Live in New York? Your health insurance premiums could jump $1,200 in 2026

With 2026 around the corner, New Yorkers may be in for a steep financial surprise: health insurance premiums are expected to jump significantly. The state’s health insurers are seeking very substantial rate hikes for individual plans sold through New York’s ACA exchange, more than likely meaning average increases of around 13.5%.

That could mean an extra $1,291 per person per year, or about $108 more each month. To put that in perspective, this follows similar sizeable jumps in previous years — about 12% in 2024 and 13% in 2025; this would be a continuation of a concerning trend.

Digging into the details, different insurers are seeking widely varying increases — ranging from a modest 1% to a steep 38%. Here’s an overview of the largest proposed increases:

• Independent Health Benefit Corporation: +38%, adding $3,440/year
• UnitedHealthcare of New York: +37%, adding $5,226/year
• Excellus Health Plan: +25%, adding $2,378/year
• Highmark Western & Northeastern NY: +24%, adding $2,537/year
• Oscar Insurance: +17%, adding $1,981/year
• CDPHP: +14%, adding $1,467/year
• Healthfirst PHSP: +14%, adding $1,380/year
• Anthem: +10%, adding $1,102/year
• MetroPlus: +10%, adding $1,115/year

These requested increases are notably higher than those submitted in other states.

So what’s behind these proposed price hikes? Several key factors are in play:

• Sunsetting “enhanced” premium tax credits: These will likely end after 2025, potentially pushing costs up by 75%, leading healthier individuals to drop coverage and leaving a riskier insurance pool.
• Trump tariffs on medical supplies and drugs: New import tariffs, the key point in Trump’s grand plan to save America, are expected to raise insurer expenses by around 3%, adding pressure to rates.

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To give a broader context, this trend isn’t unique to New York. Nationwide, insurers offering ACA-plan coverage are projecting about a 15% increase in premiums for 2026 — the highest jump in several years.

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