insurer profits to 0.95% of premium dollars.

The ACA plans are regulated by the Department and cover about 240,000 people in Connecticut. Self-funded employer health plans, where the majority of people are enrolled, are regulated by the U.S. Department of Labor under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA).

Insurance Department Rate Review

The Department's thorough and transparent actuarial review process of eight plans filed by seven carriers began in early June and included an informational public forum in August. The Department:

• Reduced the individual market rate increase request by 28% - from a requested average 23.3% to an average increase of 16.8%.
• Reduced the small group market rate increase request by 16% - from a requested average of 13.1% to an average increase of 11%.

In addition to the impact of potential federal enhanced subsidy changes to individual plans, insurers cited increases of 6-10% in medical costs, 9-15% increase in pharmacy costs, and an increased demand for medical services as part of their justification for requesting increases.

Federal Uncertainty Around Rate Requests

Commissioner Mais noted that nationwide, health insurance rate requests were the highest since 2018, as insurers adjusted for the potential impact of the loss of enhanced federal subsidies in the individual market. Citing a report from KFF and the Peterson Center on Health Care, the Commissioner said the median proposed increase of 18% for 2026 is nearly triple the median proposed increases in prior years. Without the enhanced subsidies, consumers with ACA coverage could see average premium increases of 75%.

In Connecticut, approximately 90% of Access Health CT enrollees received financial assistance through the enhanced subsidies for the cost of their coverage.

"If Congress does not reauthorize these subsidies, more than 139,000 Connecticut residents could face significant premium cost increases, and could lose access to coverage," Commissioner Mais said.

Citing a Georgetown University Center for Health Insurance Research study, Commissioner Mais said 24 million people enrolled in ACA Marketplaces in 2025, more than double the number that enrolled in 2020. Should Congress fail to extend the enhanced premium tax credits, the Congressional Budget Office has estimated that 4.2 million people will become uninsured, according to the study.

Open enrollment for the 2026 coverage year begins November 1, 2025.

Complete details and public comments are available on the Department's ACA Rate Filings page.

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Contact:
Mary Quinn
Communications Director
[email protected]
(959) 529-4904