Health insurers in Arkansas are seeking average rate increases of 26.2% for individual on- and off-market plans and 7.9% for small group plans for the 2026 plan year.
Insurers file proposed rate adjustments each year in response to market trends, healthcare costs, and policy shifts. In addition to these typical adjustments, filings from the insurance companies attribute the high rate increases proposed for next year on individual plans to recent federal and state policy changes. All six companies cite the expiration of the enhanced premium tax credits and the pending implementation of work requirements for adults in the Medicaid expansion program, among other federal actions, as reasons for the hikes. Several Arkansas laws mandating certain benefits, limiting prior authorizations, and regulating pharmacy benefit managers, which passed in the 2025 legislative session, are also cited as major contributing factors.
Under state law, the Arkansas Insurance Department reviews the proposed rates to ensure that plans are priced appropriately. The state insurance commissioner must disapprove any rate that is deemed excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory.
Below are the proposed rate filings for 2026 plans that comply with the requirements of the Affordable Care Act. These include individual plans offered through the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace and individual and small group plans offered outside the marketplace.
Individual On- and Off-Market Plans
| Company Name | Enrollees | Market Share | Average Change Requested |
|---|---|---|---|
| Celtic Insurance Company (Ambetter) | 85,093 | 24.0% | 20.10% |
| QCA Health Plan, Inc. | 52,505 | 14.8% | 30.10% |
| HMO Partners, Inc. d/b/a Health Advantage | 28,447 | 8.0% | 20.90% |
| QualChoice Life and Health Insurance Company, Inc. | 40,415 | 11.4% | 30.70% |
| USAble Mutual Insurance Co. (Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield) | 107,712 | 30.4% | 25.77% |
| USAble HMO, Inc. | 39,697 | 11.2% | 34.29% |
| Total | 353,869 | 100% | |
| Weighted Average | 26.20% |
Small Group Off-Market Plans
| Company Name | Enrollees | Market Share | Average Change Requested |
|---|---|---|---|
| QCA Health Plan, Inc. | 6,054 | 10.4% | 12.88% |
| UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company of the River Valley | 3,781 | 6.5% | -0.08% |
| UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company | 711 | 1.2% | 0.10% |
| QualChoice Life and Health Insurance Company | 4,104 | 7.0% | 13.06% |
| Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield | 43,830 | 74.9% | 7.50% |
| Total | 58,480 | 100.0% | |
| Weighted Average | 7.9% |
If approved, the 26.2% average rate hike proposed for individual market plans for 2026 would be an unprecedented increase compared to rate hikes from previous years, including the 6.2% average increase approved for 2025. The 7.9% average rate increase proposed for small group plans in 2026 is lower than the 10.2% rate hike approved in 2025, but higher than those approved in previous years, as shown below.
Rate filings for previous years can be found on the federal government’s Rate Review website.
Since 2018, Arkansas has had lower average monthly individual market premiums than any of the surrounding states. In 2025, Arkansas had the 16th-lowest marketplace benchmark premium in the nation.
