Coming out of open enrollment, Health Connector enrollment for 2026 is slightly higher than it was at the end of 2025.
Health Connector individual market enrollment for 2026 is 391,744, a 1.6 percent increase compared to total unique enrollees in November and December 2025
BOSTON—Massachusetts residents have just days remaining to get health insurance coverage through the Massachusetts Health Connector, including access to help paying for a plan through the ConnectorCare program, with the January 23 deadline looming.
Open Enrollment is the time of year when anyone who needs health insurance can get covered. The Health Connector provides access to commercial plans, and access to subsidies to help pay for those plans. While some federal funding through enhanced Premium Tax Credits has expired due to inaction by Congressional Republicans and President Trump, earlier this month, Governor Maura Healey announced an increased investment of $250 million by the state in the ConnectorCare program, making premiums more affordable for enrollees.
This is very helpful for data hounds like myself, and I'll be consulting it regularly in the future.
In addition to displaying the latest enrollment data by various criteria, the MA dashboard also provides data from prior weeks, which means I can look for trend lines:
Total QHPs (ConnectorCare + Std. QHPs combined):
12/14/25: 361,541
12/21/25: 361,192
12/28/25: 371,453
01/04/26: 368,436
01/11/26: 372,971
What's noteworthy about this is that yesterday's CMS report had Massachusetts down as having 382,580 QHP selections total as of 12/27/25...which is over 11,000 higher than what the MA Connector had it at as of a day later.
Massachusetts is investing $600 million – the most in the country – to limit health care premium increases after President Trump and Congressional Republicans refused to extend ACA credits
BOSTON—Governor Maura Healey today detailed the strongest plan in the country* to protect Massachusetts residents from health care cost increases after President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans refused to extend Federal Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTC) under the Affordable Care Act. 22 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents who get their health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector, have relied on these credits to afford their health insurance.
BOSTON—The Massachusetts Health Connector’s New Year deadline is looming, with residents without health coverage having until Dec. 23 to enroll in affordable, comprehensive health insurance that starts Jan. 1, 2026.
Most people who apply for health insurance through the Health Connector get help paying for their coverage through the ConnectorCare program. The Health Connector is the state’s health insurance Marketplace, the only place where residents can get help paying for their coverage, and where residents can be assured they are getting a comprehensive health plan they can count on and avoid the junk plans that lurk on search engines.
IMPORTANT:Premium Alignment is NOT a substitute for making the enhanced ACA tax credits permanent. It does little to help the lowest-income folks who are still better off with Silver plans thanks to robust CSR assistance, and the benefits of it will be mediocre for those over 400% FPL if the enhanced tax credits expire.
Even for those it benefits the most (primarily those who earn between 200 - 400% FPL), it's a complement to the upgraded subsidies, not a replacement for them.
HOWEVER, it's still hugely helpful to those who know how to take advantage of it, and particularly in the states newly implementing it, it should relieve a huge portion of the pain being caused by the enhanced APTC expiring next month.
I've already noted that 14 states have launched window shopping for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP), allowing residents of the following states to plug their household information into their states ACA exchange website to see just how much their net health insurance premiums are going to increase starting January 1st, 2026:
Merged Market Summary for Proposed Rates Effective for 2026
The following tables depict the proposed overall weighted average premium increase and the key assumptions behind premium development for the merged (individual and small employer) market filed by insurance carriers as part of the Massachusetts Division of Insurance rate review process (for rates effective in 2026). This information is subject to change as the rate review process continues.
The Health Care Access Bureau within the Massachusetts Division of Insurance is currently reviewing these assumptions. This review process will culminate in a final decision in August 2025.
There are 711,563 consumers enrolled in merged (individual/small group) market plans (data as of December 2024).
Pilot expansion of ConnectorCare reshapes affordability and plan options through the Health Connector
This historic expansion allows for more access to health insurance plan choices that are both affordable and better suited to meeting an individual’s health needs
BOSTON – Today, the Massachusetts Health Connector Board of Directors approved regulatory changes that will expand access to the Marketplace’s landmark ConnectorCare program through a two-year pilot program, creating the opportunity for tens of thousands of people to access more affordable health care. The ConnectorCare program is currently available for people who make up to 300 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and do not have access to health coverage, such as through an employer.
Massachusetts has around 390,000 residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans, 83% of whom are currently subsidized. I estimate they also have another ~27,000 unsubsidized off-exchange enrollees.
