There’s a sense that “silver loading” to compensate for the termination of ACA cost-sharing subsidy payments by the federal government was somehow exploiting a loophole. But, it’s really the most sensible and logical way to set premiums.

A number of analysts (including us last April) suggested that insurers would respond to the loss of federal CSR payments by increasing silver premiums, if allowed to do so by regulators.
kff.org/health-reform/…

The reason it makes sense for insurers to increase only silver marketplace premiums in response to the loss of federal CSR payments is because the cost-sharing reductions insurers must provide to lower-income enrollees are only available in silver plans.

If the federal government were to prohibit silver loading in the ACA marketplaces -- which reportedly is under consideration -- some enrollees would end up paying higher out-of-pocket premiums, while the federal government would save money.