The ACA Marketplaces in 2025, at a Glance

HealthCare.gov enrollees have more health plan options in 2025 compared to previous years, yet the average benchmark plan premium in states that use the federal enrollment platform increased modestly, according to CMS.

In most states, the open enrollment period for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage runs from Nov. 1, 2024, to Jan. 15, 2025. Out of the 31 states that are using HealthCare.gov, eight have more Qualified Health Plan (QHP) issuers in 2025 than in 2024, and 97% of enrollees have access to three or more issuers, compared to 78% in 2021. Seven HealthCare.gov states have counties with a single QHP issuer in 2025, compared to nine states in 2024. Georgia stopped using HealthCare.gov in 2024 and transitioned to a state-run exchange, and Illinois is scheduled to move to a state-based marketplace for the 2026 plan year.

Centene Corp., the largest ACA insurer, is offering over 2,200 on-exchange QHPs across 21 HealthCare.gov states for the 2025 plan year. The insurer said its Ambetter Health plans will expand into 60 new counties across 10 states. UnitedHealthcare is also expanding its footprint, entering into four new states — Indiana, Iowa, Nebraska and Wyoming — and 119 additional counties in 13 of the 26 states where it already offered coverage.

For HealthCare.gov enrollees, the average premium for the second lowest-cost silver plan, also known as the benchmark plan, is increasing 3% from 2024 to 2025. As a result of the enhanced subsidies under the American Rescue Plan Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, the average lowest-cost plan premium for enrollees receiving advance premium tax credits (APTC) declined from $65 in 2021 (pre-ARPA) to $37 in 2025, which is slightly higher than $35 last year. Meanwhile, the lowest estimated total yearly cost — including after-APTC premium and cost sharing — for a 40-year-old enrollee with household income of 150% of the federal poverty level decreased at all metal levels from 2024 to 2025.

However, the enhanced subsidies are scheduled to expire at the end of 2025. If these enhanced subsidies are not renewed, enrollees in at least 12 HealthCare.gov states will see their annual premium payments at least double in 2026.

A KFF analysis found that average benchmark premiums (before the application of APTC) range from $325 in New Hampshire to $1,277 in Vermont in 2025. The average benchmark premiums in Vermont, Alaska and North Dakota increased by over 10% in 2025 compared to 2024, with Vermont’s premium seeing a jump of 34.4%. Premiums in eight states are falling, especially in Louisiana (-7.0%) and Alabama (-5.2%).

Starting Nov. 1, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients will be allowed to sign up for subsidized coverage through the ACA marketplaces in 2025. They will also qualify for premium tax credits and cost sharing reductions. CMS estimated that 100,000 uninsured DACA recipients will receive coverage under this new rule.

This infographic was reprinted from AIS Health’s weekly publication Health Plan Weekly.