Americans buying their own health insurance face another steep price rise next year, with benchmark premiums under the Affordable Care Act set to climb by 13% on average in 2027.

The figure comes from a new analysis by KFF, the health policy research group, of finalised rates for the marketplace plans. It is the second year in a row that benchmark premiums have risen by a double-digit percentage, after a 26% jump from 2025 to 2026. Taken together, the two increases leave benchmark silver premiums about 42% higher on average than they were in 2025.

The benchmark plan is the second-lowest-cost silver plan in each area, and it is the plan that tax credits are pegged to, so it sets the baseline for most buyers. KFF puts the average benchmark premium for a 40-year-old at $703 a month in 2027, up from $452 a month in 2021. Insurers had proposed a median increase of 15%, so the final average came in slightly lower after regulators reviewed the filings.

The rises are not even across the country. In states that use the federal HealthCare.gov platform, benchmark silver premiums are increasing by 11%, while states that run their own enrollment platforms are seeing increases of 16%.

Open enrollment for 2027 coverage began on 1 November in most states and runs through 15 January. People must enroll by 15 December for coverage starting on 1 January.

The increases follow the expiry of enhanced federal premium tax credits at the end of 2025. KFF reports that paid marketplace enrollment stood at 19.2 million in February 2026, down 2.6 million on the year before, and the Congressional Budget Office projects enrollment will fall to 13.1 million in 2027, from a peak of 22.4 million in 2025.

[Source: kff.org](https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/9-things-to-watch-for-the-2027-aca-open-enrollment-period/) | [Source: ktbb.com](https://ktbb.com/post/?p=1556268)