2027 ACA benchmark premiums rise 13% as signup opens Nov. 1

Benchmark silver premiums on the ACA Marketplaces will rise 13% on average for 2027, according to a KFF analysis published Oct. 30. Open enrollment starts Nov. 1 in most states.

It is the second double digit increase in a row. Benchmark premiums rose 26% from 2025 to 2026. KFF puts the rise from 2025 to 2027 at 42%.

Insurers had proposed a median increase of 15%. The final average came in lower.

The benchmark is the second lowest cost silver plan in an area. Federal tax credits are set off its price, so it drives what subsidized buyers pay.

Where premiums rise most

In states that use HealthCare.gov, benchmark premiums rise 11% for 2027, KFF found. States that run their own enrollment sites average 16%.

Last year ran the other way. HealthCare.gov states saw a 30% jump for 2026. State run Marketplaces saw about 17%.

Insurers cite a faster rise in the cost of care. They also cite the loss of the enhanced premium tax credits, which expired after 2025.

KFF’s review of rate filings found insurers estimated that changes in who stays enrolled added about 4 percentage points to 2026 premiums. They expect a similar added effect in 2027.

What CMS says

CMS posted its 2027 plan data the same day. More than 75% of people who buy through HealthCare.gov will have access to a premium of $50 or less, the agency said in a fact sheet.

People eligible for tax credits can get a plan with nearly 90% of the lowest cost premium paid by the federal government, CMS said. That share was 85% in 2020.

CMS says the average shopper will see about 100 plans from five to six insurers. On average, 35 of those plans are HSA eligible.

HealthCare.gov enrollment runs from Nov. 1, 2026 to Jan. 15, 2027. The plan data files for 2027 are posted for download.

Who pays full price

People with incomes above 400% of the federal poverty level no longer qualify for any premium tax credit, KFF says. They pay the full premium, so the 13% average lands on them in full.

Two more changes arrive with 2027 coverage.

The 2025 budget law ends tax credits for some lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and asylees. It also removes the caps on paying back excess tax credits, starting with the 2026 tax year. People who underestimate their income can owe more at tax time.

Fewer people, fewer insurers

Paid Marketplace enrollment was 19.2 million in February 2026, KFF reports. That was down 12%, or 2.6 million people, from a year earlier. The Congressional Budget Office projects enrollment will fall from a peak of 22.4 million in 2025 to 13.1 million in 2027.

As of Oct. 29, 11 insurers had announced plans to leave at least one state for 2027, per KFF. Seven had announced plans to enter a new state.

Cigna is leaving the individual market in all 11 states where it sells.

We covered the senators’ letters on the 760,000 cancelled Marketplace enrollments on Oct. 27.

Why it matters

The 2027 increase is smaller than last year’s. It stacks on top of it. A benchmark plan costs 42% more than it did in 2025, and buyers above 400% of the poverty line pay every dollar of that rise. Open enrollment starts Sunday.