Pennie premiums rise about 16% for 2027. A state subsidy plan passed the House in 2024 and went no further

Health insurance bought through Pennie, Pennsylvania's marketplace for people who don't get coverage through work, will cost an average of 15.97% more in 2027, WESA reported on Friday. Small-business plans will rise an average of 10.28%. Open enrollment for next year runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.

What the state did

Insurers had asked for average increases of 17.14% for individual plans and 11.49% for small groups. The state Insurance Department approved less, and said it denied $94.7 million in increases it considered unjustified, according to the department's release. Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys told WESA that medical claims rose about 13% and drug claims about 15%, and he pointed to federal Medicaid changes he expects to increase the number of uninsured people and raise costs for everyone else.

For many households, the bigger change already happened. Enhanced federal premium tax credits expired Jan. 1, 2026, and average monthly premiums paid by Pennie customers have risen 102% since, WESA reported. Pennie found that 214,000 people had dropped coverage as of Oct. 6. A three-year extension of the federal credits passed the U.S. House in January but has stalled in the Senate, the station reported.

Pennie's board estimates about 350,000 of the state's more than 700,000 uninsured residents could qualify for financial help, according to WESA.

What the records add

Pennsylvania has had a plan on paper for state-funded help with Pennie premiums. It never became law.

The bill. House Bill 2234 of the 2023-24 session was Gov. Josh Shapiro's proposal to pair a state subsidy for low- and middle-income Pennie customers with a stronger reinsurance program for high-cost claims, according to the Insurance Department. The department projected it would help about 500,000 people. The sponsor was then-Rep. Patty Kim, chair of the House Insurance Committee, who now serves in the state Senate. All 32 co-sponsors were Democrats.

The vote. The House passed it 106-96 on June 5, 2024. All 102 Democrats voted yes. Four Republicans joined them: Reps. Joe Emrick, Joe Hogan, Thomas Mehaffie and Kathleen Tomlinson. The other 96 Republicans voted no.

The Senate. The bill was referred to the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee on June 7, 2024, and had no further action before the session ended. Healthinsurance.org, which tracks state marketplaces, reports that state funding for such a program had not been made available as of September 2026, "making it unlikely that state subsidies will be available for 2027."

What residents can do

• Shop during open enrollment. It runs Nov. 1 through Jan. 15. To have coverage start Jan. 1, enroll by Dec. 15, WESA reported.
• Check for help. Pennie's board estimates about half of the state's uninsured residents could qualify for financial assistance, WESA reported.
• Compare plans. The approved increases are statewide averages, according to the Insurance Department, so a given plan's change can differ.

What happens next

The 2027 rates are final. Any state subsidy would take a new bill in the session that begins in January, and money in a state budget. Federal action on the tax credits depends on the U.S. Senate.