IEHP files for a 17.9% marketplace rate increase, second-steepest in the state

IEHP filed the increase as part of Covered California's 2026 rate-setting, according to the exchange's preliminary carrier table. Only Valley Health Plan, at 21.0%, proposed a steeper hike. The figure is preliminary and subject to Department of Managed Health Care review.

IEHP is not a marginal player here. It is the largest nonprofit Medi-Cal and Covered California plan in the region, created by Riverside and San Bernardino counties, and its marketplace rate moves are a direct cost signal for the IE residents who buy individual coverage.

The increase compounds a federal change hitting the same enrollees. The enhanced premium tax credits that reduced marketplace premiums since 2021 expired Dec. 31, raising net costs even before the carrier rate increases are applied. For an IEHP enrollee who also loses subsidy support, the two effects stack.

The rate increase reflects pressure every marketplace carrier cited for 2026 — rising medical and pharmacy costs, and the enrollment churn that follows a subsidy loss, which tends to leave a sicker, costlier pool behind. IEHP's position at the high end of the range is the figure to watch as final rates clear review.