http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/payer/3-possibilities-for-future-aca-exchanges?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal&mrkid=959610&mkt_tok=eyJpIjoiWldRd1kyUXpNalUwWXpFeCIsInQiOiJaWkJVWkdKWG9DSFJwYytCZmVHV1JKcFhVd1lZbUlHS1JjZTZHZWI2ZDl3dU1XNU5oTWpCY3lSU3BYaWtyZXVyeGZmbDdyTVFHWk5OQUhEQzhlZkdlNm9lTnE3Y2M2elhcLzRrN3F5aXFKXC9RPSJ9

With health insurers struggling to turn a profit on the Affordable Care Act exchanges and premiums likely to rise, many have wondered what the future will hold for this prominent feature of the Obama administration’s healthcare reform law.

This week, Aetna became the latest major insurer to indicate it will re-evaluate its participation in the ACA marketplaces amid climbing financial losses that mirror those experienced by UnitedHealth, Humana and much smaller consumer operated and oriented plans.

What’s more, the cost of the ACA’s “benchmark” silver plan will increase by a weighted average of about 9 percent in 2017, compared to a 2 percent average increase in 2016. And in some areas of the country, insurers have requested steep rate increases–as much as 60 percent–for their exchange plans.