If your 2027 renewal looks higher, you are not alone. Here is what is pushing premiums up — and, more usefully, what you can do about it.
What is driving the increases
- Medical inflation: the price of care and labor keeps rising, and premiums follow.
- Specialty and GLP-1 drugs: high-cost medications, including weight-loss drugs, are one of the fastest-growing spending categories for insurers.
- Hospital pricing and consolidation: when hospital systems gain pricing power, contracted rates — and premiums — climb.
- Subsidy changes: after the enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025, more of the premium falls on households, so the same sticker price feels like a bigger increase. See the 2027 subsidy outlook.
What you actually control
You cannot change medical inflation, but you have more levers than you think:
- Re-shop, do not auto-renew. The plan that was competitive in 2026 may be overpriced in 2027. A different carrier may now be the value leader.
- Recheck your subsidy. Your premium tax credit can rise with benchmark prices — sometimes offsetting a chunk of the increase.
- Right-size your metal tier. If you rarely use care, a lower tier may cut your premium; if you use a lot, a higher tier may lower total cost.
- Consider an HDHP + HSA for a lower premium plus a tax break — see HDHP vs PPO.
The bottom line
Rate increases are real, but your outcome is not fixed. The households that keep costs down are the ones that treat open enrollment as an active decision, not a renewal. See the 2027 open enrollment guide.
Facing a higher renewal? Compare the whole market before you accept it. Our free tool compares plans from 50+ carriers and shows what you'd actually pay in about 60 seconds — no obligation, real answers from a licensed broker. Get your free quote →