Hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents will see their premiums increase by 7% to 12% next year. The Division of Insurance approved 2026 rates for six insurers in the merged market, which provides a subset of Bay Staters with health insurance through individual and small business plans. Costs will rise for customers on all six of those carriers, albeit with less growth than the companies originally proposed, following negotiations with state regulators and scrutiny from figures including Gov. Maura Healey.
The department also rejected proposals from BCBSMA and WellSense Health Plan for increases that regulators dubbed too large. BCBSMA, which has about 166,000 merged market members, sought to increase rates by an average of 12.9% next year. Executives said the hike was necessary to offset rising costs charged by providers and the pharmaceutical sector, which had contributed to a $400 million operating loss in 2024 — the company's largest ever.
In a social media landscape shaped by hashtags, algorithms, and viral posts, nurse leaders must decide: Will they let the narrative spiral, or can they adapt and join the conversation?
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