What’s coming for ACA subsidies and premiums in 2027
2026 was the year the enhanced subsidies disappeared and the 400% income cliff came back. 2027 is shaping up to be the year the underlying prices catch up. Here is what has actually been published so far — filed rates, the IRS contribution table, and the official enrollment calendar — separated from speculation.
1. Insurers have filed a median 15% rate increase
Across 276 insurers whose filings have been made public, the median proposed increase for 2027 is 15%, with filings ranging from a 1% decrease to a 54% increase. About 63% of insurers are asking for between 10% and 25%. Insurers attribute the jump to medical cost trend — hospital prices, specialty drugs like GLP-1s — plus the expectation that healthier people keep leaving the risk pool now that the enhanced credits are gone.
Two things to remember: filed is not approved — state regulators review rates through the fall and often trim them — and increases vary enormously by state. You can see your state’s filed increase on our premiums-by-state map.
2. The 400% subsidy cliff is still in force
Nothing in current law restores the enhanced credits for 2027. The math stays the way it snapped back in 2026: cross 400% of the federal poverty level and the premium tax credit goes to zero, no matter what your plan costs. For a household of two, that line sits at $86,560 of 2027 income. One dollar over it can cost a family over a thousand dollars a month in assistance.
Congress could still act — bills to extend the enhanced credits exist — but as of this writing none has passed, and 2027 rates were filed assuming no extension.
3. Your expected contribution ticks up
For those under the cliff, the IRS published the 2027 “applicable percentages” — the share of income you’re expected to pay toward the benchmark plan — in Rev. Proc. 2026-26. The scale runs from 2.15% of income at the bottom of the eligible range to 10.22% at the top, up slightly from 2.10%–9.96% in 2026. Small percentage, real dollars: at $80,000 of income, the top-of-scale shift alone adds about $17 a month before any premium increase.
4. Out-of-pocket maximums rise to $12,000 / $24,000
The federal ceiling on in-network out-of-pocket costs for 2027 is $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a family, up from $10,600 and $21,200 in 2026. That is the ceiling plans are allowed to use; many plans set lower limits, but the worst-case exposure on a legal plan is officially higher next year.
5. The enrollment calendar — with a court case attached
- Open enrollment for 2027 coverage opens November 1, 2026
- Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage starting January 1
- The window is scheduled to close January 15, 2027 — but a federal rule that would have ended it December 15 was struck down in court in June 2026, the government has appealed, and the closing date could still move. Do not plan around the January tail.
What should you actually do?
- Under the cliff? Your credit grows as the benchmark rises — the formula absorbs most of the increase. Re-shop during open enrollment anyway; benchmark shuffles can strand you on a plan that’s no longer priced right.
- Near the cliff? This is the highest-stakes position. HSA and retirement contributions lower the income the formula sees. Run your numbers in our 2027 subsidy calculator.
- Over the cliff and healthy? You will bear the full 15%-median increase yourself on the Marketplace. This is exactly the household that should price a private, medically-underwritten plan alongside the full-price ACA rate.
The calculator uses the published 2027 table and your state’s filed rates — the same numbers in this article.
Christopher “Austin” Olivier is an independent health insurance agent licensed in 30 states (NPN #21299672), based in Florida and originally from Louisiana. Over more than seven years he has helped self-employed workers, small business owners, and early retirees compare ACA Marketplace and private coverage — and tells clients plainly when the Marketplace is their better deal. Every state license is posted on the About page so you can verify it against state records. Questions about this article? Call or text (954) 995-1023.
Sources: KFF, preliminary 2027 rate filings ↗; Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker ↗; IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26 ↗; CMS 2027 payment parameters ↗; HealthCare.gov dates & deadlines ↗. Educational content, not tax or legal advice.