Connecticut Health Insurers Seek Double-Digit Rate Increases for 2027
Connecticut’s initial rate chart lists requested average increases of 12.8% to 22.7% for individual and small-group filings covering nearly 220,000 lives. Meeting comments are due August 24.
Connecticut regulators are reviewing proposed 2027 rate increases for individual and small-group health plans covering nearly 220,000 people statewide, with the initial rate chart listing requested average increases from 12.8% to 22.7% in the filings that include a percentage request.
The requests apply to plans sold on and off Access Health CT, the state’s health insurance exchange, as well as small-group coverage for employers with 50 or fewer workers. None of the requested increases has been approved.
The Connecticut Insurance Department will hold a hybrid public informational meeting in Hartford on August 26, giving residents, employers and other interested parties another opportunity to comment before final decisions.
What insurers are asking for
The department’s initial rate filings chart lists these average requested increases:
- Anthem individual plans: 12.8%, covering 103,176 people.
- ConnectiCare Benefits individual plans: 22.7%, covering 50,114 people.
- Anthem small-group plans: 17.4%, covering 46,934 people.
- UnitedHealthcare small-group plans: 18.9%, covering 15,974 people.
The largest listed request is the 22.7% average increase for ConnectiCare Benefits’ individual plans. The percentages are averages across each filing; they do not mean every policyholder would receive the same change if a request is approved.
The chart also lists a Connecticut Insurance Company filing covering 3,719 lives but shows no requested percentage increase. It says the company would offer new coverage off exchange only in 2027. ConnectiCare, Inc., and Oxford Health Insurance and Oxford Health Plans also are listed as not offering plans in 2027. UnitedHealthcare’s listed small-group coverage would be offered off exchange only.
Public meeting scheduled for August 26
On July 28, the Insurance Department announced a hybrid public informational meeting for 9 a.m. Wednesday, August 26, at the Legislative Office Building, Room 1D, 300 Capitol Avenue, in Hartford. The meeting will be held in person and virtually.
The insurers will present their requested rate changes. Department officials, other state agencies, executive officials and elected officials will then have an opportunity to ask questions before the public-comment portion begins.
Anyone who wants to submit written comments for the meeting must email them to the Insurance Department by 5 p.m. Monday, August 24. People who want to speak virtually must register by the same deadline. In-person speakers may sign up at the Hartford meeting beginning at 8:30 a.m. August 26, and oral comments will be limited to three minutes per speaker.
Comments remain open beyond the meeting deadline
The August 24 deadline applies to written comments for the public informational meeting and to registration for virtual speakers. It does not close the broader public-comment process.
The department said the online public-comment period began June 5, when the filings were posted for review, and will remain open until the final rates are approved. The department’s consumer rate-filing page directs the public to the online filing records and comment process.
The department’s review examines whether the requested rates comply with Connecticut insurance laws and regulations. Insurers must provide supporting information and justification for their proposals. Regulators can approve, reject or modify the requests after reviewing the filings and public input.
What the requests could mean for residents and employers
The filings concern people who buy individual coverage and employees covered through small employers, not all Connecticut residents with health insurance. If the requests are approved, premiums for affected plans could increase, although the final changes may differ by insurer, plan and policyholder.
Small businesses also could face higher costs for employee coverage if the requested small-group increases are approved. Individual-market consumers will be able to compare final plan prices and options during the 2027 enrollment period.
The review is taking place before 2027 open enrollment begins October 23, 2026. Until the department completes its review, the requested percentages remain proposals, not final rates.
Sources
- Connecticut Insurance Department announces August 26 rate meeting
- Health insurers are seeking rate hikes again. Here’s what to know
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