Nine insurers approved to sell 2027 health insurance plans to small businesses
OLYMPIA, Wash. — Small businesses purchasing health insurance for their employees can choose from nine insurance companies for coverage in 2027.
The nine insurers requested an average rate increase of 16.5%. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner approved an average increase of 16.7%, based on an actuarial review of each company’s financial projections.
Most of the proposed rate increase is due to an increase in the basic cost of healthcare. Insurers base their rate changes partially on what they expect to happen to their costs in the future — like how many people they expect to cover, their age and their health status, and how much they expect the costs of health care services to increase.
“Despite the increase, it’s a positive sign that these small business owners have so many options for providing insurance for their employees,” Washington Insurance Commissioner Patty Kuderer said. “Our state has a competitive market, though as a country we need a more large-scale solution to address healthcare costs.”
All nine insurers also sold small group health plans for 2026. These plans are available for businesses with less than 50 employees, which are not legally required to offer health benefits.
The Insurance Commissioner is required by law to approve rate increases when insurance companies can prove the change is justified.
Health insurance premiums for employees are on the rise all across the country, according to KFF’s annual health benefits survey.
- The average annual cost of premiums for an individual employee is $1,672, up 15.8% from last year ($1,408).
- The average cost for a family is $7,471, up 9% from a year ago ($6,850).
- Including the share paid by the employer, the total annual premiums for family health coverage now average $28,303 a year — a 5% increase from 2025.
See which insurers are selling small group health plans by county.
| Insurer | Requested change | Approved change | People impacted |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asuris Northwest Health | 17.9% | 15.3% | 4,181 |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest | 7.9% | 8.8% | 7,885 |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of WA | 8.1% | 6.9% | 13,017 |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of WA Options | 12.4% | 10.1% | 15,680 |
| Premera Blue Cross | 20% | 20.3% | 55,711 |
| Premera Blue Cross HMO | 16.8% | 18.3% | 71 |
| Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oregon | 13.8% | 15.6% | 5,128 |
| Regence BlueShield | 16.6% | 17.2% | 80,367 |
| UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company | 19.9% | 21.6% | 12,061 |
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
