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- 1,600Molina members in Regions 15 and 18 who need a new plan
- 9.9%average 2027 increase before financial help
- 12carriers selling Covered California plans for 2027
One honest note. I am licensed in California, but I am not a certified broker with Covered California, the state's own exchange. If you qualify for financial help or want a plan sold there, Covered California and its certified helpers can enroll you, and I will point you to one. Where I can help directly is comparing your options, including private plans sold outside the exchange.
What is happening in California
Molina Healthcare will stop offering marketplace plans in Covered California Regions 15 and 18, which affects about 1,600 enrollees, and a new carrier is entering Orange County. If you are one of the Molina members, you can choose a new plan yourself or be moved to the lowest cost carrier at the same metal level. Choosing yourself is the only way to make sure your doctors come along.
Covered California announced an average rate increase of 9.9 percent for 2027 before any financial help, with wide swings by region and by carrier. Twelve carriers will sell plans.
Where carriers are leaving
Carrier exits for 2027 are real, and they are spread across the country. Cigna is leaving the individual market in all 11 states where it sells. Baylor Scott & White is leaving Texas, CareSource is leaving Indiana, Ohio and West Virginia, Medica is leaving Iowa, Kansas and Oklahoma, and several smaller carriers are leaving other states. If you moved recently or have family elsewhere, the all states overview lists them.
What this means for you
If you get a subsidy, the headline increase is not what you pay. Your subsidy is recalculated on your estimated 2027 income, and it usually absorbs much of a price increase. Updating your income estimate matters more than the rate filing.
If you do not get a subsidy, you feel the full increase. This is where it pays to compare more than one kind of coverage. Private major medical plans are priced differently from ACA plans, and for some people who pay full price they can cost less for similar coverage. I compare both, side by side, so you can see the real numbers for your household.
The practical point: if your carrier stays, most plans renew automatically at the new 2027 price. If your carrier leaves, you may be moved automatically into a plan someone else picked. Neither checks whether a different plan now costs less or fits your doctors better. That check takes a few minutes.
The dates that matter in California
California runs its own exchange, Covered California, so it sets its own calendar. These are the dates Covered California has published for 2027 coverage.
- Fall 2026Renewal notices arrive with your 2027 price. Read it, even if you plan to keep your plan.
- November 1, 2026Open enrollment began on Covered California.
- December 31, 2026Enroll by this date for a plan that starts January 1, 2027.
- January 31, 2027Open enrollment closes. January enrollments start February 1.
What to do, in order
Read your renewal or non renewal notice
It shows your 2027 premium and any plan changes. Compare it with what you pay today.
Write down your doctors and your prescriptions
The physicians you want to keep and the exact drugs with dosages. Networks and drug lists change from year to year even when the carrier stays.
Update your income estimate for 2027
Your subsidy is based on your estimated income for the year ahead. If it changed, your real cost changes with it.
Compare before December 31
That is the last day to pick a plan that starts January 1 in California. Compare on total cost, meaning premium plus deductible plus what you expect to use, and include private options if you pay full price.
Common questions
Is my health insurance company leaving California in 2027?
Not statewide. Molina Healthcare will stop offering Covered California plans in Regions 15 and 18, affecting about 1,600 people. Twelve carriers will sell Covered California plans for 2027.
Why is my premium changing for 2027?
Covered California announced an average rate increase of 9.9 percent for 2027 before any financial help, with wide swings by region and by carrier. If you get a subsidy, your net cost depends on your 2027 income.
Do I have to use a broker?
No. You can enroll yourself at Covered California at no cost. A licensed broker also costs you nothing, because brokers are paid by the carriers and the premium is identical either way. A broker can also show you private plans that are not sold on the marketplace.