Last September, just ahead of the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period, the Colorado legislature passed emergency legislation to generate funding to backfill around 40% of the premium subsidies which were lost when Congressional Republicans refused to extend the enhanced federal tax credits:
DENVER - Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway released the following statement on Governor Polis signing HB 25B-1006 into law, legislation that provides funding to the individual healthcare market to reduce catastrophic premium increases:
“I’m grateful Colorado lawmakers heeded our call about catastrophic price increases for the individual healthcare market and passed a temporary fix this special session. This stopgap measure will provide crucial funding to reduce the rise in premium costs for working families. But without Congress stepping up to extend enhanced premium tax credits, tens of thousands of hardworking Coloradans will lose their healthcare, and those who remain enrolled can expect to see average net rate increases of more than 100%, and for many, almost 200%.”
The past couple of weeks have been pretty brutal for the Oregon health insurance market.
On May 21st, Providence Health Plan announced that they were shutting down pretty much their entire insurance division across Oregon (which also impacts some people in Washington and California):
Providence Health & Services plans to exit most of its Oregon health insurance business next year, citing rising costs, tougher regulation and intensifying competition from national insurers — a move that will force hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to find new coverage.
...Providence Health Plan, based in Portland, is Oregon’s third-largest health insurer, covering more than 421,000 Oregonians. It also covers over 13,000 members in Washington and 4,800 in California.
...Providence will stop offering most plans through Providence Health Plan,including individual, family and employer coverage, as it seeks to strengthen its financial footing and refocus on delivering care rather than operating an insurance arm.
...Providence Health Plan, based in Portland, is Oregon’s third-largest health insurer, covering more than 421,000 Oregonians. It also covers over 13,000 members in Washington and 4,800 in California.
Providence to end most health insurance plans, forcing hundreds of thousands in Oregon to switch
Providence Health & Services plans to exit most of its Oregon health insurance business next year, citing rising costs, tougher regulation and intensifying competition from national insurers — a move that will force hundreds of thousands of Oregonians to find new coverage.
Leaders of the Renton, Washington-based health system announced the decision Wednesday, saying Providence will stop offering most plans through Providence Health Plan,including individual, family and employer coverage, as it seeks to strengthen its financial footing and refocus on delivering care rather than operating an insurance arm.
The Cigna Group disclosed plans to exit the individual health insurance business under the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, leaving about 369,000 health plan members in 11 states looking for new coverage in 2027.
The decision, disclosed Thursday, a day when Cigna reported $1.7 billion in first quarter net income, comes as more Americans can no longer afford Obamacare after the Republican-led Congress and the Trump administration failed to renew enhanced subsidies.
Already, enrollment in the individual plans Cigna sells dropped 17% to 369,000 in the first quarter compared to 446,000 in the first quarter of last year, the company said in its first quarter earnings report. Enrollment in Cigna’s individual coverage was flat when compared to the end of last year despite adding 20 new counties to the more than 370 counties across 11 states where the company has sold Obamacare.
