Health insurance premiums for hundreds of thousands of people in states including Washington, Maine and Connecticut could rise by double-digit percentages next year as insurers request major increases.
State insurance officials announcing recent filings for higher premiums have pledged to thoroughly scrutinize the requests in the coming months, meaning reductions are still possible.
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It's all part of a national trend as the costs of medical services, prescription drugs and new medical technologies mount. Insurers are also citing fallout from the end of pandemic-era federal subsidies. During the winter months, Congress failed to extend the enhanced tax credits that made Affordable Care Act Marketplace plans more affordable from 2021 to 2025.
Consumers are now suffering the consequences. Washington state's insurance commissioner, Patty Kuderer, reported that all 13 insurers offering individual plans requested premium increases for 2027, averaging 22.4%.
Kuderer said she understood such an increase would cause hardship for residents. “I know the requested rate changes will be difficult for individuals and families,” she said in a recent release, pledging to closely review the proposed hikes.
The premium increases described could affect more than 280,000 people in Washington who lack workplace health insurance and must secure their own coverage.
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Other states where health insurance costs are climbing
The Connecticut Insurance Department recently confirmed that four health insurance providers filed for higher 2027 premiums. The requests apply to individual plans (157,000 people) and two small employer plans offered by Anthem Health Plans and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company (covering 63,000 people). The Connecticut filings for 2027 hikes range from 12.8% average increases to 22.7% increases.
The state's insurance commissioner said the requests would be reviewed for compliance with state law. “Connecticut families are under increasing pressure from rising healthcare costs, and the current trajectory is unsustainable,” Josh Hershman said in a June 5 release. The state insurance department is taking public comments through at least July 5 at its website.
According to Maine's Bureau of Insurance, four insurers filed for premium increases affecting individual and small employer plans. UnitedHealthcare requested an average 18% increase; Community Health Options requested 20% to 25% increases; and Anthem requested increases of up to 26%. "The Bureau is currently reviewing the proposed rates," it said in a June 8 release.
According to a KFF Health News report, Affordable Care Act Marketplace enrollment could fall by nearly 5 million people this year. The average monthly net premium payment is $178 in 2026, up from $113 a year ago, the report added.
Healthier and cheaper-to-insure Americans affected by the end of tax credits will be more likely to let their health insurance lapse. That makes the remaining insured pool more expensive to cover. The Connecticut Insurance Department said insurers attributed the increases in their requested rates to "the increased morbidity with a market contraction as more healthy lives will lapse with significant increases in premium."
Open enrollment for 2027 plans begins on Nov. 1. That leaves several months for regulators to examine insurance companies' requests. Maine's rates will be finalized in August, while Connecticut and Washington expect decisions in September.
