On Friday morning, Gov. Sarah Sanders said she had “secured average rate increases that are 35.8% lower than previously proposed” from BlueCross and Centene, the two insurance companies that sell plans on the Arkansas Health Insurance Marketplace. (The marketplace is how people who aren’t covered through an employer, family member, or Medicaid typically buy health insurance.)

Sanders, who publicly slammed BlueCross and Centene in August for proposing “insane” 2026 rates (an average hike of 36%), claimed this as a victory for Arkansans. “More work remains, but this is a good starting point and shows that when we stand up to insurance companies, we can win tangible benefits for the people of our state,” she said.

But that 35.8% price reduction she touted? That’s simply a comparison to th

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