A TRUSTED INDEPENDENT HEALTH INSURANCE GUIDE SINCE 1999.
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A TRUSTED INDEPENDENT HEALTH INSURANCE GUIDE SINCE 1999.
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Will you receive an ACA premium subsidy?
Learn how to determine if you qualify for ACA premium subsides, how subsidies are calculated, and why subsidy amounts in 2026 may be lower than recent years.
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Qualifying life events that trigger an ACA special enrollment period
Learn what a qualifying life event is and which life changes (like marriage, job loss, birth, or moving) trigger a special enrollment period to get an ACA-qualified plan outside open enrollment.

Health insurance premium increases for 2027: Proposed rates by state and what consumers should know

Another round of double-digit premium increases feels like déjà vu. Here’s why it’s not.

Map of premium increases on 2027 ACA health plans
Map of premium increases on 2027 ACA health plans

Healthinsurance.org is reviewing proposed individual market premium increases for 2027 (see chart below). The median proposed increase for 2027 is about 15%, before any subsidies are applied.1

After last year’s increases, another round of double-digit rate increases may sound alarming. But proposed rate increases do not necessarily reflect what Marketplace enrollees will ultimately pay, and several key factors make the outlook for 2027 very different than what we saw for 2026.

Here are the proposed weighted average health insurance rate increases that we have reviewed so far:

 

 

* Market share details are not available, so a straight average has been calculated rather than a weighted average that accounts for each carrier’s enrollment.
** Semi-weighted average has been calculated; some carriers' filings included enrollment data while others did not.

Proposed 2027 individual market rate increases by state

State Weighted average proposed increase
Vermont 6.5%2
Iowa 6.7%3
Utah 6.8%4
Washington, DC 9.5%5
California 9.9%6
Ohio** 10.7%7
South Dakota 10.9%8
Colorado 11%9
Hawaii* 11.1%10
Wyoming 11.3%11
Minnesota 11.9%12
Missouri 12.5%13
Tennessee** 12.7%14
Massachusetts 12.9%15
Idaho 13%16
Nebraska 13.3%17
Maryland 13.7%18
Illinois 14.1%19
Michigan 14.2%20
North Carolina** 14.9%21
Florida* 15.9%22
Connecticut 16.2%23
Maine 16.8%24
Delaware* 16.9%25
Pennsylvania 17.1%26
Louisiana 17.3%27
Oregon 17.5%28
South Carolina 17.5%29
West Virginia 18.3%30 
New Hampshire 18.4%31
Nevada** 18.6%32
Kentucky 18.7%33
Virginia** 19%34
North Dakota 19.2%35
Indiana 19.3%36
Rhode Island 20.1%37
New Jersey 20.4%38
Georgia 20.7%39
New York 20.7%40
Wisconsin 21.1%41
Mississippi 21.8%42
Washington 22.4%43
Alaska 22.9%44
Montana 23.4%45
New Mexico 25.7%46

Federal subsidy enhancements expired last year, driving up the average net (after-subsidy) Marketplace premiums by 58% in 2026,47 even though many people downgraded to lower-priced Bronze plans.

Had the subsidy enhancements had been extended, premium subsidies would have been larger, offsetting much of the underlying premium growth – which was significantly larger than we had seen for the last several years.48

(Premium subsidies are actually larger in 2026 than they were in 2025. In 2026, the average premium subsidy is $650/month, up from $550/month in 2025. But the average full-price premium grew by even more: It was $619/month in 2025, and increased to $741/month in 2026, despite all the people who downgraded their coverage.)49

Here’s why 2027 will be different, despite the double-digit rate increase proposals that we’re seeing so far:

  • Most Marketplace enrollees still get premium subsidies, even after the subsidy enhancements expired. During the open enrollment period for 2026 coverage, 87% of enrollees qualified for premium subsidies.50
  • The subsidies are designed to keep pace with the cost of the benchmark (second-lowest-cost) Silver plan in each area. So as premiums rise, so should subsidies. The reason people are paying much higher premiums this year, even if they’re still getting a subsidy, is because the expiration of the subsidy enhancements resulted in a significant increase in the percentage of income that people have to pay for their coverage.
  • For 2027, the percentage of income that people have to pay themselves will be indexed just the way it was each year from 2015 to 2021, but it won’t be the sort of drastic change that we saw for 2026.
    • In 2026, the percentages range from 2.1% to 9.96%, depending on income.51
    • For 2027, those percentages will grow slightly: Enrollees will pay between 2.15% and 10.22% of their household income for the benchmark plan, as long as they remain eligible for subsidies.52

The short story: For most Marketplace enrollees, larger subsidies will likely offset some or all of the premium increases for 2027. But the full brunt of the premium increases will mostly impact Marketplace enrollees who aren’t eligible for a subsidy, plus anyone who buys individual market coverage outside the Marketplace, where subsidies aren’t available.

Why Marketplace premiums are increasing

The factors driving full-price premiums higher for 2027 include some usual culprits and some that stem from recent federal changes. As is typically the case, the largest driver of higher premiums is the ever-increasing cost of healthcare. This includes a variety of factors, including higher hospital and drug costs (including the cost of GLP-1 medications), higher labor costs, and increased utilization of medical services.53

Insurers also point to general economic inflation as a factor that has pushed prices higher across the board in recent years, including the price of healthcare.

Insurers also note that the expiration of the federal subsidy enhancements is expected to result in continued deterioration of the health of the overall risk pool in 2027, as healthier enrollees drop their coverage, leaving a sicker risk pool that costs more to insure on a per-person basis. Insurers also point to some other recent federal rule changes that are projected to result in lower enrollment (and thus a sicker risk pool), including the 2025 Marketplace Integrity rule, the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” and the 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters.53

Will I qualify for a subsidy in 2027 if I don’t qualify in 2026?

Because the subsidy enhancements were allowed to expire, the “subsidy cliff” returned in 2026. This means subsidy eligibility ends abruptly if household income goes above 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL), regardless of how much the household has to spend on health insurance.

During the open enrollment period for 2025 coverage, 92% of Marketplace enrollees qualified for a subsidy, but that dropped to 87% in 2026,54 largely because of the return of the subsidy cliff.

The subsidy cliff will still exist in 2027, so subsidies will not be available if household income is more than 400% FPL. But because of annual increases in the FPL, the income level at which subsidy eligibility ends will be a little higher in 2027:55

  • A single person in the continental U.S. will qualify for a subsidy with an income as high as $63,840, up from $62,600 in 2026.
  • A household of four in the continental U.S. will qualify for a subsidy with a household income as high as $132,000, up from $128,600 in 2026.

Make sure you understand how household income is calculated under the ACA, as it’s a unique version of MAGI. And keep in mind that contributions to a health savings account or pre-tax retirement account will reduce your ACA-specific MAGI.

If I get a premium subsidy, will my subsidy increase in 2027?

If the cost of the benchmark plan in your area increases, your subsidy amount will generally increase too, assuming your income remains fairly steady.

But the benchmark plan is just one plan, and there are dozens of plans available in most areas. So it’s important to understand that the size of your subsidy is tied to the price of the benchmark plan, not the price of your specific plan.

Depending on the discrepancy between how much your plan’s premium changes and how much the benchmark plan’s premium changes, you may find that your subsidy doesn’t keep pace with your premium. But it’s also possible for the subsidy amount to increase by more than the premium increase for your plan, making your plan more affordable in the coming year.

Either way, it’s always a good idea to carefully comparison shop during open enrollment, which starts on November 1 in most states.

Should I switch to a different Marketplace plan for 2027?

Renewing your current plan for 2027 – if it’s still available – might be the best option, or you might be better served by switching to a different plan. You won’t know until you compare the plans available in your area during open enrollment.

Pay close attention to any notifications you get from your health plan and the Marketplace as we get closer to the start of open enrollment. If your net health insurance premium is increasing for 2027, you might prefer a different plan. But choosing a health insurance policy involves a lot more than just premiums, so be sure you consider all aspects of the various plans before picking the one you want for 2027.

Note: Several hundred thousand people will need to select new plans for 2027 because of carriers exiting the Marketplace at the end of 2026. If your carrier is leaving the Marketplace and you pick a new plan by December 31, it will take effect on January 1, ensuring that you have seamless coverage.

Final rates could differ from proposed rates

The proposed rate increases listed above are initial proposals, so they could change before they’re finalized. In nearly all states, the rate review process is done by the state,56 and there’s significant variation in terms of how much approved rates tend to differ from the rates that the insurers initially file.

Last year, for example, New York regulators approved an overall average rate increase of 7.1% for 2026 individual market plans, which was significantly smaller than the 13.5% average rate increase the insurers had proposed.57

But in Idaho, the approved health insurance rates were nearly identical to the insurers’ proposals, except for two carriers, one of which ended up with a larger-than-proposed rate increase, and one of which ended up with a smaller-than-proposed rate increase.58

Footnotes

  1. ACA Marketplace Insurers Are Proposing a Median Premium Increase of About 15% in 2027” KFF.org. Aug. 4, 2026 
  2. Vermont: First out of the gate with preliminary 2027 ACA rate filings: up 6.5% on average” ACA Signups. May 28, 2026 
  3. Health Insurance Rate Increase Data” Iowa Insurance Division. Accessed July 2, 2026 
  4. "Utah Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 3, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on total effectuated Utah Marketplace enrollment as of early 2026 (337,226), an assumption that off-exchange enrollment brings this total to about 350,000, and the following enrollment numbers pulled from the carrier filings: 123 for BridgeSpan, 16,747 for Regence, 293,150 for Select Health, and 21,699 for UUHP. Enrollment numbers were redacted for Molina and Imperial. We've split the remaining market share equally across them, but they amount to a very small share of the market. 
  5. Proposed 2027 Health Insurance Rate Filings” (For weighted average calculation, CareFirst HMO has 3,042 enrollees, CareFirst PPO/GHMSI has 8,788 enrollees, and Kaiser has 2,387 enrollees) DC Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking. Accessed June 9, 2026 
  6. Covered California Rates and Plans for 2027: California Continues Fight for Health Insurance Affordability and Access” July 21, 2026 
  7. "Ohio Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 6, 2026. Weighted average based on effectuated Marketplace enrollment in Ohio (336,058 in early 2026), an assumption that off-exchange brings the total to about 350,000, and the enrollment details in the filings: Antidote (30,508); Community Insurance/Anthem (73,000); Med Mutual (3,113); Oscar Buckeye (77,548); Summa (6,184); United HealthCare (4,478). For the remaining carriers, we divided the remaining enrollment equally, so this is a semi-weighted average. 
  8. "South Dakota Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 3, 2026. Weighted average based on effectuated Marketplace enrollment in SD (45,888 in early 2026), an assumption that off-exchange brings the total to about 47,000, and the details in the filings: 21,516 enrollees for Avera, and 17,910 enrollees for Sanford (WellMark redacted, but calculated at about 7,574 with the assumption that total market is about 47,000) 
  9. ACA Health Insurance Premiums for Individuals Expected to Increase by 11% in 2027" Colorado Division of Insurance. July 22, 2026 
  10. Hawaii SERFF Filings” (Tracking numbers KAHA-134973969 and HMSA-134976042) Accessed June 29, 2026 
  11. "Wyoming Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 2, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on enrollment number in UHC's filing (4,332), total WY Marketplace effectuated enrollment as of February 2026 (34,514), and an assumption that total enrollment including off-exchange is likely about 35,000. 
  12. Individual Market Proposed Average Rate Changes for Plan Year 2027” Minnesota Commerce Department. Accessed June 16, 2026. And “2027 Rate Changes - Minnesota: +11.9% indy, +15.1% sm. group (preliminary)” ACA Signups. June 17, 2026 
  13. "Missouri 2027 Single Risk Pool" Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance. July 31, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on enrollment numbers provided in the SERFF filings: 5,416 for BCBSKC; 151,880 for Ambetter/Celtic; 39,872 for Anthem BCBS; 12,843 for Medica; 18,672 for Oscar; and an estimated 27,000 for United HealthCare 
  14. "Tennessee Rate Review submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Semi-weighted average based on enrollment numbers in filings: BCBSTN (92,000), Oscar (89,993), United HealthCare (66,697), and Alliant (4,373). Total effectuated TN Marketplace enrollment was 441,515 in early 2026. We've split the remaining enrollees equally across Cigna (exiting) and Celtic. 
  15. 2027 Health Insurance Rates” Massachusetts Division of Insurance. Accessed June 9, 2026 
  16. Idaho Rate Review Individual” Idaho Department of Insurance. Accessed Aug. 4, 2026 
  17. Nebraska Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 4, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on enrollment numbers in filings: 29,600 for BCBSNE; 7,989 for Medica; 3,659 for Oscar; 2,831 for UnitedHealthCare. For the remaining carrier (Celtic) we used the total NE Marketplace enrollment in early 2026 (100,622), added a small off-exchange total, and allocated the rest of the enrollees to Celtic. 
  18. Health Carriers Propose Affordable Care Act Premium Rates for 2027” Maryland Insurance Administration. June 26, 2026 
  19. Affordable Care Act (ACA) - Illinois Rate Filings” (weighted average is based on enrollment totals pulled from the filings on that page: HCSC has 240,252 enrollees, Celtic has 16,493, Mercy Care has 2,070, Molina has 118, Oscar has 22,291, and United Healthcare has 59,068). Illinois Department of Insurance. Accessed June 10, 2026 
  20. 2027 Michigan Health Insurance Rate Change Requests” Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS). July 14, 2026 
  21. North Carolina Rate Review Submissions” RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Semi-weighted average increase based on enrollment numbers in filings for Ambetter (200,423) and Oscar (61,194), total Marketplace effectuated enrollment (609,544), a small adjustment to account for off-exchange enrollment, and the remaining enrollment split across the three other carriers. 
  22. Florida Rate Review Submissions” RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 3, 2026 
  23. Health Insurance Rates for 2027” Connecticut Insurance Department. Accessed June 9, 2026 
  24. “SERFF Filings: MECH-134922366; HPHC-134972423; ATEM-134962217” Maine SERFF. Weighted average rate increase based on enrollment numbers in SERFF filings: Maine CHO had 17,313 enrollees, Harvard Pilgrim had 13,374, and Anthem had 31,134. Accessed June 9, 2026 
  25. "Health Insurance Rate Filings" Delaware Department of Insurance. Accessed Oct. 31, 2025 
  26. Shapiro Administration Receives Proposed 2027 Health Insurance Rates; Plans to Carefully Examine Companies’ Proposals and Reject Excessive, Inadequate, or Unfairly Discriminatory Increases.” PA.gov. July 23, 2026 
  27. Health Rate Filing Search for Individual and Small Group Markets” Louisiana Department of Insurance. Accessed July 27, 2026 
  28. Each county in Oregon to have at least three choices in the individual market; reinsurance program keeps 2027 proposed health rates lower than anticipated” Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services. Jun. 8, 2026 
  29. South Carolina Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 6, 2026. Most of the filings have enrollment numbers redacted, but BCBSSC notes that they have about 300,000 enrollees. There were a total of 387,145 Marketplace enrollees in SC in early 2026, so roughly three-quarters have BCBSSC. To calculate a semi-weighted average, we assumed the rest of the membership was divided evenly across the other five insurers. 
  30. "West Virginia Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 3, 2026 
  31. "New Hampshire Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 4, 2026. Weighted average based on enrollment totals reported in each carrier's filing: 1,924 for Harvard Pilgrim; 38,800 for Matthew Thornton; 7,608 for Boston Medical Center/Wellsense 
  32. "Nevada Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. And "Health Insurance Rate Change Search Results" Nevada Division of Insurance. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Weighted average based on enrollment totals reported in each carrier's filing: 799 for CareSource; 5,100 for Community Care; 44,110 for Health Plan of NV; 7,773 for Select Health; 23,813 for Silver Summit; an estimated 7,500 for Hometown Health (based on 5,909 policyholders). For the remaining three carriers (HMO NV, Imperial, and Molina), we used effectuated NV Marketplace enrollment (99,663), added a small amount for off-exchange, and split the rest of the enrollment across the three remaining carriers. 
  33. Rate Filing Summary, WellCare Health Plans of Kentucky” And “Rate Filing Summary, Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky” And “Rate Filing Summary, Molina Healthcare of Kentucky” Kentucky Department of Insurance. July 1, 2026. And "2027 Rate Changes - Kentucky: +18.7% indy mkt, +10.7% sm. group" ACA Signups. July 30, 2026 
  34. “Virginia Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 6, 2026. Weighted average based on total VA Marketplace enrollment in early 2026 (338,768), rounded to 350,000 to account for off-exchange; enrollment numbers in filings: Healthkeepers (120,000); Kaiser (35,899); Optimum Choice (5,954); Oscar (1,492); Sentara (157,966). To calculate a semi-weighted average increase, we assumed remaining enrollment was split across the remaining three carriers, including Cigna, which is leaving the market. 
  35. North Dakota Rate Review Submissions” RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Enrollment share from filings for BCBSND (32,000) and Medica (2,363), and inferred for Sanford based on total effectuated ND Marketplace enrollment (37,472) plus a small margin for off-exchange enrollment 
  36. Indiana SERFF Filings” (Filing numbers: Anthem: AWLP-134814956 (105,770 enrollees); Coordinate Care: CECO-134977902 (63,592 enrollees); United HealthCare: UHLC-134932652 (507 enrollees). Accessed June 19, 2026 
  37. 2027 Requested Commercial Health Insurance Rates Have Been Submitted to OHIC for Review” Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner. June 15, 2026 
  38. New Jersey Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on enrollment totals in filing documents: 131,000 for AmeriHealth; 191,000 for Horizon BCBS; 144,367 for Oscar; 1,833 for Wellcare/Ambetter; 7,820 For United HealthCare 
  39. 2027 Rate Changes - Georgia +20.7% for unsubsidized indy market enrollees” ACA Signups. July 13, 2026 
  40. Summary of Requested 2027 Rate Actions” And “Requested Rate Actions - Additional Information” New York State Department of Financial Services. Accessed June 12, 2026 
  41. "Wisconsin Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on enrollment numbers in filings: Aspirus (15,196), Common Ground (25,735), CompCare (43,950), Dean (43,412), Health Partners (10,300), Medica (15,266), Network (39,901), Quartz (15,155), United HealthCare (23,922). For the other three carriers that didn't disclose enrollment in their filings (Group Health Coop, MercyCare, and Security), we used the effectuated enrollment total for the Marketplace (245,753), added a small margin to account for off-exchange enrollment, and split the remaining enrollment across those three carriers. 
  42. "Mississippi Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Weighted average calculated based on enrollment numbers in filings for the three carriers that will continue to offer plans: Oscar (24,093), Ambetter/Magnolia (103,134), and United HealthCare (17,185) 
  43. Thirteen health insurers request average 22.4% rate increase for 2027 individual market” Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner. May 26, 2026 
  44. "Alaska Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 2, 2026. Weighted average based on enrollment totals in filings: 5,106 for Moda, and 18,561 for Premera 
  45. "Montana Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Weighted average based on enrollment totals in filings: 42,637 for BCBSMT, and 18,262 for MT Health CO-OP 
  46. "New Mexico Rate Review Submissions" RateReview.HealthCare.gov. Accessed Aug. 5, 2026. Weighted average based on enrollment totals in filings: 40,188 for BCBSNM; 18,174 for Molina; 18,699 for Presbyterian; 9,219 for United HealthCare 
  47. 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Column AB) And “2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Column AG) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed July 10, 2026 
  48. Marketplace Average Monthly Benchmark Premiums (2014-2026, U.S. trend graph)” KFF.org. Accessed July 13, 2026 
  49. 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Column AA and AK) And “2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Columns AF and AP). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed July 10, 2026 
  50. 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Columns H and AO) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed July 10, 2026 
  51. "Revenue Procedure 2025-25" Internal Revenue Service. Accessed Aug. 4, 2026 
  52. "Revenue Procedure 2026-26" Internal Revenue Service. Accessed Aug. 4, 2026 
  53. How much and why ACA Marketplace premiums are going up in 2027” Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. July 8, 2026  
  54. 2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Columns H and AJ) And “2026 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” (State-level PUF, Columns H and AO) Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed July 10, 2026 
  55. 2025 Poverty Guidelines” and “2026 Poverty Guidelines” U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Accessed July 10, 2026 
  56. State Effective Rate Review Programs” Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Accessed July 10, 2026 
  57. Summary of Requested & Approved 2026 Rate Actions” New York Department of Financial Services. Aug. 29, 2025 
  58. Idaho Rate Review Individual” (2026 Summary Page). Idaho Department of Insurance. Accessed July 10, 2026 
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