Mississippi’s enrollment in the Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange fell 26.4% between February 2025 and February 2026, The Associated Press reported, a decline that advocates say limits coverage options for the state’s working poor.
The Kaiser Family Foundation said the state had experienced a large enrollment surge after enhanced federal subsidies were introduced under the Biden administration, rising 242% to 338,159 people. KFF said the enhanced subsidies ended in December 2025.
The Associated Press reported the Trump administration and the Republican-led Congress declined to extend the enhanced subsidies. The AP also reported that while some Republican lawmakers sought legislation to continue the aid, U.S. Sens. Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith and other members of Mississippi’s congressional delegation made no visible efforts to reinstate the subsidies.
KFF estimated that, because the subsidies ended, a 40-year-old resident of Jackson earning $30,000 would see monthly premiums for an exchange plan rise from $42 to $155. KFF and advocates attributed the premium increases to the drop in enrollment as residents weigh rising health costs against other household expenses.
Mississippi is one of 10 states that has not expanded Medicaid, meaning many low-income residents must rely on the exchange for coverage, The Associated Press reported. Clergy and advocates gathered at the state Capitol in Jackson in March 2024 to urge lawmakers to expand Medicaid, the AP said, warning that gaps in coverage and unpaid medical bills could strain families and the state’s health system.
Jon Ross Myers is the executive editor and publisher of the Mississippi News Network, Mississippi's largest digital only media company. He can be reached at editor@tippahnews.com
