What You Need to Know About Uniform Silver Loading and Enhanced Premium Tax Credits in 2026

If you have seen the 2026 Individual market initial rate submissions and wondered why the increases were so high, you are not alone! The 2026 individual market rate increases are designed to address changes in federal subsidies.

Here’s what you need to know:

Background

In the early years of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the federal government paid health plans directly to offset the cost of cost-sharing reduction (CSR) plans. After the federal government stopped CSR plan payments in 2017, plans raised silver plan rates.

Then, in 2021, enhanced premium tax credits were introduced to help lower premiums and spur growth in the individual market. After 2025, these subsidies will end, likely causing many individual plan members to drop coverage due to steep premium increases. The Washington Health Benefit Exchange (WAHBE) estimates this will leave 80,000 Washingtonians uninsured.

Emergency Rule in Washington

An emergency rule in Washington state, passed in March 2025, requires a uniform silver load adjustment for silver level qualified health plans (QHPs) sold on the Exchange starting in 2026. This rule aims to keep coverage affordable after enhanced subsidies expire.

How Subsidies and Silver Plans Work

Federal subsidies are determined by the cost of the second lowest silver plan in each county. By requiring all health plans to raise their rates weighted toward silver, more subsidy dollars will enter the market and help offset the loss of the enhanced premium tax credit subsidies.

Market Impact

Here’s how we expect to see these changes impact plan enrollment in the market:

• Silver plans will be costlier than gold, appealing mainly to those qualifying for silver CSR 2 and 3.
• Bronze plans will be closer in price to gold plans than they were in 2025.
• Gold plans will become a more attractive option for all customers, especially bronze customers eligible for subsidies.

New Cascade and Cascade Select Gold Plan

A new, lower-cost gold plan will debut in 2026, with more member cost-sharing than the current Cascade and Cascade Select gold plans. The new plan will be called the Cascade Vital Gold/Cascade Select Vital Gold plan and the current gold plan will be renamed the Cascade Complete Gold/Cascade Select Complete Gold plan.

Bottom Line

You’ll want to review plans closely with your clients this year. Many non-CSR and CSR 1 enrollees may benefit from switching to gold plans, while bronze clients may be eligible for a gold plan at a much lower cost than before.