Current Enrollment Data Highlights Changing Health Coverage Trends for Maine Consumers

Jul 08, 2026

Current Enrollment Data Highlights Changing Health Coverage Trends for Maine Consumers

CoverME.gov is Maine’s state-based health insurance Marketplace, administered by the Maine Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM). Through CoverME.gov, individuals and families can compare private health and dental insurance plans, enroll in coverage, and determine eligibility for financial assistance that helps lower monthly premiums.

While Open Enrollment for 2026 coverage ended earlier this year, OHIM continues to monitor enrollment and coverage trends throughout the year. Current data shows lower overall enrollment, higher cancellation rates among consumers who renewed coverage from last year, and notable differences in cancellation patterns across consumer groups. The data also shows that while many consumers are paying monthly premiums comparable to those in recent years, they are increasingly doing so by selecting lower-premium plans with higher deductibles and greater cost sharing.

Consumers are making health coverage decisions during a period of significant change, including higher health insurance premiums, continued growth in health care and provider costs, evolving federal policies, and ongoing economic uncertainty. While individual coverage decisions are influenced by many factors, these broader conditions may affect how consumers evaluate affordability, plan value, and their health coverage options.

These findings provide insight into how Maine consumers are navigating health coverage decisions in 2026.

It is typical for enrollment to change throughout the year as consumers gain access to other forms of coverage, become eligible for Medicare or MaineCare, move out of state, or experience other life changes. While some attrition is expected after Open Enrollment ends, current data shows that returning consumers are cancelling coverage at higher rates than they were at the same point in 2025, underscoring the changing enrollment patterns described below.

Key Findings from Current Enrollment Data

• Higher rates of overall Marketplace coverage cancellations compared to the same point in 2025

• Higher cancellation rates among consumers who did not receive Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC)

• Higher cancellation rates among younger consumers and consumers with household incomes between 400 percent and 500 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) (FPL guidelines)

• Most consumers who cancelled coverage did not receive enrollment assistance from a broker or Maine Enrollment Assister.

• Consistent with 2025, a large majority of consumers who enrolled and paid their first month’s premium continue to maintain active coverage at this time

Enrollment and Cancellation Trends

During Open Enrollment for the 2026 Plan Year, there were 8,577 new health plan sign-ups, compared to 11,285 during the same period for 2025. The 2026 Open Enrollment period ended with just over 58,500 consumers selecting health coverage through CoverME.gov, compared to nearly 64,700 consumers during Open Enrollment for 2025 coverage.

Because eligible consumers can still enroll through Special Enrollment Periods and consumers may cancel coverage throughout the year, Open Enrollment totals alone do not fully reflect changes in Marketplace participation each year.

From the start to the end of Open Enrollment, 8,550 returning consumers[i] cancelled their 2026 health coverage through CoverME.gov. Of those cancellations, approximately 40 percent were associated with affordability or value considerations, while approximately 60 percent were associated with reasons that made them no longer eligible for Marketplace coverage (e.g., consumers moving out of Maine or gaining coverage through another source like Medicare, MaineCare, or an employer).

Since Open Enrollment ended, the number of returning consumers cancelling coverage has grown by 70% (as of May 2026), to nearly 14,300 consumers. These cancellations represent 29 percent of returning consumers, compared to 18 percent of returning consumers having cancelled at the same point in 2025, representing a 50% increase in cancellations year-over-year.

Which Consumers Are Cancelling Coverage?

Cancellation trends are not the same for all types of consumers, with cancellation rates being highest among those with incomes just above the “subsidy cliff,” those who are younger than 35 years old, and those who purchased silver plans.

A disproportionately large share of returning consumer cancellations is occurring among consumers with household incomes between 400 percent and 500 percent of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL). This group accounted for 12 percent of returning consumer cancellations despite representing only 5 percent of plan selections in 2026.

The data also shows that consumers who did not receive Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC) are represented among cancellations at a higher rate than their share of overall enrollment. While 25 percent of consumers who had selected coverage at the end of Open Enrollment did not receive APTC, they accounted for 47 percent of returning consumer cancellations recorded through mid-May.

In addition, 33 percent of returning consumers who cancelled coverage in 2026 received APTC in 2025 but did not receive APTC in 2026.

Younger consumers are also represented among returning consumer cancellations at a higher rate than their share of enrollment. Consumers ages 0–34 years old account for 35 percent of returning consumer cancellations, while representing 29 percent of plan selections.

Plan selection trends also differ among returning consumers who cancelled coverage. Consumers enrolled in silver plans accounted for 40 percent of returning consumer cancellations despite representing 33 percent of plan selections. Consumers enrolled in bronze plans accounted for just over half of all returning consumer cancellations recorded to-date and represented 58 percent of plan selections in 2026.

Financial Assistance and Current Enrollment

Most consumers who enroll through CoverME.gov receive financial assistance through APTC, which helps lower monthly premium costs. Learn more about premium tax credits at CoverME.gov's financial help page.

When Open Enrollment ended for 2026 plans, 75 percent of consumers who selected a Marketplace health plan received APTC. As of May 2026, that share had increased to 82 percent among enrollments.

The data shows that consumers who did not receive APTC, or who no longer qualified for APTC in 2026, are represented among returning consumer cancellations at higher rates than their share of overall plan selections.

Despite premiums increasing significantly for nearly every plan sold through the Marketplace in 2026, average premium payments from enrollees are about the same this year as last year. According to OHIM data, this reflects changes in plan selection patterns and shifts in the composition of the enrolled population. More specifically, more than half of the enrolled population chose plans with lower premiums and higher deductibles (i.e., Bronze plans) and lower income consumers (who receive higher levels of premium assistance) enrolled at higher rates compared to higher-income consumers (who do not qualify for premium assistance). Learn more about plan metal levels.

For context, the most commonly selected Marketplace plan in 2026 has a deductible of $8,000 per person and $16,000 per family for Tier 1 in-network providers, and $9,000 per person and $18,000 per family for Tier 2 in-network providers. The plan provides pre-deductible coverage, subject to copays, for preventive care, primary care, mental and behavioral health visits, specialist visits, urgent care, and Tier 1 generic prescription drugs when provided by an in-network provider. Copays range from $0 to $130, depending on the service and whether the provider is preferred or non-preferred within the plan's network. The plan does not cover out-of-network care.

Enrollment Assistance and Cancellation Trends

The data also shows differences between consumers who received enrollment assistance and those who did not.

Nearly 40 percent of 2026 plan selections involved assistance from a broker or Maine Enrollment Assister. However, only 3 percent of renewal cancellations occurred among consumers who received enrollment assistance.

This finding suggests that consumers who work with a broker or Maine Enrollment Assister may be better positioned to find ways to keep their health coverage by finding an alternative plan they can afford or ensuring they receive all financial assistance for which they are eligible (e.g., by better understanding the enrollment process and how household income is calculated for financial assistance eligibility, or making changes to how their household is enrolled).

Brokers and Maine Enrollment Assisters provide free support to help consumers compare plans, understand costs, review financial assistance eligibility, and evaluate coverage options based on their circumstances. Find local Brokers and Maine Enrollment Assisters near you.

Looking Ahead

Enrollment and cancellation patterns continue to evolve throughout the year as consumers experience changes in income, employment, household size, eligibility for other coverage, and personal circumstances.

At the same time, current data shows that coverage remains stable for many consumers. The percentage of consumers who pay their premiums and maintain active coverage are comparable to the rates from last year. Approximately 87 percent of consumers paid their initial premium to activate coverage in January, increasing to 94 percent in February, 95 percent in March, and 98 percent in April.

While enrollment and coverage decisions are influenced by many factors, current data highlights meaningful differences in cancellation patterns across consumer groups. The disproportionate share of cancellations among younger consumers and consumers with household incomes above 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level warrants continued monitoring. Because these populations are generally associated with lower overall health care utilization and lower rates of chronic health conditions, sustained declines in enrollment among these groups may affect the composition of the Marketplace risk pool. Over time, shifts in the risk pool may contribute to higher overall health care costs and growing affordability challenges within the individual market.

OHIM will continue monitoring these trends throughout 2026 and evaluating how enrollment, affordability, and coverage patterns evolve over time. CoverME.gov will continue working to ensure Maine consumers have access to information, financial assistance, and enrollment support when making decisions about health coverage. As part of these efforts, OHIM will continue promoting the availability of free local enrollment assistance and encouraging consumers to explore their coverage options and financial assistance opportunities before cancelling their health coverage.