Arkansas Governor Seeks to Block Health Insurance Rate Hikes

August 6, 2025 at 6:12 PM CDT

Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders said she would oppose premium increases from health insurers including Centene Corp., an early sign of the political maneuvering that’s likely to follow instability in insurance markets.

Some companies are requesting average rate increases of more than 50%, according to the Arkansas Insurance Department.

Sanders appears to be pinning the blame for rate increases on insurers, while the hikes are in part due to uncertainty about whether congressional Republicans will allow financial support for Affordable Care Act plans to lapse.

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People who get coverage through the ACA markets, also known as Obamacare, are likely to face steep premium increases next year. Some of the tax credits that insulate many people from the full cost of their premiums are expected to lapse, adding more uncertainty to markets where insurers already say expenses are rising faster than they expected. Democrats in Congress broadly support extending the Biden-era subsidies, while Republicans have opposed them.

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-08-06/arkansas-governor-seeks-to-block-health-insurance-rate-hikes