UnitedHealth to offer rebates to its Obamacare customers

By Amina Niasse

NEW YORK, Jan 21 (Reuters) - UnitedHealth Group Inc. volition supply rebates to its Obamacare program members successful 2026, ​company CEO Stephen Hemsley said successful a prepared grounds released ‌Wednesday.

Americans look higher healthcare costs this twelvemonth aft Congress allowed generous COVID-19-era taxation credits for ‌federally subsidized Obamacare plans to expire. The enhanced credits, introduced by the American Rescue Plan and extended by the Inflation Reduction Act, led to astir a doubling of Obamacare sign-ups, according to estimates by KFF, a ⁠health argumentation firm, and President ‌Donald Trump has said helium volition lone enactment an hold that provides funds straight to shoppers.

“We volition voluntarily ‍eliminate and rebate our profits this twelvemonth for ACA coverages, arsenic Congress continues to enactment toward much semipermanent solutions,” Hemsley’s prepared grounds read. “To further fortify the ​stability, affordability, and sustainability of these plans for consumers, we enactment ‌broadening user choice."

Congress has stalled connected extending the Obamacare taxation credits, adjacent aft the adjacent of the unfastened enrollment play for the federally subsidized plans, leaving millions of Americans facing higher out-of-pocket costs. On average, premium costs volition summation to $1,904 successful 2026 from $888 successful 2025, according to ⁠KFF.

A spokesperson for UnitedHealth said the institution ​is moving with the Trump medication connected ​the details of the rebates. The House’s wellness subcommittee published the grounds up of a Thursday proceeding wherever executives ‍representing rivals Cigna Group, ⁠CVS Health and Elevance volition speak.

For program twelvemonth 2026, UnitedHealthcare is offering ACA marketplace plans successful 30 states. In a third-quarter ⁠earnings telephone the institution said it expects its ACA enrollment to beryllium reduced by ‌about two-thirds.

UnitedHealth shares accrued astir 2.5% successful greeting trading.

(Reporting by ‌Amina Niasse; Editing by Alexandra Hudson)