States lock in double-digit ACA premium hikes before Nov. 1 sign-up
States are finalizing 2027 Affordable Care Act premiums ahead of open enrollment, which starts Nov. 1. Final average increases include 10% in Colorado, 14.5% in Michigan, 17.7% in Minnesota and 20.7% in Georgia. Most enrollees get subsidies that rise with prices, but people without them pay the full increase.
Health plans bought on the Affordable Care Act marketplaces will cost more again in 2027. States are now locking in final rates before open enrollment starts Nov. 1 in most states. HealthCare.gov sign-ups close Dec. 15. State-run exchanges may set other dates.
The final numbers vary widely from state to state. Colorado approved an average 10% increase for individual plans, its insurance division said. Final averages tracked by ACA Signups include 11.6% in Idaho, 12.4% in Rhode Island, 14.5% in Michigan, 15.6% in Tennessee, 17.7% in Minnesota and 20.7% in Georgia. Nationally, insurers asked for a median increase of 15%, KFF found. That is the second straight year of double-digit hikes.
Most buyers will not pay the full sticker price. About 87% of marketplace enrollees got subsidies at the start of 2026, healthinsurance.org reports. Those subsidies are tied to the price of a benchmark silver plan, so they grow when premiums rise. People who don't get a subsidy, including everyone who buys outside the exchange, take the full hit.
Colorado shows how large that gap can be: the state says people who get its own premium help will see an average net increase of about $20 a month. Without that help, the rise would average $69.
Here's why prices keep climbing. Extra federal tax credits that began in 2021 expired at the end of 2025. Insurers point to that change and a sicker pool of customers as healthier people drop coverage. They also cite rising hospital and doctor prices, which KFF calls the main driver.
Other rules change too, and the most a person can owe out of pocket in 2027 rises to $12,000, up from $10,600. Fewer immigrants will qualify for subsidies. Insurers are leaving the marketplace in more than 20 states, so some plans will end. Oregon moves off HealthCare.gov to its own platform, with window shopping starting Oct. 15.
What to do: Read your renewal notice closely. If your plan is ending, don't count on auto-renewal to pick a good one. Compare deductibles and doctor networks, not just the monthly premium.
What we know: Final 2027 rates are rising in every state listed here, and enrollment opens Nov. 1.
What we don't: How many people will drop coverage once they see their new bills.
Where outlets agree KFF and healthinsurance.org both put the median proposed 2027 increase at about 15% for full-price individual-market plans.
Where they differ Insurers cite the lapse of extra federal tax credits and a sicker customer pool, while KFF's review of filings says rising health care prices remain the primary driver.