Cherry Hill residents who buy health insurance through New Jersey's ACA marketplace will pay nearly 20% more in 2027. Open enrollment begins Sunday.

Get Covered New Jersey's enrollment window runs from Sunday, Nov. 1 through Jan. 31, 2027, according to the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance. The weighted average premium increase across the individual market will be 19.8%. That follows a 15.9% jump for 2026, making it two straight years of double-digit hikes.

The increases apply to premiums before financial assistance. What each consumer actually pays depends on the insurer, the plan, household income and eligibility for state and federal subsidies, the department said.

"These health insurance rate increases will place extraordinary pressure on household budgets, and drive more New Jerseyans to make the heartbreaking choice to drop coverage altogether," Acting Commissioner Susan Ochs said in the department's announcement.

Five insurers sell plans on the state marketplace. Their 2027 rate changes vary widely:

  • United Healthcare: +35.7%
  • Oscar: +29.3%
  • Ambetter: +20.8%
  • AmeriHealth: +17.0%
  • Horizon: +15.3%

United Healthcare posted the largest increase for the second year in a row, as first reported by NJ Spotlight News. Insurers cited rising medical and prescription drug costs as the main driver, along with a worsening risk pool after Congress let expanded federal premium tax credits expire at the end of 2025.

Nationally, Affordable Care Act (ACA) enrollment fell from 21.8 million in 2025 to 19.2 million in 2026 after those credits lapsed, NJ Spotlight News reported. In New Jersey, enrollment stood at about 434,700 as of June, down roughly 75,000 from the open enrollment period, according to the state department.

Gov. Mikie Sherrill said in a statement that rising costs "threaten to price residents out of the coverage that they need to stay healthy." She blamed the Trump Administration and congressional Republicans for allowing the enhanced premium tax credits to expire, saying the move forces families "to choose between keeping their coverage and making ends meet."

Residents who need help choosing a plan can call the Get Covered New Jersey customer service line at 1-833-677-1010. During open enrollment, the call center operates 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Free in-person and phone assistance is also available through certified navigators and assisters statewide.

Open enrollment closes Jan. 31, 2027.