Expect health insurance prices to rise next year, brokers and experts say

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

Health insurance premiums projected to rise in 2026

ACA marketplace enrollees could face steep cost hikes

Employers may shift more medical costs to workers

Expensive drugs like Ozempic and gene therapies add pressure

Pricey prescriptions and nagging medical costs are swamping some insurers and employers now. Patients may start paying for it next year.

Health insurance will grow more expensive in many corners of the market in 2026, and coverage may shrink. That could leave patients paying more for doctor visits and dealing with prescription coverage changes.

Price increases could be especially stark in individual coverage marketplaces, where insurers also are predicting the federal government will end some support that helps people buy coverage.

“We’re in a period