According to Charles Gaba's tracking of health insurers' rate requests for 2017 in the individual market, health insurers have thus far requested a weighted average rate increase of 22%. That's based on reporting from insurers serving 73% of current enrollees.
Rates requested are different from rates approved, however. And approved rates, weighted according to insurers' market share in the previous year, are different from the average rates that people (and the federal government, via subsidies) actually pay. That's because enrollees gravitate toward the cheapest plans at each metal level, which pay the same percentage of costs as more expensive plans in the same metal level.
According to Gaba and HHS, here's how rates shook out in 2015, 2016 and thus far for 2017:
Rates requested are different from rates approved, however. And approved rates, weighted according to insurers' market share in the previous year, are different from the average rates that people (and the federal government, via subsidies) actually pay. That's because enrollees gravitate toward the cheapest plans at each metal level, which pay the same percentage of costs as more expensive plans in the same metal level.
According to Gaba and HHS, here's how rates shook out in 2015, 2016 and thus far for 2017:
