More Insurers Set to Exit US ACA Marketplaces for 2027 as Cigna Leaves Individual Market

A growing number of health insurers are pulling back from US Affordable Care Act marketplaces for the 2027 plan year, according to tracking by health policy researchers. As of late June, six carriers had announced they would exit marketplaces in some or all of the states where they currently operate, while four others said they would enter new state marketplaces. Among the most notable moves, Cigna decided to leave the individual market entirely in 2027, exiting the states in which it participates and affecting hundreds of thousands of on-exchange enrollees, citing limited potential to grow its marketplace business. The retreat follows the expiration at the end of 2025 of enhanced premium tax credits, which had made coverage more affordable and drove record sign-ups; their lapse has pushed premiums sharply higher and contributed to falling enrollment. As membership shrinks, insurers are reassessing the profitability of marketplace participation, and in some states fewer carriers will mean less competition and fewer choices for consumers. Analysts warn that a smaller, potentially sicker risk pool could put further upward pressure on premiums, reinforcing a cycle of rising costs and declining enrollment across the exchanges.