Your essential guide to understanding and navigating the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace.

Find key enrollment dates, special enrollment period details, CMS proposed changes and more!

Important Update: The New ACA Rules Are on Hold

Important Update: The New ACA Rules Are on Hold

You may have heard about some new rules coming to the ACA Marketplace. For now, a court has put many of those rules on hold. This means that the enrollment process and the types of plans available to you will not be affected by those specific changes this year. This is a developing situation, but for now, you can feel confident moving forward with your plan to enroll as usual.

What's on Hold? Here are some of the key provisions that have been temporarily paused:

  • Stricter Verification for Subsidies: The policy that would have disqualified people from receiving subsidies if they failed to reconcile tax credits with their income is on hold.

  • Penalty for Auto-Renewed Plans: The new $5 monthly premium penalty for individuals who automatically re-enroll in a $0 premium plan is not in effect.

  • Guaranteed Coverage: The rule that would have allowed insurers to deny new coverage to people who are behind on their premiums has been paused.

  • New Verification for Special Enrollment: A policy requiring stricter eligibility checks before a Special Enrollment Period (SEP) is also on hold.

I will continue to monitor this situation and all other developments to make sure your coverage is never at risk. If you have any questions about these changes or your specific situation, please contact me directly. I am here to help!

Planning Ahead for 2026: Aetna is Exiting the ACA Marketplace

Aetna (owned by CVS Health) has announced its decision to stop offering individual and family plans on the ACA Marketplace starting in 2026. This strategic move is primarily driven by their assessment that the ACA Marketplace business was not meeting their financial performance expectations, and they were facing ongoing challenges in sustaining profitability within this specific market. They are choosing to focus their efforts on other health benefit solutions where they believe they can provide greater value and achieve better financial results.