DOVER, Del. — Delawareans buying coverage on the Affordable Care Act Marketplace should brace for higher premiums next year. State regulators finalized sizable increases driven by expiring federal subsidy enhancements and persistently high health care costs. Medicare, Medicaid, and off-Marketplace plans are not affected. Marketplace enrollment sits at roughly 50,000, and 92% of enrollees receive Advance Premium Tax Credits that currently cut premiums by about $538 per month—more than $6,400 a year. Those enhanced credits are scheduled to lapse absent congressional action, which would push net costs higher for many households.
Final 2026 rate changes: AmeriHealth Caritas +34.98% (down from a 46.2% request), Celtic Ambetter Health +31.8% (request approved), Highmark +25% (down from 30.3% requested). Dental plans see modest upticks, and small-group filings with increases above 20% are under review.
Delaware’s broader cost picture remains challenging. A new hospital budget review board intended to rein in prices is tied up in litigation, adding uncertainty to near-term cost control efforts. Open enrollment runs Nov. 1–Jan. 15; special enrollment is available year-round for qualifying life events.
