‘A stunning jump’: Many insurers on Affordable Care Act plans are seeking huge rate increases for 2027

This follows many double-digit increases in 2026. And the numbers add up. Cenene, for instance, is asking for a 28% increase in Washington state after receiving a 35% boost this year. If approved, that means members in that state would be paying nearly 73% more than they did two years prior beginning in January.

“It is a stunning jump,” Cynthia Cox, senior vice president at KFF, a health-research nonprofit, told The Wall Street Journal.

On average, ACA Marketplace insurers are asking for a median premium increase of roughly 14%, according to The Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker

Two years of increases

The final rate increases won’t be determined until later this year. But if insurers’ proposals are met, it could drive more people away from the ACA, particularly after last year’s reduction in federal subsidies. That leaves a smaller pool of enrollees, who are often costlier to cover.

If the rate of proposed increases holds, the typical premium for ACA enrollees would have increased by one-third over a two-year period.

“This is the second consecutive year of double-digit premium hikes,” wrote the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. “Last year’s median nationwide proposed rate change was 18%, and the median finalized rate change was 20%. While this proposed rate change is lower than last year, it represents the second-highest requested rate change since 2018, as premium growth had been relatively flat in this market for several years.”

Rising healthcare costs and inflation are two of the drivers for the higher rates, along with increased use of GLP-1s and an increased severity of claims.

To date, 77 ACA Marketplace insurers have distributed their proposed rate changes for 2027. None proposed keeping rates steady, while 10 asked for an increase of 25% or more.