Rhode Island Health Insurance Marketplace Guide

To sign up for health insurance through the Rhode Island Health Insurance Marketplace (HealthSource RI), you must:⁶

• 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.⁷
• File a joint tax return if you’re married.⁸ (with very limited exceptions)⁹
• Not be able to be claimed by someone else as a tax dependent.¹⁰
• Starting in 2027, if you’re not a U.S. citizen, you’ll need to be a lawful permanent resident (LPR), Cuban-Haitian entrant (CHE), or COFA migrant to qualify for Marketplace subsidies. People with other immigration statuses will no longer be eligible for subsidies.¹¹

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).¹²

The open enrollment period for 2027 health insurance in Rhode Island will run from November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027.³

(A federal rule change that would have shortened the open enrollment period was vacated by a court ruling.)¹³

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 before¹⁴

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.

And for 2027 coverage, Rhode Island is debuting a new state-subsidy program, joining several other states that offer state-funded health insurance subsidies. About 20,000 Rhode Islanders will qualify for the additional state-funded subsidies. They will be available to enrollees with income under 200% of the federal poverty level (FPL), as well as some enrollees with income above 400% of FPL (and thus ineligible for any federal subsidies), depending on the cost of their coverage.³

Federal income-based subsidies (APTC) are also available to lower the amount you pay for your HealthSource RI coverage each month, as long as your income doesn’t exceed 400% of FPL.

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).¹⁵

Source: CMS.gov¹⁵

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.¹⁵

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 2027 health plans through HealthSource RI²

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

For 2027, the following average rate changes have been approved for the insurers that offer individual/family coverage through HealthSource RI, amounting to an overall average increase of 12.4% before subsidies are applied.²

Source: Rhode Island Office of the Health Insurance Commissioner²

The carriers initially filed weighted average rate increases of more than 20%, but the final rates were significantly lower than the insurers had proposed.²

Average rate changes apply to full-price rates, and most enrollees do not pay full price. But 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 2026.¹⁶

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%¹⁷
• 2016: Average increase of 6.5%¹⁸
• 2017: Average increase of 1.3%¹⁹
• 2018: Average increase of 21.7%²⁰
• 2019: Average increase of 8.1%²¹
• 2020: Average decrease of 0.5%²² (reinsurance and individual mandate took effect)
• 2021: Average increase of 4.2%²³
• 2022: Average increase of 2.1%²⁴
• 2023: Average increase of 6.1%²⁵
• 2024: Average increase of 5.9%²⁶
• 2025: Average increase of 7.8%.²⁷
• 2026: Average increase of 21%.²⁸

43,446 people enrolled in 2026 coverage through HealthSource RI during the open enrollment period.²⁹

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 increased sharply between 2021 and 2025,³⁰ that was not 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

However, effectuated enrollment in Rhode Island had dropped to 39,991 by February 2026, which was lower than it had been at the same time the year before.³² The higher net premiums stemming from the expiration of federal subsidy enhancements resulted in fewer people being able to afford to keep their coverage in 2026.

Source: 2014,³³ 2015,³⁴ 2016,³⁵ 2017,³⁶ 2018,³⁷ 2019,³⁸ 2020,³⁹ 2021,⁴⁰ 2022,⁴¹ 2023,⁴² 2024,⁴³ 2025⁴⁴ 2026¹⁵

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.