Premium Going Up in 2027? How to Re-Shop at Open Enrollment

KFF analyzed filings from 276 insurers in all 50 states and D.C. and found a median proposed increase of 15% for 2027. KFF says rising health care prices are the primary driver, with the end of the enhanced premium tax credits also affecting the mix of people insured.

Those are proposed rates. Regulators review them, and the price that matters is the one shown for your county when you view plans. Your own change can be higher or lower than the median, because it depends on the plan you have, where you live and the income estimate behind your tax credit. HealthCare.gov puts the practical point simply: plan costs can change even if you are automatically re-enrolled.

If you do nothing, HealthCare.gov automatically re-enrolls you in a plan for next year so you avoid a gap in coverage. That keeps you insured, but it does not compare prices, networks or deductibles for you, and it may not use your current income.

HealthCare.gov suggests logging in, updating your application with your expected income and household information, and comparing plans before Open Enrollment ends. Updating matters because savings are based on the income you expect for the coverage year, not last year's. Our premium tax credit guide explains how that estimate flows into your monthly premium.

Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum describe how costs are shared between you and the plan, not the quality of care. A lower monthly premium usually comes with more cost when you use care, so the lowest premium is not automatically the lowest-cost year.

KFF found the average Marketplace deductible grew by about $1,000 per person in 2026, from $2,759 to $3,786, as many enrollees moved to plans with lower premiums and higher deductibles after the enhanced credits expired. Moving down a level can be a sensible choice for some households and an expensive one for others, which is why it helps to picture a typical year of doctor visits, prescriptions and one unexpected event. Our metal tier guide has the framework.

Some people qualify for cost-sharing reductions, which HealthCare.gov calls extra savings. They lower deductibles, copayments, coinsurance and the yearly out-of-pocket maximum, and you only get them by choosing a Silver plan (American Indians and Alaska Natives have special rules).

Eligibility depends on your estimated income and household size, and you find out after you apply. HealthCare.gov notes that plans in other categories can still receive the premium tax credit, but not the extra savings on out-of-pocket costs. For someone who is eligible, that can make a Silver plan look very different from a Bronze plan with a similar premium, so it is worth looking at both. If you are not eligible, Silver is just one more level to compare.

Search for your own doctors, hospitals and medications in each plan before you choose. HealthCare.gov says to check whether your providers are in the network and whether each plan's drug list covers your prescriptions, because networks and drug lists can differ from plan to plan.

HMO, PPO, POS and EPO plans differ in how much they limit in-network choices or charge for care outside the network. If a medication matters to you, look at how the plan lists it as well as whether it is covered at all. A plan that saves a little each month but leaves out a doctor you see often is rarely a bargain.

Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. December 15, 2026 is the last day to enroll or change plans for coverage that starts January 1.

If you change plans from December 16 through January 15, 2027 and pay your first premium, HealthCare.gov says coverage starts February 1, 2027. If you were automatically re-enrolled, you can still change until January 15, 2027. State-run marketplaces may set different deadlines. A simple order of operations: update your income, list your doctors and medications, compare two or three levels, and pick before December 15, 2026. If your income may be near the tax-credit limit, read over the income limit for 2027. If your plan is ending altogether, read what happens when your Marketplace plan is discontinued.

Alexander James is a licensed independent insurance agent. He can compare the plans offered in your county with you, check your doctors and prescriptions, and help you update your 2027 income estimate. There is no obligation to enroll.