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What Are My Private Health Insurance Options in Connecticut, and What Do They Cost?
Written and reviewed by Dick Tracy, licensed health insurance broker (NPN 20414610) · Published October 6, 2026
Private health insurance in Connecticut is any coverage you buy yourself instead of getting it from a job or a government program. On Access Health CT, the state marketplace, the 2026 average list price for a 40-year-old ran from $623 a month (lowest-cost Bronze) to $870 (benchmark Silver), before any subsidy, and the state approved 2027 increases of 8.8% and 16.0% for the two companies staying on the exchange, and 11.3% on average across all individual filings. One thing sets Connecticut apart: nobody can sell you an individual major medical plan priced on your own health in Connecticut. So the kinds you can buy are a marketplace plan, the same kind of plan bought off the exchange, a fixed-benefit plan within the state's limits, and for people with business income, a pre-established ERISA group plan. I'm Dick Tracy, a licensed health insurance broker, licensed in Connecticut and based in Buffalo, NY. I educate, you decide.
My license number is NPN 20414610, I hold licenses in 25 states, and I work with 80+ carriers. My office is in Buffalo, New York, which prices individual plans the same way Connecticut does, so I have spent years finding the doors that still open in a state like yours. I work with Connecticut residents by phone or Zoom with the plan documents on the screen. This page is for anyone in Connecticut without job coverage: you are between jobs, you retired before 65, you work for yourself, or you earn too much for a subsidy and the marketplace price made you blink.
per month before any subsidy
individual plans (asked: 16.2%)
Access Health CT for 2027
Sources: KFF, 2026 marketplace premiums; Connecticut Insurance Department, 2027 rate decisions, September 11, 2026; healthinsurance.org, Connecticut marketplace guide (checked October 6, 2026).
What "private health insurance" actually means
People type "private health insurance" when they mean "insurance I buy on my own." That is the right instinct. Health coverage in this country comes from three places: a government program (Medicare, HUSKY Health), a job, or the private market where you buy it yourself. If it is not from the government and not from an employer, it is private.
One thing surprises people. A plan on Access Health CT is private health insurance too. The state runs the store, but the plans on the shelf come from private insurance companies. So the real question is not "marketplace or private." It is "which kind of private coverage fits my health, my income, and my doctors."
And one more thing catches people who move to Connecticut from another state. In Connecticut, every individual major medical plan has to charge a healthy person and a sick person the same premium for the same plan, and nobody can ask a health question. The privately underwritten major medical plans a neighbor in Tennessee or Ohio might buy at a healthy-person price are not sold to Connecticut residents. That protects the person who gets sick, and it frustrates the person who never does. I would rather tell you that up front than pretend a door exists.
The kinds of private coverage a Connecticut resident can buy
| Kind of coverage | What sets the price | Tax credit possible? | Who it tends to fit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Marketplace plan on Access Health CT | Age, county, plan level | Yes, if your income qualifies | Anyone who qualifies for a credit, and anyone with a serious diagnosis in the last five years, for now |
| The same kind of plan bought off the exchange | Age, county, plan level | No | Someone who wants a company's off-exchange plan and gets no credit either way |
| Fixed-benefit plan | Mostly the benefit amounts you choose | No | Healthy people who want a low premium as a layer, within what Connecticut allows |
| Pre-established ERISA group plan | Group rates | No | People with self-employment or business income, especially with a family on the policy |
| COBRA (keeping your old job plan) | The full group premium, which you now pay yourself | No | Someone mid-treatment who needs the exact same plan for a while |
Marketplace plans, and the same plans bought off the exchange, take everyone with no health questions, and in Connecticut they are priced on the pool, not on you. Other kinds of coverage, such as a group plan or a fixed-benefit plan, have their own eligibility rules, and not everyone qualifies. I sort out which is which for you on the call.
COBRA is a continuation of a job plan, not a new private plan. It is in the table because it is usually the first price a person between jobs sees.
A marketplace plan on Access Health CT
Connecticut runs its own marketplace, Access Health CT, instead of using healthcare.gov. Every plan on it takes everyone, and charges the same price for the same plan, age and county. No health questions, and no tobacco surcharge either. It is also the only place a premium tax credit applies. The trade-offs are real: the price is built on everyone in the pool, the company list is short and the networks are regional, and the credit is tied to an income estimate you have to get right. Guess low and you may owe some of it back at tax time.
Fits: anyone whose income qualifies for a credit, and anyone with a serious diagnosis in the last five years who needs a plan that cannot say no, for now.
The same kind of plan, bought off the exchange
The companies that sell on the marketplace can also sell plans directly, and for 2027 one Connecticut company, ConnectiCare Insurance Company, is selling only off the exchange. The rules are the same: no health questions, same rating factors. The difference is that no tax credit applies. If you get no credit anyway, an off-exchange plan is worth pricing next to the exchange plans, because the network or the plan design may fit you better.
Fits: someone with no credit coming who finds the right doctors or the right plan design off the exchange.
A fixed-benefit plan
A fixed-benefit plan pays a set dollar amount per service: this much for an office visit, this much per hospital day, this much for a surgery. It does not pay a percentage of the bill. I explain these honestly because they get oversold: they are a foundation, not a roof. Pair one with catastrophic protection, or use it as the everyday layer on top of something bigger. Connecticut limits which fixed-benefit and supplemental products can be sold to its residents, and what is approved changes, so I confirm what is actually on the table for you on the call rather than promise it on a web page.
Fits: healthy people who want a low premium as a layer and are comfortable shopping for care. Does not fit: anyone expecting a big surgery or a chronic-condition year who wants one plan to carry the whole load.
A pre-established ERISA group plan
There are group plans that already exist under a federal law called ERISA, and a person with self-employment or business income can be merged into one. If you qualify, you get group rates and a national PPO network without needing employees or a payroll of your own. Federal law governs these plans, and the price is set on the group, not on your health. It is one option among several, and I confirm eligibility on the call. If you are retired or between jobs with no business income, it is likely off the table, and I will tell you that on the call. The Connecticut self-employed page covers this route in detail.
Fits: owners and 1099 earners who want a group-style PPO, especially with a spouse or children on the policy, and especially when their income is over the tax credit line.
A word on supplemental plans. Accident and critical illness plans pay set dollar amounts when something happens. They are useful add-ons on top of a medical plan, not a replacement for one.
How much does private health insurance cost in Connecticut?
Here are the published averages, so you have an honest anchor. These are 2026 marketplace prices for a 40-year-old buying on their own, before any subsidy:
| 2026 marketplace average (age 40, before any subsidy) | Connecticut | US average |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest-cost Bronze plan | $623/month | $456/month |
| Benchmark Silver plan | $870/month | $625/month |
| Lowest-cost Gold plan | $805/month | $615/month |
Source: KFF analysis of marketplace data, 2026 plan year.
Every tier runs above the US average, which puts Connecticut among the more expensive marketplace states in the country. I can only publish marketplace prices here. Group plans and fixed-benefit plans are priced on the group or on the benefits you pick, so there is no honest average to print. That number comes from a quote, and a quote takes one call.
Connecticut got here in two steps. The benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old went from $693 a month in 2025 to $870 in 2026, per KFF, and the approved individual market increases for 2026 averaged 16.8%, per healthinsurance.org.
What the state approved for 2027
| Company (name on the filing), individual market | Asked for 2027 | Approved for 2027 | On Access Health CT for 2027? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anthem Health Plans, Inc. | 12.8% | 8.8% | Yes |
| ConnectiCare Benefits, Inc. | 22.7% | 16.0% | Yes |
| ConnectiCare Insurance Company, Inc. | Not applicable: all plans are new | Not applicable | No, off the exchange only |
| All individual filings, average | 16.2% | 11.3% |
Sources: Connecticut Insurance Department, 2027 final rate chart (final rulings issued September 11, 2026; requested and approved average for each filing) and the Department's September 11, 2026 press release; 2027 exchange participation per healthinsurance.org. These are approved averages across each insurer's plans; your own plan's change is on your renewal notice. Full detail is on the Access Health CT open enrollment 2027 page.
Now the part averages hide. In Connecticut the marketplace cannot ask about your health, and neither can an off-exchange individual plan. A healthy 40-year-old and a 40-year-old on three prescriptions pay the same rate. Your own number moves with your age, your county, the plan level, and the network you pick. The levers that exist in a state that prices on health do not exist in Connecticut, which is why a tax credit, if you qualify, and a group plan, if you have business income, matter more here than in a state that prices on health. Anyone who quotes your premium without asking about you first is guessing.
And if a subsidy is in play: for 2026 coverage, the federal premium tax credit ends at 400% of the poverty level, which is $62,600 for one person and $128,600 for a household of four. For 2027 coverage the line is 400% of the 2026 poverty guideline: $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a household of four, unless Congress changes the rule. One dollar over and the whole federal credit is gone. Connecticut added its own temporary premium help for 2026 for some households above that line; Access Health CT described it as a one-year program, and the state has said it plans to fund help again for 2027, so do not build a budget on a number that is not published yet. Every line by household size is on the Access Health CT income limits 2026 page.
Which companies sell individual health insurance in Connecticut?
For 2027, two companies are set to sell individual plans on Access Health CT, here in alphabetical order: Anthem and ConnectiCare Benefits. In 2026 there were three. The third, ConnectiCare Insurance Company, is moving to off-exchange-only plans for 2027, per healthinsurance.org, which reported 3,719 people on its exchange plans in 2026. Anyone on one of those plans who wants a premium tax credit in 2027 has to pick a plan from one of the two companies staying on the exchange.
Lists like this can change before open enrollment starts, so I confirm what is actually sold in your county on the call. The Connecticut Insurance Department's 2027 rulings covered five filings from four insurers, on and off the exchange, in the individual and small group markets together.
That is the individual market list. Group plans, including the pre-established ERISA plans a business owner can join, run on national PPO networks with other companies behind them. I do not rank companies on this page, because the right one depends on your county, your doctors, and whether a credit applies. On a call I put the lists side by side for your zip code.
Sources: healthinsurance.org, Connecticut marketplace guide (2026 and 2027 companies, the ConnectiCare Insurance Company move); Connecticut Insurance Department, 2027 rate decisions. Checked October 6, 2026.
Which route fits you?
Between jobs, and the COBRA price made you sit down
Price everything against COBRA before you sign it. COBRA keeps your exact plan, but you pay the full cost because your former employer stops contributing. Losing job coverage is also a life event that lets you buy a marketplace plan outside open enrollment. If you are in the middle of treatment, keeping the same plan may be worth the price. Here are the alternatives to COBRA, side by side.
Retired before 65, waiting on Medicare
Income first, then network. Retirement income is often easier to plan than a paycheck, and in Connecticut that matters, because a tax credit is the biggest lever you have. If you are over the line, the question becomes which plan's network covers the doctors you actually see, on or off the exchange. There is no healthy-person rate to chase in Connecticut, so we do not waste time chasing one.
Self-employed or 1099
You have the most routes of anyone on this page. On top of the others, a pre-established ERISA group plan is open to people with business income, and in a state that prices everyone the same it is usually the first thing I price for a healthy owner over the credit line. It is still one option among several, so I price them side by side. Your premiums may be deductible on your federal return through the self-employed health insurance deduction if you show a net profit and were not eligible for a subsidized plan through any employer, yours or a spouse's. The IRS spells out the conditions in the Form 7206 instructions, and your tax preparer makes the call. The Connecticut self-employed page walks through it.
Healthy, and you earn too much for a tax credit
Be honest about what Connecticut sells, then shop the network. With no credit, a marketplace plan is full price, built on the whole pool, and there is no plan priced on your health to run against it. If you have any business income, the group plan door is the one to price. If you do not, I compare the exchange and off-exchange plans on total yearly cost for how you use care, and I show you where a fixed-benefit layer does and does not make sense. Private vs. marketplace, compared.
A serious diagnosis in the last five years
A guaranteed-issue Affordable Care Act plan, for now. It cannot turn you down or charge you more for your health. Stay on a plan like that, get the care you need, and we look at the other routes down the road.
Income on the lower side
Check the subsidy math first. If your income is low enough, a subsidized marketplace plan, Covered Connecticut, or HUSKY Health may be the best deal you can get, and I will tell you so.
Sources for the COBRA and life event rules: healthcare.gov, COBRA coverage; Access Health CT, special enrollment periods.
How to buy private health insurance in Connecticut
Bring five facts: your age, your county, a rough household income for the year, and how you use care. That means your doctors, your prescriptions, and anything planned. With those I can tell you which kinds of coverage you qualify for and price them from the companies I work with, usually the same day.
Timing is the other piece. Marketplace plans are sold during open enrollment, which Access Health CT has posted as October 23, 2026 through January 15, 2027 for 2027 coverage (an end date it revised in September 2026). Enroll by December 15, 2026 for a January 1 start; after that the plan starts February 1. Outside that window you need a life event such as losing coverage. If you are reading this with no coverage and no window open, do not assume you are stuck. Call me and I will tell you what you can apply for today.
Using a broker does not add to your premium. The price of a plan is the same whether you buy it through me or on your own. What you get is someone who reads the plan documents with you before you sign and who picks up the phone after.
Source for enrollment dates: Access Health CT, 2027 open enrollment dates announcement.
Common questions about private health insurance in Connecticut
What are my private health insurance options in Connecticut?
Private health insurance is any coverage that is not a government program and not a plan from your job. In Connecticut that means four main kinds: a plan on Access Health CT, the state marketplace, which asks no health questions and is the only place a premium tax credit applies; the same kind of plan bought directly from the insurance company off the exchange, with no credit; a fixed-benefit plan that pays set dollar amounts per service, where Connecticut limits what can be sold; and, if you have self-employment or business income, a pre-established ERISA group plan. What Connecticut does not sell is a private major medical plan priced on your own health. Supplemental plans such as accident or critical illness coverage are add-ons to one of those, not a substitute for one.
How much is private health insurance in Connecticut?
For a 40-year-old in 2026, Connecticut marketplace averages before any subsidy were $623 a month for the lowest-cost Bronze plan, $870 for the benchmark Silver plan, and $805 for the lowest-cost Gold plan, per KFF. All three run above the US average. Approved 2026 rates went up 16.8% on average. For 2027, the Connecticut Insurance Department approved an average individual market increase of 11.3% on September 11, 2026, after insurers asked for 16.2%: Anthem Health Plans 8.8% and ConnectiCare Benefits 16.0%. Those are pool prices. Connecticut does not let an insurer price an individual plan on your health, so there is no healthy-person discount in Connecticut. Your real number depends on your age, county, the plan level, and whether a tax credit applies.
What is the best private health insurance in Connecticut?
There is no single best plan. There is a best fit. If your income qualifies you for a premium tax credit, the credit changes the math and has to be priced first. If you have self-employment or business income and you are healthy, a pre-established ERISA group plan is one option among several, and in a state that prices everyone the same it is often the one worth pricing first. If you have had a serious diagnosis in the last five years, a guaranteed-issue Affordable Care Act plan is the right fit for now, because it cannot turn you down or charge you more for your health. For everyone else in Connecticut, the choice comes down to network, plan level, and total cost over a year, not a healthy-person rate.
Which companies sell private health insurance in Connecticut?
For 2027, two companies are set to sell individual plans on Access Health CT: Anthem and ConnectiCare Benefits. A third, ConnectiCare Insurance Company, sold on the exchange in 2026 and is moving to off-exchange-only plans for 2027, which means no premium tax credit on those plans. In 2026 all three sold on the exchange. The Connecticut Insurance Department ruled on five 2027 rate filings from four insurers in September 2026, covering plans on and off the exchange. Outside the individual market, group plans run on national PPO networks. I work with 80+ carriers and put the lists side by side for your county.
How do I buy private health insurance in Connecticut?
Start with five facts: your age, your county, a rough household income for the year, and how you use care, meaning doctors, prescriptions, and anything planned. Those five facts decide which kinds of coverage you qualify for and what they cost. Timing matters too. Marketplace plans are sold during open enrollment, which Access Health CT has posted as October 23, 2026 through January 15, 2027 for 2027 coverage (an end date it revised in September 2026), with a December 15 cutoff for a January 1 start, or after a qualifying life event such as losing coverage. A broker does not add to your premium and can price every route in one conversation. The next step is a call, a text, or my short details form.
Are private health insurance prices going up in Connecticut in 2027?
Yes, and by less than the insurers asked for. On September 11, 2026 the Connecticut Insurance Department approved an average individual market increase of 11.3% for 2027, down from a requested 16.2%: Anthem Health Plans 8.8% (asked 12.8%) and ConnectiCare Benefits 16.0% (asked 22.7%). ConnectiCare Insurance Company is selling only new off-exchange plans for 2027, so its filing has no comparable increase. That comes on top of 2026, when approved rates rose 16.8% on average and the benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old went from $693 to $870 a month.
Can I be turned down for private health insurance in Connecticut?
Not for an individual major medical plan. In Connecticut, a marketplace plan and the same kind of plan bought off the exchange cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health, and insurers are not allowed to sell an individual plan priced on your health. Other kinds of coverage, such as a group plan or a fixed-benefit plan, have their own eligibility rules, and not everyone qualifies. I sort out which is which for you on the call. Someone with a serious diagnosis in the last five years belongs on a plan that cannot turn them down for now.
Is Access Health CT private health insurance?
Yes. Access Health CT is Connecticut's state-run marketplace, but the plans sold on it come from private insurance companies. The state runs the store and the federal government funds the premium tax credit. The insurance itself is private. HUSKY Health, which is Connecticut Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program, is a government program and is not private insurance. Covered Connecticut sits in between: it is a private Silver plan on Access Health CT with the premium and cost sharing paid by the state for adults with income up to 175% of the poverty level.
Thirty minutes on the phone or Zoom, no fee, no hard sell. Bring your age, county, a rough income number, and how you use care. I price the routes that fit you and put them side by side. I educate, you decide.
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