(Salem, OR) – The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation has finalized the 2026 health rates for the individual and small group plans following months of federal uncertainty that delayed the normal review timeline.
Five insurers – Moda, Bridgespan, PacificSource, Providence, and Regence – will continue to offer plans statewide. Kaiser Permanente will provide coverage in 11 counties, giving consumers six options to choose from in major portions of the state.
Average changes for 2026
- Individual market: In the individual market, six companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average increase of 3.9 percent (PacificSource) to 12.9 percent (Kaiser), for a weighted average increase of 9.7 percent. That average increase is slightly higher than last year’s requested weighted average increase of 9.3 percent.
- Small group market: In the small group market, eight companies submitted rate change requests ranging from an average increase of 5.2 percent (PacificSource) to 21.5 percent (Providence), for a weighted average increase of 11.5 percent, which is lower than last year’s 12.3 percent requested average increase.
Federal policy shifts add pressure to 2026 rates
Consumers will see the costs of premiums rise next year due to the scheduled expiration of federal Affordable Care Act tax subsidies that helped offset costs for many Oregonians. Those expanded subsidies, known as Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, will expire on Dec. 31, 2025, unless Congress acts to reauthorize them.
Without reauthorization of the subsidies, people who buy their own health coverage through the federal marketplace will receive smaller tax credits to lower their monthly premiums. For some households, especially those in middle-income brackets or in rural parts of the state, this may translate into substantial increases in premiums and out-of-pocket costs.
Although this federal change is beyond the state’s control, the state anticipates most who buy plans from the marketplace (about 126,000 as of the end of the second quarter this year) will see increases, some as much as 300 percent to 400 percent.
Even with increased premiums, it is important for consumers to maintain health insurance coverage to protect their health and guard against unexpected financial losses. To assist in selecting a plan or to compare plan costs, the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace has a calculator tool to help consumers make an informed decision on which plan is best for them.
Despite national cost pressures, Oregon’s reinsurance program continues to play a major role in holding down premiums. Since its creation eight years ago, the program has lowered individual-market premiums by at least 6.5 percent annually and by 9 percent this year alone, compared to what rates would have been without it.
The finalized rates and map are on DFR’s website.
About Oregon DFR: The Division of Financial Regulation protects consumers and regulates insurance, depository institutions, trust companies, securities, and consumer financial products and services. The division is part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services, Oregon’s largest consumer protection and business regulatory agency. Visit dfr.oregon.gov and dcbs.oregon.gov.