Industry Update: What Midwest Families Should Expect Heading Into 2026 Open Enrollment

Open enrollment is still a few months out, but the plan filings and carrier notices that shape it are already landing. Here is what I am watching right now and what it likely means for your coverage.

Premiums are moving, but not evenly

Rate filings continue to trend upward across most Midwest markets, driven mainly by higher medical utilization and specialty drug costs. The important part is that increases are not uniform. Two plans from different carriers in the same county can move in opposite directions, which means the plan that was the best value this year is frequently not the best value next year.

• Do not assume your renewal notice reflects the best price available to you
• Auto renewal is convenient and it is also how most people quietly overpay
• A comparison takes a few minutes and often shifts the monthly number meaningfully

Subsidies deserve a fresh look

Marketplace subsidies are based on your estimated household income for the coming year, not last year's tax return. Income changes, a new contract, a spouse changing jobs, or a business that had a strong year can all swing your subsidy in either direction.

• Update your income estimate before you renew, not after
• If you are self employed, coordinate the subsidy estimate with your expected write offs
• Reporting a change mid year is far easier than reconciling a surprise at tax time

Medicare Advantage is still consolidating

Carriers have continued to trim plan offerings and tighten networks in some counties, while adding supplemental benefits in others. Every year I see clients whose plan is discontinued or whose specialist quietly leaves the network.

• Read your Annual Notice of Change when it arrives in late September
• Verify your doctors and your prescriptions on the specific plan, every single year
• Compare Advantage against Medicare Supplement if your health situation has changed

Dates to put on the calendar

• October 15 to December 7: Medicare Annual Enrollment Period
• November 1: ACA marketplace open enrollment opens for most states
• December 15: typical deadline for January 1 coverage
• January 15: typical close of marketplace open enrollment

What to do now

Nothing about August requires panic, but a little prep makes December painless. Pull together your current plan documents, your list of doctors and prescriptions, and a realistic income estimate for next year. When your Annual Notice of Change or renewal letter shows up, send it over and I will tell you plainly whether staying put is the right call.

A plan review costs you nothing, and premiums are the same whether you enroll on your own or through a licensed broker.