Colorado families who buy health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace will pay an average of 10% more in premiums for 2027 plans.
Open enrollment begins Sunday, Nov. 1, and runs through Jan. 15, 2027, according to the Colorado Division of Insurance. Residents who want coverage starting Jan. 1 must enroll by Dec. 15. Those who sign up between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15 will see coverage begin Feb. 1, 2027.
The 10% average increase applies to individual-market plans, the kind purchased by people who don't get insurance through an employer or a government program like Medicare or Medicaid. That's below the 15% national median, according to the Division of Insurance's September announcement of final 2027 rates. The division said its rate review process saved Colorado consumers $42,136,281 on premiums for the coming plan year.
The increases trace partly to the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits, which had lowered costs for ACA customers since 2021. The Division of Insurance said the expiration resulted in a doubling of premium costs on average for hundreds of thousands of Coloradans in the 2026 plan year and continues to cause instability.
Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway attributed the ongoing pressure to Congress' failure to extend those subsidies. The Summit Daily reported that Conway said in a state release that Colorado is "doing everything we can to keep health insurance prices down so Coloradans can afford access to health care."
Coloradans are already feeling the squeeze. 9News reported that marketplace customers are paying about $19 million more per month in premiums in 2026 than they did in 2025, even with remaining tax credits and state assistance. The state saw a 7% drop in enrollments during the first part of 2026, according to the Summit Daily.
Mercedes Von Pichl, a small business owner who buys her family's coverage through the marketplace, told 9News her premium jumped from $205 to $577 in 2026 as the tax credits expired. She said she received an email estimating her 2027 cost at $675.28.
State lawmakers have tried to cushion the blow. Gov. Jared Polis signed SB26-178 earlier in 2026 to extend the Colorado Premium Assistance (CPA) program and the state's reinsurance program. The Division of Insurance said financially assisted customers will see an estimated net premium increase of $20 per month from 2026 to 2027. Without CPA, that increase would average $69 per month.
The reinsurance program alone will save Coloradans nearly $470 million on premiums in the 2027 plan year, the division said.
Still, consumer advocates say the increases are painful. Adam Fox, deputy director of the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, said in a release that Coloradans face hard choices: "Costs are rising across the board and Coloradans will be hurting, having to choose between another premium hike or going uninsured so they can cover other basic necessities."
Kevin Patterson, chief executive officer of Connect for Health Colorado, said many residents may qualify for help they don't expect. The marketplace estimates 69% of customers are likely to qualify for financial assistance for 2027, and about 60% of those who qualify could find a plan for $10 or less per month.
Six insurance companies will offer medical plans for 2027: Anthem, Colorado Access, Elevate Health Plans by Denver Health, Kaiser Permanente, Rocky Mountain Health Plans and Select Health. Cigna Healthcare will no longer offer individual medical plans in Colorado starting Jan. 1, 2027, so current Cigna customers must actively pick a new carrier.
Colorado Option plans, required of all carriers, offer $0 primary care and mental health visits. Enrollees in those plans pay $14 to $33 less per month in premiums and 15% less in out-of-pocket costs, according to the division.
Residents can compare plans and check eligibility for financial help at ConnectforHealthCO.com or by calling 855-752-6749. Free certified assisters and licensed brokers are available in every Colorado county and speak more than 22 languages.
