Analysis of Insurer Participation in 2016 Marketplaces

As Marketplace enrollees begin to shop for coverage starting in 2016, the number of insurance choices available to them is changing in some parts of the country. Over the past year, some insurers have announced their exit or been required to withdraw from the Marketplaces, most notably a number of nonprofit Consumer Operated and Oriented Plans and some larger insurers like Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico.  Despite these withdrawals, the Department of Health and Human Services recently announced that the average number of issuers per state is increasing slightly in 2016 and that about 9 out of 10 returning Healthcare.gov customers will have 3 or more insurers from which to choose in 2016. This Data Note highlights areas where insurer participation is changing in 2016, and where this may have an appreciable effect on market competition. It also examines insurer participation in rural areas, which have historically had low rates of insurer competition.