Little Rock, Arkansas – In a significant move aimed at easing financial pressure on Arkansas families, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has announced a major reduction in planned health insurance rate hikes for 2026. After previously disapproving proposed increases as high as 54.2% in August, the governor revealed that her administration successfully negotiated average rate increases that are 35.8% lower than initially requested by insurance companies.
“Healthcare costs are growing out of control, and Arkansans are fed up. As part of my administration’s broader strategy to expand access and lower costs, we were able to negotiate down planned increases, easing the burden on both beneficiaries and taxpayers,” said Governor Sanders. “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.”
The six health plans affected by the new rates are administered by Centene and Arkansas Blue Cross Blue Shield and are sold through the federally managed Affordable Care Act marketplace. Collectively, these plans cover more than 308,000 Arkansans.
Rate Reductions Affect Tens of Thousands of Residents
The new agreement, which goes into effect January 1, 2026, will have a direct impact on a wide range of consumers:
- Health Advantage (BCBS), covering 25,151 people, saw its proposed 20.90% rate hike reduced to 12.44%, a decrease of 40.48%.
- USAble HMO (BCBS), covering 32,867 Arkansans, had a 34.29% proposed increase lowered to 20.77%, down 39.43%.
- USAble Mutual (BCBS), with 95,301 insured, went from a proposed 25.77% hike to a 16.85% final increase, down 34.61%.
- QualChoiceLife (Centene), serving 35,823 individuals, is the only plan with an increased rate above initial projections, rising from 25.40% to 29.80%.
- Celtics Insurance Company (Centene) and QCA Health Plan (Centene), each with 72,509 enrollees, both had their proposed 42.50% hikes reduced to 26.10%, a 38.59% reduction.
The weighted average across all plans shows a drop from a 34.5% proposed increase to 22.21%, resulting in an average reduction of 35.63%…