Your Premium Went Up?
Opening a renewal letter to a big price jump is frustrating — but that number isn't the only one on the table. Health plans re-price every year, and you're free to re-shop the whole market. Let's see whether a better-fitting plan can bring the cost back down before you just pay the increase. Not sure where to start? Run your situation through the free estimator →
Why your premium jumped
Premium increases usually aren't personal — they're the result of annual re-rating. Carriers reset prices every plan year based on a few things: rising medical costs, changes to the plan's benefits or network, and your age band ticking up. On top of that, shifts in the subsidy math tied to your income and the local benchmark plan can move your number too — and a few of these stacking together is what turns a renewal into sticker shock.
What’s driving the jumps for 2027 in particular: two things shifted at the system level, not just on your plan. The enhanced premium tax credits that had held marketplace premiums down for millions of people expired at the end of 2025, so many are now seeing the un-subsidized price for the first time. And for the 2027 plan year, insurers proposed a median premium increase of roughly 15% in their preliminary rate filings, with final rates set later in the fall. If you earn above the subsidy range, both of these land on you at full force — which is exactly when re-shopping the whole market, including off-exchange private plans, tends to matter most. (Current as of October 2026; Congress could still act, and final rates can differ from the filings.)
The plan that was the best deal last year isn't automatically the best deal this year. Prices move at different rates across carriers — so the only way to know if you're still on the right plan is to compare them fresh.
How to lower your health insurance costs without cancelling
When the premium jumps, the instinct is to drop the plan — but cancelling is a one-way door, and some don't reopen until the next enrollment window. The better first move is to trim, not torch. Often you can lower your cost while keeping real coverage: re-shopping the whole market at renewal, right-sizing the plan tier to how you actually use care, checking whether your income now qualifies you for help you didn't get before, or adjusting the pieces you control. What you don't want is to cancel first and learn the re-entry rules afterward. Let's look at what can change before anything gets cancelled.
You're not stuck with the increase
A renewal is an invitation to re-shop, not a bill you have to accept. As an independent broker, I re-run your situation across the ACA marketplace and private under-65 plans, check whether you qualify for a premium subsidy, and weigh the trade-offs between premium, deductible, and network — so you're choosing on real numbers instead of defaulting to whatever auto-renewed. There's no fee to work with me and no pressure to switch. And if your increase showed up on a 2027 renewal, open enrollment for 2027 is the clean window to make the change — worth knowing the dates before you decide.
- A fresh comparison across marketplace and private carriers
- A subsidy check — many people qualify and don't realize it
- Right-size the plan: balance premium, deductible, and network
- One licensed advisor who handles the switch and paperwork with you
Here's something a renewal letter won't tell you: if your plan came through an agent who only represents one company, a rate hike leaves you with their price or nothing — they can't shop you anywhere else, because there's nowhere else for them to look. That's the difference with an independent broker. I'm not tied to a single carrier, so a jump isn't a dead end; it's the reason to put the whole market side by side and see who's priced your situation better this year.
A rancher out in Wyoming called me after his renewal notice showed up at the start of the year. When the enhanced subsidies went away, his rate went through the roof — and Wyoming was already one of the most expensive places in the country to buy coverage, with only a couple of carriers and hospitals spread thin across a whole lot of open country. He's healthy. He hardly ever used his insurance. And he just couldn't bring himself to pay what they were asking. So he went online looking for help and found me. We got him set up with a plan for a lot less than he'd been paying — one that fits the way he actually uses care, which is rarely, while still protecting him if the year ever goes sideways. He's still out there working the ranch. Covered if he ever needs it.
Self-employed and watching costs? See ACA subsidies for the self-employed → · or what changed for 2027 in Florida →
What clients facing a hike value most.
Let's re-shop before you just eat the increase
Carriers raise rates at different speeds, so last year's best deal may not be this year's. I'll put the whole market side by side and find where your money goes further.
You might qualify for help you're not getting
Subsidies track your income and the local benchmark plan, and plenty of people qualify without ever knowing. I'll run your real numbers and see.
Sometimes the fix isn't a cheaper price
It might be a different deductible or network that actually fits how you use care. I'll weigh the whole trade-off with you, not just the sticker.
One person doing the legwork, no charge
I do the re-shopping and the paperwork with you; the carriers pay me, you don't. You bring the frustration, I'll bring the options.
Quick answers.
Why did my health insurance premium go up so much?
Plans re-rate every year. Rising medical costs, benefit or network changes, your age band ticking up, and shifts in the subsidy math tied to your income can each raise your premium — and several stacking together is what turns a renewal into a big jump. It's usually re-rating, not anything you did.
Do I have to accept the increase on my renewal?
No. A renewal is a chance to re-shop, not a bill you're locked into. You can compare other plans and switch during open enrollment, or during a special enrollment period if you have a qualifying life event. I re-run the whole market so you can decide on current numbers.
Can a broker actually lower what I pay?
I can't promise a lower price, but I can make sure you're not overpaying by comparing every option and checking your subsidy eligibility. Sometimes the better fit is a different plan or a different deductible; sometimes it's confirming your current plan is still the best available. Either way you'll know.
What is a subsidy and how do I know if I qualify?
A premium tax credit lowers your monthly cost based on your household income and the benchmark plan in your area. Eligibility changes year to year, so people who didn't qualify before sometimes do now, and vice versa. I check where you land before you renew.
Does it cost anything to have you re-shop my plan?
No. There's no fee to work with me — I'm compensated by the carriers, not by you. You get a licensed advisor who compares marketplace and private options side by side and handles the switch if you decide to make one.
How can I lower my health insurance costs without cancelling?
Trim, don't torch. You can often lower cost while keeping real coverage — re-shopping the whole market at renewal, right-sizing your plan tier to how you actually use care, or checking whether your income now qualifies you for help you didn't get before. Cancelling is a one-way door with re-entry rules, so adjust the pieces you control first. A quick re-shop is free with me.
Why did my premium go up when I didn't even use my plan?
It feels backward, but individual health plans aren't priced on your personal claims — you can't be singled out for an increase because you used care, and not using it doesn't lower your rate either. Premiums move with broader factors like medical inflation, your area, and your age band. If the jump feels steep, that's usually the signal to compare your options — which is exactly what I help you do.
Why are health insurance premiums going up in 2027?
Two system-level changes are behind the 2027 increases. The enhanced premium tax credits that lowered marketplace premiums for millions expired at the end of 2025, so many people are now seeing the un-subsidized price; and for 2027, insurers proposed a median premium increase of roughly 15% in their preliminary rate filings, with final rates set later in the fall. If you earn above the subsidy range, both hit at full force — which is when re-shopping the whole market, including off-exchange private plans, matters most. (Current as of October 2026; final rates can differ from the filings.)
My agent only offers one company's plans. Is that why my rate went up?
Not exactly — your rate went up because that company re-rated its plans, the way carriers do each year. But an agent who represents only one company can't shop you anywhere else when it happens, so your choice narrows to paying the increase or starting over on your own. An independent broker compares across many companies, so a hike becomes a reason to re-shop rather than a bill you're stuck with.
Related situations I help with.
ACA subsidies
How income-based premium tax credits can cut your cost.
See subsidy help →Self-employed & 1099
Buying your own coverage without a group plan behind you.
Explore self-employed →Families & individuals
Keeping household coverage affordable as prices change.
Explore family coverage →Free second opinion
Not sure your plan still fits, or that you’re not overpaying? Get a straight answer, no pressure.
Get a second opinion →Retiring before 65
Bridging to Medicare and facing a rate hike? Compare under-65 routes.
See bridge options →Premium jumped? Let's re-shop it.
A quick call can tell you whether a better-fitting plan — or a subsidy you didn't know about — brings the cost back down.