Enrollment in ACA health coverage drops in Wisconsin

WISCONSIN — Just 24 hours after enrollment in the Affordable Care Act marketplace ended and weeks after Congress failed to extend subsidies to keep the cost of health care plans down, analysts said fewer people signed up for coverage this year than last.

"There are fewer people than last year at this time," said Allison Espeseth, the director of Covering Wisconsin. "It's about a 6% decrease so far in what we're seeing. Open enrollment numbers, the final ones, aren't reported yet... It's a little decreased, but talking to some of my colleagues and others in the state, maybe it's not as low or as much of a decline as we thought would happen."

Data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as of Monday, had 289,213 Wisconsinites signed up for ACA coverage, down from 313,579 in 2025.

Still, Espeseth said that uninsured Wisconsinites might not be out of options when it comes to finding health coverage in 2026, even though premiums may be higher than what they're hoping for.

"It is important for those who don't have coverage or whose situation has changed — there remain opportunities throughout the year for coverage," Espeseth said.