Living and Asheville and Worried about Your Health Insurance Going Up?
Insurance premiums are expected to rise in 2026 as the political landscape shifts. While this can feel stressful, it’s also a chance to rethink your coverage and possibly pairs it with a Direct Primary Care (DPC) membership. Your author is at Direct Primary Care Clinic and is not a lawyer or insurance expert but we will do our best to simplify what’s going on and give you a short guide where you have Medicare, Medicaid, private insurance, or alternative options like Health Shares.
1. Medicare
Medicare premiums are expected to rise in 2026, though likely not as sharply as private insurance. We recently connected with Susie Andrews, a local expert on Medicare (and private insurance). She’s happy to speak with you for free and help find the right plan for the coming year: susie@broadriverins.com
2. Private Insurance
Plans on the marketplace, such as Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, and Humana, are projected to see the largest premium increases next year. We recently connected with Susie Andrews, a local expert on Private Insurance (and Medicare too). She’s happy to speak with you for free and help find the right plan for the coming year: susie@broadriverins.com
Tip: Pairing a catastrophic private plan with a DPC membership can work well — we handle most routine care, and insurance covers major events.
Tip: Try to avoid “HMO’s” when choosing an insurance plan. They typically do not let you choose your own Direct Primary Care doctor if you want to go that route
3. Medicaid
Currently, it’s unclear how upcoming political shifts will affect Medicaid. Most people anticipate that eligibility, coverage and benefits for patients should remain largely stable for 2026. To renew online visit this website https://epass.nc.gov/
Tip: You will typically get emails/texts to renew every 6-12months from the date you enrolled so you may be renewing at a different time than what you hear on the news for private insurance/medicare.
4. Health Shares
If traditional insurance is too expensive or honestly is just too big of a pain, consider the alternative to health insurance: “Health Shares” (also called “Health Pools” or “Health Ministries”). Common HealthShares include but are not limited to Sedera, CrowdSource, and Samaritan Ministries. Premiums are often a fraction of standard insurance costs. Check out HSA for America at https://hsaforamerica.com/set-appointment/ They provide free consultations to find the right Health Share for you.
