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- 7.6%average approved 2027 increase for full price plans in Arkansas
- 2carriers leaving the Arkansas marketplace for 2027
- Nov 1when you can start comparing 2027 plans
What is happening in Arkansas
Two Centene companies, Celtic (sold as Ambetter) and QualChoice, are leaving the Arkansas marketplace for 2027. Together they covered more than 125,000 people, and the number of marketplace insurers drops from six to four. If your plan is from one of them, you will need to choose a new one. Your current plan keeps working through December 31, 2026.
The bigger change is cost. Carriers in Arkansas have an average approved increase of about 7.6% for 2027 for people who pay full price. Nationally, many carriers point to the same cause: the extra federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025, some healthier people left the marketplace, and the people who stayed cost more to cover on average.
2027 in Arkansas: who is selling and what it costs
Arkansas has fewer marketplace insurers for 2027. Four companies sell plans on HealthCare.gov in Arkansas, down from six in 2026. Two Centene companies, Celtic Insurance Company (sold as Ambetter) and QualChoice Life and Health Insurance Company, did not file to sell 2027 plans. Together they covered more than 125,000 people last year, according to the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
The four companies left for 2027 are:
- USAble Mutual Insurance Company (Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield)
- HMO Partners (Health Advantage), part of Arkansas Blue Cross
- USAble HMO (Octave), part of Arkansas Blue Cross
- QCA Health Plan, the one Centene company staying in the Arkansas marketplace
Requested increases ranged from 3.1% for USAble HMO to 15.9% for QCA Health Plan. The final approved average for the individual market is about 7.6%, one of the smaller increases in the country. If your 2026 plan was from Celtic or QualChoice, you need to pick a new plan for 2027, and the choice is now mostly between Arkansas Blue Cross companies and QCA.
Arkansas uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and you need to pick by December 15 for a January 1 start. Arkansas covers its Medicaid expansion group through ARHOME, which buys private marketplace plans for eligible adults. If you got a letter from Celtic or QualChoice, bring it to me and I will compare what is left with plans sold off the marketplace.
Where carriers are leaving
The exits are real, just not in Arkansas. Cigna is leaving the individual market in all 11 states where it sells. Baylor Scott & White is leaving Texas, CareSource is leaving Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, Medica is leaving Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma, and several smaller carriers are leaving other states. If you moved recently or have family elsewhere, the all states overview lists them.
What the price change means for you
If you get a subsidy, the headline increase is not what you pay. Your subsidy is recalculated on your estimated 2027 income, and it usually absorbs much of a price increase. Updating your income estimate matters more than the rate filing.
If you do not get a subsidy, you feel the full increase. This is where it pays to compare more than one kind of coverage. Private major medical plans are priced differently from ACA plans, and for many people who pay full price they can cost less for similar or better coverage. I compare both, side by side, so you can see the real numbers for your household.
The practical point: if you do nothing, most plans renew automatically at the new 2027 price. Automatic renewal does not check whether a different plan now costs less or fits your doctors better. That check takes a few minutes.
The dates that matter
- Fall 2026Renewal notices arrive with your 2027 price. Read it, even if you plan to keep your plan.
- November 1, 2026Open enrollment opens for 2027 coverage. You can compare and choose from this date.
- December 15, 2026Deadline to pick a plan that starts January 1, 2027.
- January 15, 2027Open enrollment closes. After this you generally need a qualifying life event to change plans.
What to do, in order
Read your renewal notice
It shows your 2027 premium and any plan changes. Compare it with what you pay today.
Write down your doctors and your prescriptions
The physicians you want to keep and the exact drugs with dosages. Networks and drug lists change from year to year even when the carrier stays.
Re-estimate your income for 2027
Your subsidy is based on your estimated income for the year ahead. If it changed, your real cost changes with it.
Compare before December 15
Compare on total cost, meaning premium plus deductible plus what you expect to use, and include private options if you pay full price.
Common questions
Is my health insurance company leaving Arkansas in 2027?
Ambetter (Celtic) and QualChoice are leaving the Arkansas marketplace for 2027. If you receive a notice that your specific plan is being discontinued, keep it, because it can qualify you for a special enrollment period.
Why is my premium going up for 2027?
Carriers in Arkansas have an average approved increase of about 7.6%. Rising medical costs and the end of the extra federal subsidies after 2025 are the main reasons carriers give. If you get a subsidy, your net cost depends on your 2027 income.
Do I have to use a broker?
No. You can enroll yourself at HealthCare.gov at no cost. A licensed broker also costs you nothing, because brokers are paid by the carriers and the premium is identical either way. A broker can also show you private plans that are not sold on the marketplace.