You read the dreadful message: your church's ACA marketplace health insurance plan won't be available next year.
Stress ensues because now you're staring at a December 15 deadline that’s sandwiched between Sunday services, budget meetings, and everything else on your plate. It feels like you're the only church scrambling to find an alternative.
But you aren’t alone.
You may have already spent an evening scrolling through HealthCare.gov, comparing deductibles and networks. But if it's got you feeling more confused than when you started, you do have options, and we’ll examine some of them below.
Are Health Insurance Carriers Leaving The ACA Marketplace?
Yes, some of the major insurance carriers are exiting the ACA Marketplace at the end of 2025. Aetna is leaving 17 states, affecting about 1 million policyholders.
In Michigan, for example, three major carriers are making changes. Two are discontinuing their ACA plans entirely, while another is significantly reducing its coverage areas.
These three companies alone are leaving roughly 200,000 Michigan residents—including pastors, church staff, and ministry workers—searching for new coverage.
This isn't the first time carriers have left the Marketplace. Several exited in 2017 and more in 2018, though some returned in later years. The difference now is the timing: enhanced premium tax credits expire December 31, 2025, and they're not expected to be renewed.
Why Is This Happening?
The Health Insurance Marketplace was designed to work with certain financial supports in place. Enhanced premium tax credits have been in place since 2021. They have helped keep costs manageable. But as of now, they are set to expire on December 31, 2025. Without those supports, the entire system shifts.
When premium costs rise due to the loss of these subsidies, healthier individuals often drop coverage first. This leaves a smaller pool of enrollees who tend to have higher healthcare costs. That dynamic creates pressure for even more premium increases, making it difficult for any plan to maintain stable pricing.
Insurance carriers are now finalizing their rates for 2026 based on projections that overall Marketplace enrollment could drop by 4 to 6 million people nationwide—a combination of people priced out by subsidy losses and those affected by carrier exits.
What makes this moment different from previous Marketplace disruptions is the compounding effect. Carriers are exiting not just because of uncertainty, but because they're anticipating millions of people simply won't be able to afford coverage once subsidies expire.
Your Church Has Options
Option 1: Go Without Coverage → This is the riskiest option. One unexpected hospitalization or diagnosis can create financial hardship for your staff that takes years to recover from. For most, going without coverage isn't a sustainable solution.
Option 2: Find a New Marketplace Plan → You will have until December 15 to find a new plan. For something similar to what you have now, plan to pay more without subsidies. Or you can save money by choosing a plan that isn’t as comprehensive, but costs less.
Option 3: Consider Group Coverage Designed for Ministry → If you work for a church or ministry organization, you may qualify for group coverage through a provider like Reformed Benefits Association. RBA is a nonprofit organization specifically designed to serve churches and faith-based ministries—not corporations or general employers, but churches.
How RBA Offers Churches a Stable Alternative to Marketplace Health Insurance
Unlike Marketplace plans affected by subsidy uncertainty, RBA operates as a stable group plan specifically for ministry families. We're able to offer competitive pricing with plans comparable to Silver and Bronze Marketplace options because of a large, combined member pool.
We manage all vendor relationships and contracts, giving you a single point of contact for your health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance needs. There's no ERISA complexity to navigate, and you'll work with advisors who understand church budgets, ministry calendars, and the unique challenges of serving in ministry.
Most importantly, we're not going anywhere. While Marketplace carriers are making exit decisions based on changing policy landscapes, we're here specifically to support the church so it can focus on furthering the Kingdom of God. That's been our mission since 2014, and it's not changing.
What to Do Next
If your Marketplace plan is being discontinued, don't navigate it alone. Download our 2026 Benefits Guide to see how RBA can provide the stable coverage your church needs—without the Marketplace uncertainty.
The information contained in this blog is for educational purposes only.