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Average increases as high as 38% have been requested for the Western Slope, and insurance companies estimate nearly 100,000 Coloradans will lose their health insurance coverage
DENVER - The Colorado Division of Insurance (DOI), part of the Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) released the preliminary information on private health insurance plans for 2026 for the individual market (for people that don’t get coverage from an employer plan). The filings will be public once the DOI finishes the preliminary completeness review on or about Friday, July 18.
Due to the passage of the federal tax bill cutting health care, combined with Republicans’ refusal to extend enhanced tax credits in Congress, the statewide average for submitted premium increases is an alarming 28%, and the Western part of the state, including Grand Junction, will see average premium increases over 38% for next year. These circumstances are not unique to Colorado, and other states will likely have similar increases. Driving these increases is the loss of additional financial assistance that helps middle-class Coloradans afford health insurance, and puts downward pressure on rates. Congress is letting this assistance expire on December 31 and the resulting premium increases will impact 321,000 Coloradans.
For comparison, average statewide increases were 5.6% in 2025, 9.7% in 2024, 10.4% in 2023 and 1.1% in 2022.
“Tragically, Congress is kicking people off their health care and has created chaos that is going to cost Coloradans money. We have not seen premium increases like this since the first Trump administration. Despite this, we will continue doing all that we can to increase access and save people money, but it’s really hard to do when what Congress is doing is leading to huge increases in the cost of health care nationally. I wanted people to know about these increases as soon as possible so Coloradans can plan,” said Governor Jared Polis.
“We have been warning folks that the chaos being caused by the federal government for our health insurance markets was going to create real pain for Coloradans. These rate filings are a direct reflection of that. Premium increases hitting over 300,000 Coloradans means many will have to choose between access to health care and groceries, between access to health care and school supplies, between access to health care and paying their mortgage,” said Colorado Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway. “And it’s going to hit the mountain areas, the rural counties and the Western Slope the hardest, with average increases approaching 40%. The sad reality is that many of those folks will be forced to gamble with their health because they simply cannot afford these rate increases caused by the federal government.”
"Republicans' cruel budget bill gutted Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans. If Republican leadership fails to extend the Expanded Premium Tax Credits, set to expire this year, private health insurance costs will skyrocket. Colorado families are already struggling to make ends meet. Republicans must act now. Coloradans are relying on this critical lifeline,” said Senator Michael Bennet.
“Coloradans deserve better access to affordable, quality health care,” said Senator John Hickenlooper. “Instead, Republicans turned their backs on Coloradans and voted to rip away health care from millions of Americans. They sacrificed the tax credits that save Coloradans’ lives and money just to give extra handouts to wealthy Americans.”
“Thanks to Congressional Republicans, Coloradoans are going to see their health care costs go up,” said Congresswoman Diana DeGette. “The enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits helped keep rates down, making care more accessible for more people in Colorado. However, Congressional Republicans are choosing to allow those tax credits to expire, and consequently, health care costs will go up. This is unacceptable. As the top Democrat on the Health Subcommittee, I am fighting to lower health care costs, extend these tax credits, and improve health care access for all Coloradoans.”
“Congress should be working to make health care and prescription drugs more affordable for working families. Instead, President Trump and Republicans in Congress are cutting Medicaid and taking away health coverage from hundreds of thousands of Coloradans in order to give a massive tax cut to the wealthy,” said Congressman Jason Crow.
“The Trump administration’s policies are already wreaking havoc in our health care system, and will cause health care costs to skyrocket, particularly on Colorado’s Western Slope, stripping coverage from hundreds of thousands of Coloradans. And a time when we should be strengthening America’s public health systems, they are instead making it harder for folks to receive the care they deserve,” said Congressman Joe Neguse.
“The GOP’s health care chaos is increasing insurance premiums across our state, with the most drastic impacts in the high country where we’ve worked so hard to lower costs,” said Speaker Julie McCluskie, D-Dillon. “Families in my community will struggle to afford Trump’s 40-percent increase in premiums, and many will be forced to make difficult choices. With fewer insured patients, our rural health care systems that provide a lifeline to many folks on the Western Slope might not be able to keep the doors open. We will do everything we can to continue reducing costs, but actions in Washington are making life more expensive for Coloradans.”
“From lowering the cost of prescription drugs to prioritizing preventive care, we’ve taken bold steps to save Coloradans money on health care, but GOP politicians in Washington are putting that at risk,” said Rep. Kyle Brown, D-Louisville. “The GOP’s megabill slashed health care coverage in favor of tax breaks for billionaires, and now more than 300,000 Coloradans will experience a rise in health care costs. I am very alarmed by the 28-percent spike in health insurance premiums across Colorado because it means hardworking families will either be stuck with health care bills they cannot afford or delay the care they need.”
“Chaos in Trump’s administration has made its way to Coloradans’ health care coverage,” said Senate President James Coleman, D-Denver. “All across our state – regardless of where you live or how much you make – our insurance premiums are going up because of Trump and Republicans in Congress. Higher premiums will force Coloradans to make impossible decisions about their personal budgets and, unfortunately, could mean that tens of thousands of our neighbors, friends and families lose coverage altogether. Even still, I know that my colleagues and I are committed to working hard to protect health care access and affordability wherever and however we can.”
“Connect for Health coverage is essential for thousands of people in my district. It gives small business owners the support they need to get started, and families peace of mind when their employer doesn't offer coverage. Congressional Republicans are knowingly raising costs for my constituents at a time when we know they can afford it least. It's irresponsible and reprehensible, and it doesn't reflect what's best for our community nor our economy here in Colorado,” said Senator Kyle Mullica, D-Adams.
Average Requested Rate Increase by Insurance Company
Average Requested Rate Increase by Rating Area
Consumers across the state will pay substantially more each month based on the requested premium increases. Here is how the requested premium increases will hit consumers’ wallets in 2026.
Average Premium Increases by Age and Rating Area
Part of these rate increases is the impact to Colorado’s reinsurance program from the loss of the additional financial assistance. The loss of funding for the reinsurance program is leading to an approximate 40% cut to the impact of the program in 2026. That accounts for nearly 8% of the average premium increase Coloradans will experience. In other words, the average premium increase for 2026 would have been approximately 20% instead of being more than 28%. The funding shortfall for the Reinsurance Program is also occurring because the federal government is choosing to allow the enhanced federal tax credits to expire. The credits expire December 31, 2025.
“Unfortunately, it does not appear that we can rely on the federal government to ensure that people have access to health care”, said Commissioner Conway. “That will mean that we have to step up as Coloradans to find ways to keep health care as accessible and affordable as possible in the ACA market. If we fail to do that, then the pain being felt by our friends, families and neighbors in the ACA market will be felt by everyone in Colorado when uncompensated care costs from an increased uninsured population are passed on to all of us.”
Return of the Subsidy Cliff
The “subsidy cliff” refers to people making over 400% of the federal poverty level- $62,600 for a single person or $128,600 for a family of four. It used to be a policy term that made people shudder because of the pain felt by Coloradans that fell off the cliff and we hoped it had become a term of the past. But with the enhanced tax credits expiring, that cliff will come roaring back. That will mean that people at the 400% line will no longer receive any subsidies for their health insurance on the individual market, leaving them to pay the full price. This will create huge financial pain for families.
Stakeholder and Consumer Input
As the DOI reviews these requested rate increases we want to hear from you as well. The DOI will hold a public stakeholder meeting on the ACA proposed rates on August 1. The plans and requested premiums from the insurance companies, also called filings, will be available for comment by Monday, July 21. The filings will be accessible at the DOI’s “Insurance Plan Filings & Approved Plans” website. Public comments must be received by August 8, 2025. A step-by-step guide on accessing insurance filings and submitting comments can be found here.
More Information Is Coming
The core driver of the average 28.4% rate increase request in the insurer filings is the federal government choosing to allow the expiration of tax credits that Coloradans currently utilize to keep their health care affordable. The DOI requested information from insurers about what their rate request would have been if those enhanced tax credits had been extended by the federal government. We will be making that information public in the coming weeks.
In addition, the DOI is evaluating the potential impact of Senate Bill 24-073 on the small group market and will announce the insurers’ rate increase request once that work is complete.
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