Coloradans Individual Health Coverage will Double in Costs for 2026
- Media Logic Radio
- 19 hours ago
- 1 min read
Coloradans who buy their own health insurance are in for major sticker shock next year.
The Colorado Division of Insurance says the average person who purchases insurance on the individual market — that’s people who don’t get coverage through an employer or government program — will see what they pay more than double in 2026.
The average cost is expected to rise by 101 percent. The jump is mostly due to the expected expiration of enhanced federal tax credits that currently help lower monthly premiums.
About 300,000 people in Colorado buy coverage on the individual market. State officials estimate as many as 75,000 could drop their insurance next year because of the price increases.
Insurance Commissioner Michael Conway said the hikes will force “impossible decisions” for families across the state.
Even with state programs holding down some costs, the underlying premium prices will still rise about 23 percent — the second-largest increase since the Affordable Care Act took effect.
Roughly 225,000 Coloradans receive the enhanced subsidies that are set to expire. Without them, people earning more than about sixty-two thousand dollars a year — or families of four making more than one hundred twenty-eight thousand — will lose all federal support.
Consumer advocates say the sharp increases are a direct result of Congress failing to extend the subsidies, which are currently tied up in the federal budget fight.
Open enrollment begins next week.
