2027 Health Insurance Plans | Open Enrollment Information

Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. That's the headline everybody repeats. But if you wait until November 1 to start thinking about your health insurance, you're already behind and this year more than most, because Colorado's individual market is going through real changes.

Cigna is leaving Colorado's individual market

This is the big one. Cigna is pulling out of the individual and family market in Colorado for 2027, and it's not just here they're exiting the individual market nationwide. Roughly 41,000 Coloradans are on a Cigna plan right now, and every one of them needs a new plan for January.

If you're one of them: your Cigna coverage runs through December 31, 2026. You're not getting kicked off early. But you will not be auto-renewed into anything, because there's nothing to renew into. Connect for Health Colorado is granting Cigna members a special enrollment period that runs through March 1, 2027, which is a genuine safety net but please don't use it as a plan. A March safety net means a gap in coverage in January and February. Pick your new plan in November, get a January 1 start date, and be done with it.

The other thing Cigna members should know: your doctors may or may not be in-network on whatever you choose next. That's the part people get burned on. Bring us your list of providers and prescriptions before you pick.

Colorado Access is coming in for 2027 Open Enrollment

Some good news to balance it out. Colorado Access is entering the individual market for 2027 with a new product line called Colorado Access Choice. They'll be selling in 14 counties across rating areas 1, 2, 3 and 7 so the Denver metro area, Boulder, the north Front Range, and the Colorado Springs region.

Colorado Access isn't a startup. They're a Colorado nonprofit that's been running Medicaid and CHP+ coverage in this state for more than 30 years. They'll be the second Colorado-based carrier in the individual market alongside Denver Health. That brings us to seven carriers filed for 2027 — Anthem, Kaiser Permanente, Denver Health, Rocky Mountain, SelectHealth and the rest of the familiar names are all staying put.

Two new carriers entering our market in three years (SelectHealth in 2024, Colorado Access now) is a decent signal in a year where most of the country is watching carriers leave.

What premiums are doing

The Colorado Division of Insurance says individual plans are looking at an average increase of about 11% for 2027 statewide. That stings, but it's below the national median of roughly 14%, and it isn't spread evenly. The Western Slope is looking at closer to 15%, and the increase varies a lot by carrier as some filings came in around 10%, others north of 20%.

"Average" is the least useful number in insurance. Your renewal could be flat or it could be 25%. The only way to know is to look at your specific plan, in your specific county, at your specific income — which is exactly why we do October reviews.

Commissioner Michael Conway has been blunt about the cause: the expiration of the federal enhanced premium tax credits. Which brings us to the money.

The subsidy situation

The enhanced premium tax credits that had been in place since 2021 expired January 1, 2026. Congress hasn't put them back. The House passed a three-year extension in January 2026 and it stalled in the Senate; a bipartisan two-year compromise has been floating around since. As of right now, nothing has passed, and we are planning 2027 as if nothing will.

What that means practically:

The subsidy cliff is back. Under the enhanced rules, nobody paid more than about 8.5% of income for a benchmark plan, no matter how high the income. That's gone. If your household lands one dollar over 400% of the federal poverty level, you get zero federal premium tax credit. Not a reduced one. Zero.

Your expected contribution went up. The sliding scale is back to roughly 2% to 10% of household income, depending on where you fall.

Income estimates matter more than they have in years. If you're self-employed, commission-based, or your income moves around — and a lot of our clients are all three — the difference between estimating $63,000 and $65,000 for a household of one is the difference between a subsidy and no subsidy. That's a conversation worth having before you enroll, not at tax time.

Colorado is doing something about it

This is where being in Colorado helps. The state has two programs cushioning the blow, both funded forward through legislation passed in 2025 (HB25B-1006) and 2026 (SB26-178):

Colorado Premium Assistance (CPA) is a state-funded discount of up to $80 a month for the first person on the policy and $29 a month for each additional household member, for households between 100% and 400% FPL. It applies automatically, and unlike the federal tax credit, it never has to be paid back if your income changes. More than 176,000 Coloradans used it this year, and it continues for 2027.

The state reinsurance program works behind the scenes to hold down the underlying rates, which is a big part of why our 11% is below the national number.

It's working, relatively speaking. Colorado's marketplace enrollment dropped about 5% into 2026 while the national decline was around 13%.

The income numbers for 2027

Subsidy eligibility for 2027 coverage is based on the 2026 federal poverty guidelines. Here's where the lines fall for the 48 contiguous states:

Under 138%, you're likely looking at Health First Colorado (Medicaid) rather than a marketplace plan. Under 250%, silver plans come with cost-sharing reductions that lower your deductible and out-of-pocket max — which is why a silver plan often beats a bronze plan for people in that range even when the premium looks higher. Over 400%, no federal credit, and the plan you choose matters enormously.

Two more changes worth knowing

Auto-renewal now happens before open enrollment starts. Connect for Health Colorado changed the process for 2027 — if you're eligible, you'll already be renewed into a plan when November 1 arrives, and you'll get one consolidated notice showing your current versus projected costs. You can still change plans any time through January 15, and a new selection replaces the auto-renewal. Just don't let "I'm already renewed" turn into "I never looked."

There's more paperwork. Federal rule changes mean additional verification when you apply or renew, changes to how financial assistance is determined, and tighter special enrollment period rules. Requests for documentation have real deadlines attached. If you get one, don't sit on it.

There are also new HSA-eligible bronze and catastrophic options for 2027, which is worth a look if you're healthy, over the subsidy cliff, and want the tax deduction.

Why October, specifically

Because November and December are a scramble, and October is when the work actually gets done well.

By mid-October, 2027 rates and plan details are public. That's enough time to pull your renewal notice, compare it against what else is available in your county, check that your doctors and prescriptions are covered, run your income estimate honestly, and see what CPA and any federal credit do to your actual monthly cost. Then you enroll the first week of November, hit the December 15 deadline for January 1 coverage, and spend the holidays not thinking about health insurance.

Wait until December and you're competing with everyone else for the same appointment slots. Enroll after December 15 and your coverage doesn't start until February 1. Miss January 15 entirely and you're locked out until 2028 unless you have a qualifying life event.

If you're on Cigna, if you're near 400% FPL, if your income changed this year, or if your renewal notice made you wince — those are the four reasons to call now rather than later.

We're booking October reviews at Mile High Health Brokers. No cost, no obligation, and we'll tell you straight if your current plan is still the right one. Reach out and let's get your 2027 sorted before the rush.

Mile High Health Brokers is a licensed Colorado insurance brokerage. Plan availability, rates and program funding are subject to change; final 2027 rates are approved by the Colorado Division of Insurance in the fall. This article is general information, not individual advice.