2027 Health Insurance Premiums: Insurers Want 14%+ Increases — What to Do Before November

The first look at 2027 marketplace premiums is in, and it's not pretty. Insurers across 16 states plus DC have filed proposed rates with a median increase of about 14% — the second straight year of double-digit hikes. Here's what's driving it, why these numbers aren't final yet, and the moves you can make before Open Enrollment opens November 1 to keep your costs down.

Rising 2027 health insurance premium rate filings

By Health Insurance Network Team

Quick Answer: How Big Are the 2027 Increases?

Across preliminary filings in 16 states plus DC (77 insurers), the median proposed increase for 2027 is about 14% — on top of 2026's roughly 26% sticker increase. Most insurers are asking for 10–20%, and about 20 want more than 20%. But these are proposed rates — state regulators review them over the summer, and final rates arrive in the fall, often slightly lower. Your best defense: don't auto-renew, recheck your subsidy eligibility, and compare every carrier in your ZIP when Open Enrollment starts November 1, 2026.

What the Early Filings Show

July 15, 2026 was the deadline for insurers to file their proposed 2027 ACA marketplace premiums with state regulators. The early picture — drawn from filings in 16 states plus the District of Columbia, covering 77 insurers — looks like this:

The median proposed increase is about 14% — a second consecutive year of double-digit hikes
Most insurers are asking for increases in the 10–20% range
About 20 insurers want increases of more than 20%
If approved as filed, typical premiums would be up more than a third between 2025 and 2027

That last point is the one worth sitting with. This isn't one bad year — it's a compounding trend. 2026 brought a sticker increase of roughly 26%, and insurers are now stacking another double-digit request on top of it.

Why Premiums Keep Climbing

Two forces are doing most of the work here, and neither is going away on its own.

Medical costs themselves are rising fast. Insurers project the underlying cost of care — hospitalizations, physician visits, and prescription drugs — to rise about 10% for 2027. Prescription spending is a standout, driven by GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy and by expensive specialty drugs. When the care itself costs more, premiums follow.

The risk pool got sicker. When the enhanced subsidies expired, roughly 5 million people left the marketplace — and they were disproportionately the healthy ones, the people who only bought coverage because it was cheap. The people who stayed tend to need their insurance more. Insurers estimate this sicker pool added about 4 percentage points to 2026 premiums, and they expect roughly another 4 points in 2027. Fewer healthy people sharing the costs means everyone left pays more.

Important: These Rates Aren't Final

Here's the nuance that headlines tend to skip: what insurers filed on July 15 is a request, not a done deal. State insurance regulators review every filing over the summer — questioning assumptions, demanding justification, and sometimes negotiating the numbers down. Final approved rates come out in the fall, and they often land slightly lower than what was requested.

So a 14% median request doesn't guarantee a 14% increase on your renewal notice. But it does tell you the direction, and the direction is up — which makes what you do between now and November matter more than usual.

The auto-renew trap

Insurers don't raise rates evenly — one carrier might ask for 8% while another in the same county asks for 25%. That means the plan that was the best deal this year often isn't next year. If you let your plan auto-renew without comparing, you could quietly absorb one of the biggest increases in your market without ever knowing a cheaper option was sitting right next to it.

What to Do Before November

Mark November 1, 2026 on your calendar. That's when Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage starts — your window to switch plans with no qualifying event needed. By then, final approved rates will be published, so you'll be comparing real prices.
Refuse to auto-renew. Treat your renewal notice as a starting point, not a decision. Compare it against every other plan available in your ZIP code.
Recheck your subsidy eligibility — every year. Income limits scale with household size, and your situation may have changed. Plenty of people paying full price would qualify for help if they reapplied.
Look at Bronze and Catastrophic plans. Both carry lower premiums, and both became HSA-eligible in 2026 — so you can pair a cheaper plan with tax-advantaged savings for out-of-pocket costs.
Have a licensed advisor run the numbers. Comparing every carrier, subsidy scenario, and plan tier is exactly what advisors do all day — and the help is free.

The Bottom Line

A second straight year of double-digit increases is bad news, but it's not a verdict on what you will pay. The filed rates still have to survive regulator review, subsidies rise alongside benchmark premiums, and carriers raise prices unevenly enough that shopping around almost always finds a better deal than standing still. The people who get hurt worst by years like this are the ones who never open their renewal notice. Don't be one of them — compare everything when November 1 arrives.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much are health insurance premiums going up in 2027?

It's not final yet. Across preliminary filings in 16 states plus DC — covering 77 insurers — the median proposed increase for 2027 ACA marketplace plans is about 14%. Most insurers are asking for increases between 10% and 20%, and about 20 insurers want more than 20%. State regulators still have to review and approve these requests, so final rates could come in somewhat lower.

Are these increases final?

No. July 15, 2026 was the deadline for insurers to file proposed 2027 rates. State insurance regulators review those filings over the summer, and final approved rates are published in the fall — often slightly lower than what insurers requested. Your actual renewal notice will reflect the approved rate, not the proposed one.

Why are premiums rising again after 2026's big increase?

Two main drivers. First, underlying medical costs are projected to rise about 10% for 2027 — hospitalizations, physician visits, and prescription drugs including GLP-1s and specialty medications. Second, the risk pool got sicker: after enhanced subsidies expired, roughly 5 million people — disproportionately healthy ones — left the market, and insurers are pricing for the sicker pool that remains.

How much have premiums risen over the last few years combined?

If the 2027 requests are approved as filed, typical marketplace premiums would be up more than a third between 2025 and 2027 — 2026 brought a sticker increase of roughly 26%, and 2027 filings add a median of about 14% on top of that.

Will my subsidy protect me from the increase?

Possibly — subsidies are tied to the cost of the benchmark plan in your area, so when premiums rise, subsidies generally rise too. But the enhanced subsidies have expired, so fewer people qualify and the help is smaller than it was. Recheck your eligibility every year: income limits scale with household size, and many people who assume they don't qualify actually do.

Should I just let my plan auto-renew?

No — this is the single most expensive mistake people make. Insurers raise rates unevenly, so the plan that was cheapest this year often isn't next year. Comparing every carrier in your ZIP code at Open Enrollment takes an hour or two and routinely saves hundreds of dollars a year.

When can I switch plans for 2027?

Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1, 2026. That's your window to compare every plan in your area and switch without needing a qualifying life event. Mark the date — final approved rates will be published by then, so you'll be shopping with real numbers.

What if I can't afford the higher premiums?

You have options. Bronze and Catastrophic plans carry lower premiums, and both became HSA-eligible in 2026 — so you can pair them with tax-advantaged savings for out-of-pocket costs. Recheck your subsidy eligibility, compare all carriers, and consider having a licensed advisor run the numbers for you — that help is free.

Don't Absorb a 14% Increase Without a Fight

Rate hikes hit unevenly — the right move for your neighbor might be the wrong one for you. Our licensed advisors can compare every carrier in your area, recheck your subsidy eligibility, and flag cheaper plan tiers before Open Enrollment closes. It's free, and it routinely saves people hundreds a year.