Monthly premiums will be higher for many on ACA plans this year, even double in some cases. That’s because Congress didn’t renew enhanced federal subsidies.
Recent data show around 4,000 fewer Montanans purchased an Affordable Care Act health plan in 2026, a roughly 5% decline.
Katherine Hempstead with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation expects enrollment numbers will decline even further.
She says some may never pay their first monthly premium because they simply can’t afford it, and will lose coverage.
“We’ll see other people maybe more mindfully saying, ‘Well, I can keep this coverage going until March or something, and then I’m going to have to drop it.”
Hempstead and other policy experts say data from states that run their own insurance marketplaces are already reporting declines from initial enrollment figures.
More data on enrollment and the types of plans Montanans selected is expected later this spring.
If you would like to share your story about purchasing an ACA plan, or your decision to drop health insurance coverage, you can contact Health Care Reporter Aaron Bolton.
