Rhode Island health insurance Marketplace guide

To sign up for health insurance through the Rhode Island Health Insurance Marketplace (HealthSource RI), you must:⁵

• Be lawfully present in the United States and live in Rhode Island
• Not be incarcerated
• Not be enrolled in Medicare

So most Rhode Island residents can enroll in coverage through the exchange. But eligibility for financial assistance is a bigger question for most people, and there are a few additional eligibility rules for HealthSource RI subsidies. To qualify for income-based Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC) or cost-sharing reductions (CSR), you must:

• Not be eligible to enroll in an affordable employer-sponsored health plan. If you can enroll in an employer’s health plan and aren’t sure if it’s considered affordable, you can use our Employer Health Plan Affordability Calculator to see if you might qualify for premium subsidies to offset the cost of a plan obtained through HealthSource RI. 
• Not be eligible for Rhode Island Medicaid or CHIP, or for premium-free Medicare Part A.⁶
• File a joint tax return if you’re married.⁷ (with very limited exceptions)⁸
• Not be able to be claimed by someone else as a tax dependent.⁷

Beyond those basic parameters, qualifying for subsidies through HealthSource RI will depend on your household’s income compared with the cost of the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your area – which will depend on your age. (In most states it also depends on location, but Rhode Island is all one rating area, so premiums do not vary by zip code).⁹

The open enrollment period for 2027 health insurance in Rhode Island is expected to run from November 1, 2026 through December 31, 2026.¹⁰ 

This is shorter than open enrollment has been in the past in Rhode Island (historically, it has continued through the end of January), due to a federal rule change that was finalized in 2025. But a judge vacated that federal rule change in June 2026,.¹¹ so it’s possible that the open enrollment schedule in Rhode Island could continue to extend into January.

Outside of the open enrollment window, you may still be eligible to enroll or make a plan change if you experience a qualifying life event, such as giving birth or losing other health coverage.  

Rhode Island is one of several states where pregnancy counts as a qualifying life event, allowing an uninsured person to enroll in health coverage as soon as they find out they’re pregnant (in most states, the birth of a baby is a qualifying event, but pregnancy is not). This took effect in Rhode Island in 2023, due to legislation the state enacted the year before¹²

Enrollment in Rhode Island Medicaid and CHIP is available year-round for eligible residents.

To enroll in ACA Marketplace/exchange health insurance in Rhode Island, you can: 

• Visit HealthSource RI, which is the state’s health insurance exchange (Marketplace). It will allow you to compare available health plans, determine whether you’re eligible for financial assistance, and enroll in a health plan. 
• Enroll in a health insurance plan through HealthSource RI with the help of an insurance broker, Navigator, or certified application counselor. There is no charge to have assistance with the plan selection and enrollment process.

When you enroll in a Rhode Island health insurance plan through HealthSource RI, you may be eligible for financial assistance that reduces the monthly cost of your coverage (premium subsidies), and possibly also your out-of-pocket expenses (cost-sharing reductions, or CSR). These federal subsidy programs were created by the Affordable Care Act, and eligibility depends on your income and circumstances.

Income-based subsidies (APTC) are available to lower the amount you pay for your HealthSource RI coverage each month. During the open enrollment period for 2026 coverage, 82% of the people who enrolled through HealthSource RI qualified for premium subsidies. The subsidies covered an average of $491/month, and reduced the average subsidy-eligible enrollee’s premium to about $166/month (including those who pay full price, the average net premium in Rhode Island is $246/month in 2026).¹

Source: CMS.gov¹

If your household doesn’t earn more than 250% of the federal poverty level, you’ll also be eligible for federal cost-sharing reductions (CSR) as long as you enroll in a Silver-level plan through HealthSource RI. CSR subsidies will reduce your deductible and other out-of-pocket expenses, making it more affordable for you to receive health care. Thirty-four percent of the people who enrolled through HealthSource RI during the open enrollment period for 2026 were receiving CSR benefits.¹

Rhode Island lawmakers introduced legislation in 2024 and again in 2025 that would have created additional state-funded premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions, but the legislation did not advance.¹³ Similar legislation was introduced in Rhode Island in early 2026, but had not advanced by mid-year.¹⁴ Several other states already offer state-funded subsidies in addition to the federal subsidies that are available nationwide.

Depending on your income and circumstances, you may be able to enroll in free or low-cost health coverage through Rhode Island Medicaid or CHIP. Learn more about whether you might be eligible for these Medicaid programs in Rhode Island.

Two insurers offer health plans through HealthSource RI:¹⁵

• Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island
• Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island

Both will continue to offer coverage in 2027.¹⁶

For 2027, the following average rate changes have been proposed by the insurers that offer individual/family coverage through HealthSource RI, amounting to an overall average increase of 20.1%, before subsidies are applied.¹⁶

Source: Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner¹⁶

As noted below, average pre-subsidy premiums grew by about 21% in 2026, so the proposed rate changes for 2027 come on the heels of a similarly large increase the year before.

Average rate changes apply to full-price rates, and most enrollees do not pay full price. But it’s important to understand that in addition to the large pre-subsidy premium increases two years in a row, premium subsidies don’t cover as much of enrollees’ premiums as they did in 2025, and they are no longer available at all for enrollees with income above 400% of the federal poverty level. This is because Congress failed to extend the federal subsidy enhancements that had been in place from 2021 through 2025. 

The expiration of the federal subsidy enhancements was a driving factor in the significant rate increases for 2026.¹⁷ 

If the cost of your coverage is increasing for the coming year, you may want to consider some of the other plans that are available through HealthSource RI. You may find an alternative that better fits your budget and still meets your coverage needs.

For perspective, here’s how average full-price Rhode Island health insurance premiums have changed over the years:

• 2015: Increase of about 4%¹⁸
• 2016: Average increase of 6.5%¹⁹
• 2017: Average increase of 1.3%²⁰
• 2018: Average increase of 21.7%²¹
• 2019: Average increase of 8.1%²²
• 2020: Average decrease of 0.5%²³ (reinsurance and individual mandate took effect)
• 2021: Average increase of 4.2%²⁴
• 2022: Average increase of 2.1%²⁵
• 2023: Average increase of 6.1%²⁶
• 2024: Average increase of 5.9%²⁷
• 2025: Average increase of 7.8%.²⁸
• 2026: Average increase of 21%.²⁹

43,446 people enrolled in 2026 coverage through HealthSource RI during the open enrollment period.¹

The chart below shows historical enrollment through HealthSource RI, which has previously hovered between about 28,000 and 35,000 people. Although nationwide Marketplace enrollment has increased sharply since 2021,³⁰ that has not been the case in Rhode Island. But enrollment did reach a new record high in the state in 2024, 2025, and 2026. Rhode Island was one of just a few states where enrollment grew in 2026; in most of the country, it declined due to the expiration of federal subsidy enhancements.³¹

Source: 2014,³² 2015,³³ 2016,³⁴ 2017,³⁵ 2018,³⁶ 2019,³⁷ 2020,³⁸ 2021,³⁹ 2022,⁴⁰ 2023,⁴¹ 2024,⁴² 2025⁴³ 2026¹

HealthSource RI
The state-based Marketplace/exchange in Rhode Island. Provides health insurance options for individuals, families, and small businesses, as well as financial assistance for individuals and families based on household income.

Rhode Island Insurance Division
Regulates the insurance industry in Rhode Island, and addresses consumers’ questions and complaints related to insurance.

Rhode Island Health Center Association
Navigator and Certified Application Counselor services to help people enroll in coverage through HealthSourceRI. Can provide assistance with private plan enrollment and Medicaid/CHIP enrollment, as well as information on applicable financial assistance available to offset costs in private plans.

Rhode Island Office of Healthy Aging, Medicare Counseling
The state health insurance assistance program for Medicare beneficiaries; can provide information, assistance, and counseling related to enrollment, eligibility, and claims.