BOSTON — The number of Massachusetts residents who dropped insurance accessed through the state Health Connector was roughly balanced out by those who signed up for plans through the state exchange.
Nearly 23,000 Bay Staters terminated their coverage so far this open enrollment cycle, while 23,596 people newly signed up for plans through the Connector, said spokesperson Jason Lefferts.
The volume of residents who chose not to renew for 2026 is more than double the decline that the Health Connector recorded at this point last cycle, when 11,300 people dropped their coverage, Lefferts said. It is unclear where those members may have alternatively sought insurance, though Executive Director Audrey Morse Gasteier has warned people may be tempted by junk coverage.
The number of new enrollees is about 2,000 fewer than at this point last year, according to the Connector’s open enrollment dashboard.
The dashboard notes that individuals who qualify for unsubsidized coverage in 2026 – either because of a loss of federal subsidies or they were already unsubsidized in 2025 – “are more likely to have canceled their 2026 coverage than other types of current enrollees.” Connector officials “will continue to monitor payment activity to determine whether individuals are likely to lose coverage as the result of non-payment, particularly among individuals losing subsidies for their 2026 coverage,” the dashboard says.
Enhanced premium tax credits expire Wednesday under a 2022 federal law. The expiring subsidies have led to skyrocketing health insurance premiums for some residents, and people contacting the Health Connector’s call center in recent months have voiced emotional duress over the sticker shock.
As of Dec. 29, the Connector’s enrollment for January 2026 stands at 371,020, Lefferts said. Based on Dec. 28 data, the Connector dashboard said enrollment has experienced a 1% reduction compared to December 2025.
“While we are glad that our extensive outreach efforts have resulted in 23,500 more people signing up for health insurance coverage through the Health Connector, we continue to see the negative impacts that President Trump and Congressional Republicans’ refusal to extend ACA Premium Tax Credits are having on health insurance costs,” Morse Gasteier said. “Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents are seeing their premiums increase as much as $25,000, and we’ve seen thousands more people terminate their coverage than usual.”
Last January, the Health Connector was celebrating record-high enrollment. Nearly 30,000 people enrolled in new coverage, and about 85% of all members were enrolled in heavily subsidized ConnectorCare plans.
Congressional Republicans and Democrats this year did not reach consensus on subsidy extensions. In the U.S. Senate on Dec. 11, both a Republican-backed bill to boost payments for health savings accounts and a Democrat-backed bill to extend subsidies by three years did not secure enough votes.
Under federal policy changes, individuals who earn below 100% of the federal poverty level and had previously qualified for ConnectorCare are no longer eligible. People earning between 400% to 500% of the federal poverty level are no longer eligible for ConnectorCare, and a subset of people earning above 500% will not receive other premium credits.
Audrey Shelto of the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation has estimated around 300,000 residents will lose their insurance through MassHealth or the Connector due to federal policy changes. In a radio interview last week, Gov. Maura Healey said officials are exploring ways to ensure Bay Staters enroll in other health insurance options. State law requires Bay Staters to be enrolled in coverage that meets certain standards — otherwise, they’ll face a tax penalty.
Healey did not directly answer a question from a caller who urged her to dip into the state’s $8 billion rainy day fund to mitigate the impact of federal funding cuts.
“I will say I am focused as we move into this budget season on making sure that we do what we need to do to protect the most vulnerable among us,” Healey had said.
Analysts say the state uninsured rate is expected to double due to provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. A recent survey pinned the rate at 2.1%, meaning 139,741 Massachusetts residents are uninsured.
At the end of 2025, the Connector had a total enrollment of 389,260 individuals, including 49,399 enrolled in unsubsidized plans and 331,725 in ConnectorCare plans, according to the dashboard. Going into 2026, the Connector has 96,279 individuals enrolled in unsubsidized plans and 274,876 enrolled in ConnectorCare plans, according to the dashboard as of Dec. 28.
Bay Staters faced a Dec. 23 deadline to sign up for coverage that starts on Jan. 1. Open enrollment continues through Jan. 23, and residents can still sign up for coverage that takes effect Feb. 1.
“People who need coverage and our members who are still considering their options should take action before the end of Open Enrollment on January 23 and find a plan to deliver the coverage they need for the New Year,” Morse Gasteier said.