Arkansans buying their own health insurance face a steep premium hike next year, with rates set to rise an average of 36%, according to filings from BlueCross and Centene. Some plans could increase by more than 50%.
Roughly 166,000 residents rely on the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace. Many will be priced out as enhanced Affordable Care Act subsidies expire in 2025. Those subsidies, expanded under Biden’s American Rescue Plan, helped make coverage more affordable and drove enrollment from 64,000 in 2020 to 166,000 this year.
Without the expanded aid, a 30-year-old single mom earning $40,000 would see her monthly premium jump from $61 to $214, a 250% increase. A 64-year-old couple making $90,000 could see premiums spike from $638 to nearly $3,000.
Gov. Sarah Sanders called the hikes “unacceptable” but has supported federal cuts that helped create them. Insurers warn healthier enrollees will drop coverage, leaving a sicker pool and driving costs higher.
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