Source: Health Policy Institute of Ohio
Newly released state enrollment data shows the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace coverage losses could be even more severe than initially anticipated due to Congress’s decision to not renew enhanced subsidies (Source: States Starting to See Major Obamacare Coverage Losses, The Hill, June 10).
Monthly enrollment data through April from Arkansas, Colorado, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Mexico, and New York showed a significant number of people canceled their coverage or did not pay their premium bills after signing up for coverage in 2026, according to an analysis from Georgetown University.
Federal officials have so far only released data on initial sign-ups during open enrollment, which include people whose coverage was automatically renewed at the end of 2025.
Sign-ups declined during the 2026 open enrollment period by 1.2 million, a 5% drop from the prior year and the largest decline in any year since the marketplaces opened in 2014.
But researchers say that’s an incomplete picture, and it’s important to look at what people do after the first premium bill comes due. Experts estimate that 14% of people who signed up for a 2026 plan did not, or could not, pay their January premium. Some saw their coverage terminated quickly for nonpayment, but renewing consumers who qualify for tax credits generally get a three-month grace period before termination.