Saturday, November 01, 2025
Camp Hill, Pa. (November 1, 2025)—Highmark announced its Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance products in Central Pennsylvania for 2026, offering individuals and families high-quality and convenient coverage options tailored to their lives and health goals.
“The ACA marketplace has been a vital part of the U.S. healthcare system for more than a decade, ensuring that Americans who don’t receive insurance through work or another government program are protected and connected to high-quality care,” says Bill Tuthill, vice president of Federal Markets for Highmark. “We know that a lot is changing this year, and our customer service team is ready to help consumers navigate through those changes and choose the best plan for them.”
Roughly 85% of Highmark’s ACA Marketplace members in Pennsylvania qualify for tax credits that make their coverage more affordable, and most members are expected to have access to a plan with a premium of $100 or less after tax credits in 2026.
“Highmark has been a reliable, dependable partner for ACA consumers since the beginning,” says Ellen Galardy, president of Federal Business at Highmark. “We want to remind people that ACA plans cover all ten essential health benefits, including doctor visits and maternity care, and provide access to important preventive care at no cost to the member. And, starting this year, all bronze and catastrophic ACA plans are eligible to be paired with a Health Savings Account, allowing members to use tax-advantaged funds to pay for their care.”
2026 Individual and Family plans
Highmark’s most popular products in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley are my Direct Blue EPO and my Direct Blue Lehigh Valley EPO. Through partnerships with major health systems—including Penn State and WellSpan Health— these products provide high-quality, affordable plans to our members.
Rounding out the portfolio in all 21 counties in Central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley is my Blue Access PPO which provides individuals and families access to Highmark’s broadest network of doctors and hospitals.
No Highmark ACA plans require referrals to see a specialist, and my Direct Blue EPO, my Direct Blue Lehigh Valley EPO, and my Blue Access PPO include in-network coverage for services received from 97 percent of hospitals and over 2 million providers nationwide through the BlueCard® program, including facilities in Maryland, New York, and New Jersey.
While the open enrollment period runs through January 15, consumers must enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts on January 1. For more information on Highmark’s 2026 ACA health insurance products, visit Highmark.com or call 888-510-1064.
About Highmark Blue Shield
Highmark Inc., doing business as Highmark Blue Shield, serves approximately 1.1 million members through the company’s health care benefits business and hundreds of thousands of additional individuals through the BlueCard® program. Highmark Blue Shield has significant commercial market share and strong Medicare Advantage membership [through certain of its affiliated Blue companies] as well. Through its affiliated Blue companies, all of Highmark's Medicare Advantage plans in Pennsylvania achieved quality ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of at least 4.5 out of a possible 5 Stars. Highmark Blue Shield employs approximately 3,500 people in central Pennsylvania and the Lehigh Valley, serving as a key economic driver in the region. Highmark Blue Shield’s total economic impact throughout central Pennsylvania is more than $1.2 billion. Highmark Blue Shield is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association, an association of independent Blue Cross and Blue Shield companies. For more information, visit www.highmark.com.
For more information, contact
Leilyn Perri
Highmark Inc.
717-302-4243
Leilyn.Perri@highmark.com
