CHOICEDISPATCH
CHOICE Dispatch sponsored by HealthSherpa
ISSUE 001 · September 22, 2026
The weekly read on CHOICE (formerly ICHRA).
The Week in CHOICE

Federal promotion and corporate disclosure drove the period. CMS and the SBA appeared with Georgia officials on September 14, their second joint state event since the September rebrand. Separately, quarterly filings from Centene and eHealth put state expansion and pipeline language on the record, and Alliance Entertainment disclosed moving its own workforce off a self-funded plan and onto the arrangement.

TL;DR — This Week in 30 Seconds
  • CMS and the SBA — appeared with Georgia officials to promote CHOICE Arrangements to small employers, the second joint state event since the September rebrand. CMS Sep 14, 2026
  • Centene — is running Ambetter Health Solutions ICHRA off-exchange plans in 13 states in 2026, up from 6 in 2025, according to a Yahoo Finance write-up citing the company's disclosures. Yahoo Finance Sep 18, 2026
  • SBA — is promoting CHOICE Arrangements as an affordability option for small businesses, according to a Small Business Trends report on agency outreach. Small Business Trends Sep 16, 2026
  • eHealth — describes ICHRA capabilities as a diversification initiative advanced during the second quarter, alongside expanded broker relationships. eHealth 10-Q Aug 5, 2026
  • Alliance Entertainment — transitioned its health coverage from a self-funded model to an ICHRA, eliminating its exposure to self-insured medical and dental claims. Alliance Entertainment 10-K Sep 10, 2026
CMS and SBA Take the CHOICE Roadshow to Georgia

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the U.S. Small Business Administration appeared with Georgia officials on September 14 to promote CHOICE Arrangements — the vehicle the administration renamed from ICHRA earlier this month — as a small-business coverage option. Per CMS Sep 14, 2026, the two agencies described the vehicle as a tool that lets some small employers offer health coverage through pre-tax reimbursements for individual-market premiums. The Georgia stop follows a similar joint announcement in Indiana on September 3 covered by Business Wire Sep 3, 2026.

CMS Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz said CHOICE Arrangements let workers choose coverage that meets their needs and can offer better options than traditional employer plans, according to the CMS release Sep 14, 2026. SBA Administrator Kelly Loeffler, in the same release, credited the Trump administration for producing more affordable health insurance alternatives for small businesses through the arrangements. The Business Journal Sep 8, 2026 reported earlier this month that the SBA had begun promoting the arrangements to its small-business audience.

The rebrand itself continues to draw commentary. A TipRanks Sep 11, 2026 piece framed the CMS action as a signal of steady individual-coverage demand rather than a structural change to the vehicle. Plan documents, contracts and tax reporting still reference ICHRA as the governing legal name.

"CHOICE Arrangements let workers choose coverage that meets their unique healthcare needs, which can often offer better options than traditional employer plans."
— Dr. Mehmet Oz, CMS Administrator. CMS Sep 14, 2026
"The strong leadership of President Trump, Secretary Kennedy, and Dr. Oz has resulted in more affordable health insurance alternatives for America's small businesses through CHOICE Arrangements."
— Kelly Loeffler, SBA Administrator. CMS Sep 14, 2026
29 states
where Ambetter Health is offered in 2026
Centene 10-Q · Jul 2026
2,963,002
Oscar Health individual and small group members as of Jun 30, 2026, per the filing
Oscar Health 10-Q · Aug 2026
CMS · Press release · Sep 14, 2026
CMS and the SBA appeared with Georgia officials to promote CHOICE Arrangements to small employers, describing the vehicle as one that lets some small employers reimburse workers pre-tax for individual-market premiums. Release
Centene Corp · 10-Q · Jul 28, 2026
Discloses that Ambetter Health Solutions is operating plans designed to attract ICHRA membership in off-exchange plans in 13 states in 2026, compared with 6 states in 2025. Filing
eHealth, Inc. · 10-Q · Aug 5, 2026
Describes ICHRA capabilities as a diversification initiative advanced during the second quarter, alongside the launch of a lifetime advisory operating model and expanded broker relationships. Filing
Alliance Entertainment Holding Corp · 10-K · Sep 10, 2026
Discloses that during the year ended June 30, 2025, the company transitioned its health insurance coverage from a self-funded model to an ICHRA, eliminating the company's exposure to self-insured medical and dental claims under the current plan structure. Filing
Nov 1
ACA Open Enrollment opens (2027 coverage) — First day employees on an ICHRA can select 2027 individual-market plans in most states HealthCare.gov
Dec 15
Deadline for January 1 effective dates — Last day to select a plan that takes effect Jan 1, 2027; later selections generally start Feb 1 HealthCare.gov
Jan 15
ACA Open Enrollment closes — Last day to enroll or change marketplace plans for 2027 in most states HealthCare.gov
Open Question
About CHOICE Dispatch
CHOICE Dispatch covers the individual-coverage benefits market every week. On September 3, 2026 the SBA and CMS renamed the Individual Coverage HRA the CHOICE Arrangement, short for Custom Health Option and Individual Care Expenses. ICHRA remains the governing legal name, so plan documents, contracts and tax filings are unchanged. We cover the category under both names.

Sponsored by HealthSherpa, the enrollment infrastructure behind millions of ACA and ICHRA plan selections. Sponsorship buys no say in what we cover. Our only agenda is making the market smarter.
Get the next issue in your inbox.
Free. One issue a week. Unsubscribe whenever.
Something didn't go through. Try again or email joshmait@100yardstogo.com.