The increases apply before financial assistance, vary by insurer and come as enrollment for next year’s coverage approaches Nov. 1.
NEW JERSEY – Health insurance premiums in New Jersey’s individual market will rise by a weighted average of 19.8% for 2027, according to final figures released Oct. 15 by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. The increases cover plans purchased through Get Covered New Jersey and directly from insurers, with carrier averages ranging from 15.3% to 35.7%.
Those percentages describe premiums before subsidies. A household’s actual payment will depend on its plan and eligibility for state assistance and federal tax credits. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs Nov. 1, 2026, through Jan. 31, 2027.
The department’s carrier-by-carrier rate table lists:
| Insurer | Average individual-market increase |
|---|---|
| Horizon | 15.3% |
| AmeriHealth | 17.0% |
| Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey | 20.8% |
| Oscar | 29.3% |
| UnitedHealthcare | 35.7% |
| Weighted market average | 19.8% |
These are carrier averages, rather than a uniform increase for every policyholder. The statewide figure also combines plans sold through the marketplace with those sold outside it; it is not a forecast of the increase in every enrollee’s subsidized bill.
Insurers cited rising medical and prescription-drug expenses and a worsening insurance risk pool following the expiration of enhanced federal premium tax credits, according to the department. A risk pool is the group of people whose premiums help cover their collective medical expenses.
New Jersey requires informational rate filings from individual- and small-employer-market insurers. The department’s rate page says these filings do not undergo prior rate approval, although it can disapprove filings that are incomplete, fail to comply with applicable law, or contain rates that are inadequate or unfairly discriminatory.
The department separately reported an 18.8% average increase in the small-employer market. That figure applies to a different insurance market and should not be confused with the individual-market average.
Financial assistance and plan comparisons
Get Covered New Jersey is the state marketplace where eligible residents can obtain financial assistance toward private coverage. The department says state subsidies and remaining federal assistance may reduce what qualifying households pay.
The marketplace’s enrollment guide explains that its comparison tools show monthly premiums, eligibility for assistance, covered doctors and estimated annual health care expenses. That allows shoppers to examine costs beyond the monthly premium and check whether their doctors participate in a plan.
Consumers apply through the marketplace, select coverage and pay their insurer. Coverage does not begin until the first premium is paid, according to the guide. Free enrollment assistance is available through Get Covered New Jersey for residents who need help understanding their options.
The final rates give shoppers an indication of next year’s prices, but the carrier averages alone cannot establish a household’s 2027 cost. Residents will need to compare the available plans and their own financial-assistance determination during enrollment.