LANSING, Mich. — Michiganders who buy their own health coverage will see an average 14.2% price increase for 2027, and small businesses face an average 9.6% jump, under rates approved by state insurance regulators ahead of open enrollment that begins Sunday, Nov. 1.
Regulators at the state Department of Insurance and Financial Services signed off on filings covering about 400,322 people in the individual market and 403,722 in the small group market, which serves employers with fewer than 51 workers. Insurers had asked for an average 14.4% hike on individual plans; regulators trimmed that slightly and approved the small group requests as filed.
Increases vary widely by company. Among individual plans, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan was approved for 25.2% and Meridian for 24.0%, while Priority Health, the largest individual carrier with about 138,000 members, got 11.2% and Blue Care Network got 11.9%. In the small group market, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan was approved for 7.0%, the lowest, and UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company for 14.8%, the highest. Molina is new to the individual market.
Actual bills will differ from the averages depending on plan, age, location and tobacco use, and people who get federal tax credits will see changes tied to how those credits are calculated. Small business workers’ costs also depend on how much their employer pays.
Fewer people are buying through the marketplace. Enrollment dropped about 27% from a year earlier after enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of last year, a loss of at least 131,000 Michigan enrollees. About 497,000 residents now have coverage through HealthCare.gov.
Open enrollment runs through Jan. 15, 2027. People who want coverage to start Jan. 1 must pick a plan by Dec. 15; sign-ups from Dec. 16 on take effect Feb. 1. State regulators suggest gathering income records, IDs and lists of doctors and prescriptions now, starting at HealthCare.gov rather than lookalike sites, and calling 800-318-2596 for free help from a trained navigator.
Filed under: Lansing MI Health News
