Virginia Open Enrollment for 2027: What’s Changing and What It Means for You
Opening your health insurance renewal notice can feel a little like opening a utility bill after a particularly cold winter. You know you need the service. You’re just hoping the price hasn’t climbed too much.
For Virginians buying their own health insurance, 2027 brings higher premiums—but also a new state savings program that could make coverage more affordable. And if you currently have Cigna, there’s another change to prepare for: you’ll need coverage from a different insurance company next year.
There’s plenty to consider, but you don’t need to become an insurance expert to make a good choice. Start with the dates, find out what help is available, and compare plans around the care you actually expect to use.
First, put these dates on your calendar
Virginia’s open enrollment period runs November 1, 2026, through January 29, 2027. If you want your new coverage to begin January 1, enroll by December 31, 2026.
Virginia uses its own enrollment website, Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace, and its deadlines can differ from those you see in national articles. You must enroll through the Marketplace to receive financial assistance. Source: Virginia State Corporation Commission.
These dates apply to individual and family coverage—the kind many self-employed people, early retirees, and families without employer insurance purchase. Employer benefits and Medicare follow their own schedules.
Once open enrollment ends, you generally need a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage, getting married, or having a baby, to enroll or change plans. Source: Virginia SCC’s 2027 enrollment announcement.
Premiums are rising, but your renewal deserves a closer look
A published analysis of Virginia’s approved Marketplace rates puts the average premium increase for 2027 at approximately 15.8% before financial assistance. Your own change could be higher or lower. Source: Healthinsurance.org’s Virginia coverage guide.
Here are the approved average increases by insurance company:
| Insurance company | Average approved increase |
|---|---|
| CareFirst BlueChoice | 5.8% |
| GHMSI — Group Hospitalization and Medical Services | 8.4% |
| HealthKeepers — Anthem | 12.6% |
| Kaiser Permanente — Mid-Atlantic | 11.3% |
| Optimum Choice | 3.9% |
| Oscar | 13.4% |
| Sentara Health Plans | 22.7% |
These are company averages, before financial assistance, rather than the increase for every individual policy. Source: Virginia Bureau of Insurance’s approved 2027 rate summary.
Think of these numbers as a reason to compare, rather than a forecast of your final bill. A company with a smaller increase may still have more expensive plans. Meanwhile, changes in your financial assistance can soften—or add to—the change in what you pay.
The number that matters most is the price available to your household for 2027, after any savings, for coverage that fits your needs.
Have Cigna? Make an active choice for 2027
Cigna will no longer offer individual and family medical plans beginning January 1, 2027. That means your current Cigna individual medical policy cannot renew for next year. Cigna says its individual dental plans are unaffected. Source: Cigna’s consumer announcement.
If you don’t select another plan, you may be automatically enrolled in a replacement policy with a different insurance company. Marketplace renewal processes can move consumers into alternative coverage when their existing plan disappears. Read your Virginia Marketplace renewal notice and check your account to see what applies to you; don’t assume a replacement is guaranteed or that it will match your current benefits. Sources: Marketplace renewal guidance, Virginia’s guidance for automatically enrolled consumers.
Automatic enrollment can help prevent a coverage gap. It cannot tell you whether the new plan covers your preferred specialist, treats your prescriptions favorably, or offers the best value for your family.
If you receive a replacement-plan notice, treat it as your starting point. Compare that policy with your other options before deciding to keep it.
Virginia’s new Premium Savings program could help
There is welcome news for some households facing higher costs.
Beginning with 2027 coverage, Virginia Premium Savings will help eligible Virginians pay their monthly Marketplace premiums. The state says some qualifying consumers could save as much as 70%, although the actual amount depends on household income, family size, and the plan selected. Source: Virginia Premium Savings overview.
The program is designed for households earning between 138% and 250% of the federal poverty level. Virginia publishes these examples:
| Household | Published annual income range |
|---|---|
| One person | $22,025–$39,900 |
| Family of four | $45,540–$82,500 |
Other eligibility requirements apply, including rules about residency, immigration status, and access to other coverage.
If you qualify for federal premium tax credits, Virginia’s assistance is applied after the full available federal credit. Some consumers who cannot receive federal credits may still qualify for state savings. Your Marketplace application will show your eligibility and the amount available.
The assistance applies to qualifying medical plans, excluding catastrophic plans and stand-alone dental coverage. Funding is available on a first-come, first-served basis, so there is a practical reason to get started early. Source: Virginia Premium Savings FAQ.
Even if you already have Marketplace insurance, take time to review your application. Virginia cautions that the new savings do not apply automatically; consumers need to enroll to receive them. Source: Program overview.
Look beyond the monthly payment
A low premium is appealing. But a plan that saves you money every month can become expensive when you start using it.
Picture two plans: one has a lower monthly payment but makes you pay much of your routine care yourself until you meet the deductible. The other costs more each month but offers predictable copays for the appointments you regularly need. Depending on your care, the second plan could cost less over the full year.
That’s why it helps to compare annual premiums alongside expected doctor visits, prescriptions, tests, and treatment—not just the deductible. Also consider how much you could owe during a year with a major illness or injury. Source: HealthCare.gov’s guide to total health care costs.
Pay attention to copays versus coinsurance
A copay is a set dollar amount for a covered service. Coinsurance is a percentage of the covered cost.
For example, a $40 specialist copay offers a different experience from paying 30% of the insurer’s negotiated charge. A plan with copays for frequent specialist appointments, therapy, or prescriptions may be more cost effective for someone who expects to use those services regularly.
Check when the copay applies, too. Can you use it before meeting the deductible, or only afterward? And does it cover just the office visit, with lab work, imaging, or procedures billed separately?
These details can matter more than a modest difference in monthly premiums. Virginia’s insurance regulator recommends reviewing copays, coinsurance, deductibles, and covered services together when comparing plans. Source: Virginia SCC’s shopping guidance.
Give Silver plans a look if you qualify for extra help
Some households qualify for additional savings that lower deductibles, copays, and other costs when receiving care. These are called cost-sharing reductions, and income-based eligibility generally requires selecting a Silver Marketplace plan.
If your application offers these savings, compare the Silver options before choosing a cheaper-premium Bronze plan. The difference when you need care can be substantial. Source: HealthCare.gov’s explanation of extra savings.
Check your doctors—and your medicine cabinet
Before choosing a policy, make a short list of the doctors, hospitals, and prescriptions you want covered.
Verify providers against the exact 2027 plan and network. “We accept Anthem” or “We take Sentara” may not answer whether a practice participates in the particular policy you’re considering.
For prescriptions, check the medication, dose, coverage level, and any approval requirements. Also look for preferred-pharmacy rules. Plans can change their drug lists and restrictions from year to year, even when the plan name looks familiar. Sources: Virginia SCC’s shopping guidance, CMS’s enrollment toolkit.
Your income estimate matters again at tax time
When you apply, the Marketplace uses your expected household income to calculate financial assistance. Federal premium tax credits can be paid in advance to your insurer, lowering your monthly bill. You may see these called APTCs, or advance premium tax credits.
Those advance credits are reconciled when you file your federal income tax return for the year of coverage. For 2027 insurance, that generally happens when you file your 2027 return in 2028.
At that point, your actual income and household circumstances determine the credit you were entitled to receive. If too much was paid in advance, the excess reduces your refund or increases the amount you owe. If you received too little, you may qualify for an additional credit.
The repayment rules are less forgiving than they once were: beginning with tax year 2026, the income-based caps on repayment of excess credits no longer apply. For example, if you received $8,000 in advance credits but ultimately qualified for $5,000, you would repay the $3,000 difference through your tax return. Source: IRS premium tax credit guidance.
You don’t need to predict your income perfectly. Make a reasonable estimate and update the Marketplace when your circumstances change—particularly after a raise, a change in business income, or a significant taxable retirement withdrawal.
A few final details before you’re finished
Read your renewal notices, respond to requests for documents, and save your enrollment confirmation. If your new insurer requires a first premium payment, make it by the deadline; selecting the plan alone does not start coverage when that payment is required. Source: HealthCare.gov’s payment guidance.
Some households should also seek help reviewing changes to eligibility. Virginia has announced new federal restrictions affecting financial assistance for certain lawfully present immigrants in 2027, along with changes affecting some Medicaid expansion members. If either could apply to your family, review your situation before relying on last year’s eligibility decision. Source: Virginia’s federal-changes guidance.
Need a hand choosing?
You don’t have to sort through every deductible, prescription rule, and renewal notice on your own.
Reach out to Akins Advisory Partners if you need help evaluating your options during this open enrollment period. Bring your renewal notice, a list of your doctors and medications, and an idea of the care you expect next year. Those everyday details are the starting point for finding coverage that fits your life and your budget.