Connecticut Approves 11.3 Percent Rate Increase for 2027
Connecticut state regulators approved an 11.3% average health care premium rate increase for 2027, according to an opinion column by Joseph Courtney. The double-digit hike applies to state-regulated individual and small business health coverage plans, drawing sharp criticism from patients and business owners facing escalating insurance costs.
Prescription Drug Costs Drive Up Premium Prices
Prescription drugs now consume 30% of every healthcare premium dollar in Connecticut, doubling the share recorded in 2010, Courtney writes in his column. High drug expenses serve as a primary catalyst for the rising rates squeezing small businesses and individual policyholders across the state. Federal policy changes, such as the Medicare price negotiations established by the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, successfully lowered costs for specific medications like the diabetes drug Januvia, which dropped from $527 to $113. Blood thinners Eliquis and Xarelto also saw significant price reductions under the federal program, as did the Asthma and COPD drug Trelegy.
Legislative Push for Federal Price Negotiations
To combat rising insurance rates, Courtney co-sponsored the Lowering Drug Costs for American Families Act (H.R. 6166). The proposed legislation would expand Medicare’s authority to negotiate pharmaceutical prices so that savings apply not only to adults aged 65 and older, but to all Americans enrolled in employer-sponsored health plans and individual Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage, such as Access Health CT. Recent polling from KFF indicates that at least two-thirds of U.S. adults across political parties favor increased government regulation on prescription drug prices.
Courtney notes that while congressional Republicans and the Trump administration implemented broad policy adjustments in 2025—including Medicaid funding cuts and higher ACA marketplace premiums—the Biden-era Medicare drug price negotiation framework remained intact. The column also dismisses the Trump Rx program, arguing that it merely recycles existing drug coupons for purchases outside commercial health plans and fails to lower state-level premium rates in Connecticut.
Frequently Asked Questions About Connecticut Health Care Rates
When do the approved 2027 health care rate increases take effect in Connecticut?
The 11.3% average rate increase approved by the Connecticut Insurance Department is scheduled to take effect for state-regulated individual and small business coverage plans in 2027.
What percentage of a Connecticut health insurance dollar goes toward medications?
According to data cited from the Connecticut Department of Insurance, prescription drug costs consume 30% of every healthcare premium dollar in the state, which represents a doubling of the share since 2010.
Which specific prescription drugs experienced price drops under federal negotiations?
As a result of Medicare price negotiations under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, the price of Januvia dropped from $527 to $113, Eliquis fell from $521 to $231, Xarelto dropped from $517 to $197, and Trelegy decreased from $654 to $175.
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