07.01.2026 / Press Release

WASHINGTON, D.C. - As health insurers start to submit their preliminary premium rates for the 2027 open enrollment period, Families USA has created a real-time tracker to help paint a picture of the sticker shock consumers might face when they shop for individual insurance plans offered this fall on the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA).

Initial filings suggest that in 2027, many families will see another round of double-digit premium spikes, following up on an average 25.5% increase in 2026. Some states are receiving average premium hike requests as high as 22.4% in 2027. While marketplace premiums only increased by single digits on average from 2019-2025, they increased sharply in 2026 and another significant increase is expected in 2027. These increases are a direct result of policy choices across the federal government to make health coverage harder to afford and to keep.

In their rate filings, insurers point the blame for the continued premium increases at rising hospital and drug prices; provider consolidation; and, in particular, the uncertainty about which consumers will remain in the individual market, as Congress has yet to take action on reviving the enhanced premium tax credits that expired in December 2025.

"These consecutive and cumulative double-digit spikes in health insurance premium increases are the result of deliberate decisions by Congressional Republicans and the Trump administration," said Anthony Wright, Families USA's executive director. "Congressional leadership blocked bipartisan attempts to extend the enhanced tax credits and prevent premiums from doubling. The Trump Administration put in place policies to make it harder to get on and stay on coverage. These policy choices by Congress and the President pushed and priced millions of people out of coverage. We will continue to monitor and document the damage from these decisions, so consumers have the information they need in reviewing their health care options, and to hold their elected representatives accountable."

The sharp increase in 2026 was heavily driven by uncertainty about the extension of the enhanced premium tax credits. The eventual failure to extend the tax credits has now led to four million enrollees dropping coverage this year, and that number is likely to continue to grow.

"This dramatic decrease of millions of Americans losing health insurance will force further premium increases, as insurers raise rates planning for a smaller and sicker risk pool. After years of single digit percent premium increases, the President is presiding over double-digit price hikes of the base rate, without the enhanced tax credits to soften the blow."

The tracker shows premium rates in each state and nationwide (average and cumulative) since 2020, as well as 2027 proposed rates. It also illustrates how preliminary filings can - and often do - shift before they are finalized due to federal policy changes, with a side-by-side comparison of proposed 2026 rates and final 2026 rates.