Your Insurance Detective › New York › Western New York rates 2027
My Health Insurance Renewal Letter Came. How Much Are Western New York Rates Going Up for 2027?
Written and reviewed by Dick Tracy, licensed health insurance broker (NPN 20414610) · Published October 3, 2026
Quick answer New York approved the 2027 rates on September 4, 2026, and in Western New York the answer depends on whose name is on your card. Across the four insurers in the table below, the approved average increase on plans you buy yourself runs from 0% to 12.2%. On small group plans it runs from 0% to 13.5%. Statewide the averages are 6.0% and 8.0%, after insurers asked for 20.6% and 23.7%. Those are averages across each insurer's plans, so your letter can come in higher or lower. The letter is not a bill you have to accept. It is your cue to compare. If you buy your own plan, New York's cutoff for a January 1 start has been December 15 every year, and open enrollment itself runs through January 31, 2027. I educate, you decide.
I'm Dick Tracy, a broker in Buffalo, licensed in 25 states with 80+ carriers. I came from the healthcare side of this business, billing codes and prior authorizations and the real price behind the "allowable" rate, so there's no gag clause on me. You get the tips, the tricks, and the traps. The trap on this page: people read one year's percentage and shrug. The letter does not show the two-year number. I will.
individual plans, by insurer
small group plans, by insurer
for a Jan. 1, 2027 start
Sources: New York State Department of Financial Services, Summary of Requested and Approved 2027 Rate Actions, updated September 4, 2026 (ranges are for the Western New York insurers in the table below); NY State of Health press release, November 6, 2025 (the December 15 rule New York uses every year). Last verified October 3, 2026.
What did New York approve for each Western New York insurer for 2027?
Every spring the insurers file what they want. Every summer the state reviews it. This year the Department of Financial Services finished on September 4, 2026, and it cut every one of these requests, most of them hard. Here is what was asked and what was approved, straight from the state's table. I list the four insurers with the most familiar names in Western New York. The state's full table has every insurer in New York, including MVP Health Plan, approved at 10.7% on individual plans and 13.6% on small group.
| Insurer | Individual plans: asked | Individual plans: approved | Small group: asked | Small group: approved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Health | 14.2% | 0% | 11.4% | 6.2% |
| Highmark Western and Northeastern New York | 23.8% | 12.2% | 9.2% | 0% |
| Univera Healthcare (Excellus) | 17.2% | 12.2% | 17.0% | 13.5% |
| Fidelis Care | 28.4% | 8.0% | not in the state's small group table | |
| New York statewide average | 20.6% | 6.0% | 23.7% | 8.0% |
Source: New York State Department of Financial Services, Summary of Requested and Approved 2027 Rate Actions, updated September 4, 2026, and the DFS press release of the same date. Insurer names appear the way the state and the insurers use them; the state's table lists them as IHBC, Highmark (formerly HealthNow), Excellus, and Fidelis (NY Quality Healthcare Corp). Each figure is an average across that insurer's plans. This page reports public rate decisions. It is not an offer of any insurer's plan, and I am not affiliated with the Department of Financial Services or NY State of Health.
Read that table like a detective. The same insurer can be flat in one market and up in the other. Highmark is 0% on small group and 12.2% on plans people buy themselves. Independent Health is the reverse: 0% on individual plans, 6.2% on small group. So "what are rates doing in Buffalo?" has no single answer. Your answer is one cell in that table, and then your own letter.
What do two years of increases add up to?
This is the part the letter does not show you. An increase lands on top of last year's increase. So I stacked the 2026 approved rate and the 2027 approved rate for each insurer. Same plan, two renewals, no changes.
| Insurer and market | 2026 approved | 2027 approved | Two years stacked | $700 a month in 2025 becomes, in 2027 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Univera (Excellus), individual | 20.7% | 12.2% | +35.4% | about $948 |
| Highmark, individual | 19.4% | 12.2% | +34.0% | about $938 |
| Independent Health, individual | 20.8% | 0% | +20.8% | about $846 |
| Fidelis Care, individual | 2.9% | 8.0% | +11.1% | about $778 |
| Univera (Excellus), small group | 15.0% | 13.5% | +30.5% | about $914 |
| Independent Health, small group | 15.6% | 6.2% | +22.8% | about $859 |
| Highmark, small group | 11.4% | 0% | +11.4% | about $780 |
Sources: New York State Department of Financial Services, Summary of Requested and Approved 2026 Rate Actions (updated August 29, 2025) and 2027 Rate Actions (updated September 4, 2026). "Stacked" is my math: the 2026 average compounded with the 2027 average. The $700 column is an illustration at those averages, not a quote for any plan. Your plan's numbers are on your renewal letters.
Look at the top two rows. A 12.2% letter does not sound like the end of the world. Stack it on last year's and the same plan costs about a third more than it did two years ago. On a plan that cost $700 a month in 2025, that is about $240 more a month, roughly $2,900 a year. And nothing about you changed. In New York an insurer cannot charge you more on these plans because you got older or got sick. The whole pool's bill went up, and your age and your health have nothing to do with your share of it.
Now look at the rows that say 0%. If your insurer held flat this year, staying put may be the right call, and I will tell you so. A flat year is still worth a ten-minute look, because the plan can change even when the price does not. Deductibles, copays, the drug list, and the network are all allowed to move at renewal.
Why doesn't my renewal letter match the approved number?
Because the approved number is an average, and you are not an average. You are one plan.
| What moves your number | How |
|---|---|
| Your specific plan | The state approves a range of changes across an insurer's plans. For 2026, the state's records show Independent Health's small group plans approved anywhere from a 3.0% decrease to a 17.7% increase, around the 15.6% average. Highmark's ran from 7.1% to 15.5% around an 11.4% average. |
| Who is on the plan | Single, employee and spouse, employee and child, and family each have their own rate. The same percentage is a much bigger dollar figure on a family plan. |
| Plan changes | If your old plan was discontinued or redesigned, the letter may move you to the closest match. The price difference then is part rate increase and part different plan. |
| Your renewal date (small group) | A small group renews on its own anniversary, so a business that renews in April or July sees its 2027 number later than a January group does. |
| Not your age, not your health | New York uses community rating on individual and small group plans. Everyone on the same plan, in the same region, at the same coverage tier pays the same rate. |
Sources: New York State Department of Financial Services, 2026 Individual and Small Group Rate Actions, Additional Information (approved lowest, highest, and weighted average by insurer); rate tiers per the insurer rate notice on file with DFS.
One insurer's notice on file with the state says members get the final approved rate at least 60 days before the renewal date. For a January 1 renewal, expect the letter around the start of November. Right when open enrollment opens, which works in your favor if you use it. I explain where these increases come from in Why did my health insurance go up?, and there is a calculator on that page that turns your percentage into dollars.
What can I do before I sign the renewal?
A lot of people do nothing. The plan auto-renews, the new number comes out of the checking account in January, and that is that. Auto-renewing is a decision. It is just one you did not make on purpose. Here are the doors I would look at, depending on who you are.
Healthy, self-employed, earning too much for a tax credit
Price a pre-established ERISA group plan first. ERISA is the 1974 federal law that governs employer benefit plans. Group plans already exist under it, and a self-employed person or a 1099 contractor can be merged into one. Group rates, a true PPO network, and it is not tied to the open enrollment calendar. It asks health questions, so it is not for everyone. Here is the ERISA cheat code, explained.
Small business owner with a renewal coming
You have no window to wait for. Group coverage can generally be moved at renewal or in another month. The spread between insurers this year, 0% to 13.5%, is a reason to look sideways, and so is the way the plan is set up. The four doors and the dollar math are on my small business health insurance in Buffalo page.
Your income changed this year
Recheck the tax credit before anything else. If your income is under the line, a subsidized plan may be your best deal, and I will tell you so. Run the subsidy calculator, preset for New York, then bring me the number.
Your insurer held flat for 2027
Staying may be right. Check that your doctors, your hospital, and your prescriptions are covered the same way next year. If they are, and the plan fits how you use care, keep it.
A serious diagnosis in the last five years
Keep guaranteed coverage. New York's individual and small group plans cannot ask health questions. Keep the plan you have or pick another one inside the window. Then call me and we go through it.
When one door does not fit, I customize the plan based on the situation. Sometimes that means a different plan design. Sometimes it means the plan you already have. I put the numbers next to each other and you pick.
What dates matter for a 2027 renewal?
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Around November 1, 2026 | Expect the final 2027 rate letter for a January 1 renewal. One insurer's notice on file with the state says at least 60 days before the renewal date. |
| November 1, 2026 | Open enrollment for individual plans begins in New York. |
| December 15, 2026 | Pick a plan by this date for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. New York has used December 15 as the cutoff every year. |
| January 31, 2027 | Open enrollment for individual plans ends in New York. |
| Your group's anniversary | Small group plans renew on their own date. Start comparing about 60 days ahead. |
Sources: NY State of Health Outreach Tool Kit ("The Open Enrollment Period for 2027 begins on November 1, 2026, and ends on January 31, 2027"); NY State of Health press release, November 6, 2025 ("enroll before December 15 for coverage starting January 1"); 60-day timing per an insurer rate notice on file with DFS. The full calendar is on my New York open enrollment 2027 page.
Common questions about 2027 renewal letters in Western New York
How much are health insurance rates going up in Western New York for 2027?
It depends on your insurer and on whether you buy your own plan or get one through a small employer. On September 4, 2026 the New York State Department of Financial Services approved average 2027 increases on individual plans of 0% for Independent Health, 12.2% for Highmark Western and Northeastern New York, 12.2% for Univera Healthcare (Excellus), and 8.0% for Fidelis Care. On small group plans it approved 0% for Highmark, 6.2% for Independent Health, and 13.5% for Univera. Statewide, the average is 6.0% on individual plans and 8.0% on small group plans.
Why is the increase on my renewal letter different from the number the state approved?
The approved number is an average across all of one insurer's plans. Your plan can land above or below it. For 2026, for example, the state's records show one Western New York insurer's small group plans ranging from a 3.0% decrease to a 17.7% increase around a 15.6% average. Your letter also reflects your plan design and who is covered, single or family. New York does not let insurers charge more for your age or your health on these plans, so that is not the reason.
What is the average health insurance renewal increase for 2027?
In New York, the state approved an average of 6.0% on individual plans and 8.0% on small group plans for 2027, after insurers asked for 20.6% and 23.7%. Nationally, KFF's August 2026 review of insurer filings found a median proposed increase of 15% for 2027 marketplace plans. That national figure is requests, not final rates.
Does my health insurance premium go up every year?
In New York the average has, four years running. The state approved average individual plan increases of 13.5% for 2024, 12.7% for 2025, 7.1% for 2026, and 6.0% for 2027. Stacked together, that is about 45% in four years on the average plan. One insurer can hold flat in one year, as Independent Health does on individual plans and Highmark does on small group plans for 2027, but the long-run direction has been up.
Sources: New York State Department of Financial Services rate action summaries for 2024, 2025, 2026, and 2027. The 45% is my math: the four averages compounded.
Can I change health insurance companies before my renewal?
If you buy your own plan, you can switch during open enrollment, which in New York runs November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. New York's cutoff for a January 1 start has been December 15 every year. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event, and a rate increase is not one. A small business is different: group coverage is not tied to that window, so an owner can generally move the group at renewal or in another month.
When will I get my renewal letter with the final 2027 rate?
One insurer's notice on file with the state says members receive the final approved rate at least 60 days before the renewal date. For a January 1 renewal, expect it around the start of November. A small group renews on its own anniversary date, so a business that renews in April or July gets its letter later.
What should I do when my health insurance renewal letter comes?
Do not auto-renew without looking. Read the new monthly number, multiply the difference by twelve, and check that your doctors and prescriptions are still covered the same way. Then compare your other doors before December 15 if you want a January 1 start. If your income changed, recheck whether you qualify for a tax credit. If you are healthy and self-employed, price a pre-established ERISA group plan. I put those side by side for you at no cost. I educate, you decide.
Thirty minutes on the phone or Zoom, no fee, no hard sell. Bring your renewal letter, a rough income number, your doctors, and how you use care. I put every door that fits you side by side before you lock anything in for 2027. I educate, you decide.
Grab a time right here
Pick a slot below and it lands on both our calendars. Phone or Zoom, plan documents on the screen, real numbers side by side. I educate, you decide.
Who you'll be talking to: me, Richard "Dick" Tracy. Real name, real job.
Independent health insurance broker · NPN 20414610 · Licensed in 25 states · 80+ carriers · Buffalo, NY
No call center, and no lead form that sells your name to ten agencies. The person who answers 716-503-1113 is the same person in this photo. I educate, you decide.
Your Insurance Detective is a trade name of Your Broker DT Inc, independently contracted with USA Benefits Group. More about me and how I work