Michigan Approves 14.2% ACA Rate Hike, Enrollment Falls 27%
Michigan regulators approved 2027 rate increases of 14.2% for individual health plans, including ACA marketplace plans, and 9.6% for small group plans, ahead of the Nov. 1 open enrollment start. Individual market enrollment has dropped more than 130,000 in a year, with marketplace enrollment down 27%, more than double the national 12% decline. The University of Michigan's Center for Health and Research Transformation attributes the trend to the expiration of enhanced premium subsidies, federal rules changes, and provisions tied to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that narrow eligibility and add paperwork requirements. The number of marketplace insurers has fallen to seven, down from 15 in 2016, and Meridian Health Plan of Michigan's individual enrollment dropped from over 156,000 to under 19,000 after exiting Metro Detroit.