Expect Health Insurance Prices to Rise Next Year, Brokers and Experts Say

Health insurance costs are expected to rise significantly in 2026, with coverage potentially shrinking for patients, particularly in individual marketplaces. Insurers cite rising utilization of care, increased emergency visits, more mental health claims, and expensive prescription drugs—including GLP-1 obesity and diabetes treatments and rare-gene therapies costing millions—as key drivers.

Fewer healthy individuals are maintaining coverage, concentrating higher-risk patients in the market. Changes to federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act could further increase costs for consumers. Employers may shift more expenses to employees through higher deductibles or altered prescription benefits, highlighting ongoing challenges in access and affordability for public health. Read more from AP here.