The state approved 9.6% for 2027. Your renewal is not 9.6%.
The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) has finished its review of 2027 small-group health rates. Each carrier’s request was approved as filed, and the statewide average landed at 9.6%. The lowest carrier is at 7.0% and the highest at 14.8%, and your own renewal can sit anywhere around those numbers.
This page shows each carrier’s approved figure, explains what an average hides, and gives you the checks that tell you whether your renewal is fair. Figures are from DIFS’s approved-rates table, updated October 22, 2026. Send us your renewal and we will read it against these numbers at no cost.
Eight carriers, one 9.6% average, and a spread of nearly eight points between the lowest and the highest.
These are the small-group carriers in DIFS’s 2027 table. Three carriers cover about 88 percent of the 403,722 members, which is why the average sits where it does.
7.0% approved
133,192 members in the small-group market today. None of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
10.7% approved
133,899 members in the small-group market today. 6 of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
10.7% approved
2,390 members in the small-group market today. None of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
11.6% approved
87,423 members in the small-group market today. 3 of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
11.6% approved
22,605 members in the small-group market today. None of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
11.6% approved
16,845 members in the small-group market today. None of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
14.5% approved
756 members in the small-group market today. 4 of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
14.8% approved
6,612 members in the small-group market today. 13 of its plans carry an increase of 15% or more.
Source: DIFS, 2027 Michigan Health Insurance Approved Rate Changes, Small Group Market (approved), updated October 22, 2026. Approved and requested figures are identical for all eight carriers.
The average describes the market. It does not describe your group.
DIFS itself notes that rate changes vary by plan, geographic area and tobacco status, and that what each employee pays also depends on how much the employer contributes. Here is what that means in practice.
A 9.6% average is a blend of eight carriers, hundreds of plans and every county in the state. A group of 12 in one county on one carrier’s plan can land well above or below it. Approval also does not mean a carrier’s price is the best available for your group. DIFS reviews whether a filed rate is supportable, and it does not shop your account.
We read your renewal against your carrier’s own approved line, separate the rate change from plan, contribution and census changes, and show you what the same census would cost on other carriers. You get the findings in writing, and you do not have to move your coverage to get them.
This table is your market. Find your carrier’s line, compare it to the percentage on your renewal letter, and ask for the rating breakdown behind any gap. Our small-group page explains how community rating works.
These approvals do not set or cap your renewal. Larger groups are priced on their own claims experience, so the table is a reference for where carriers see trend, not a benchmark for your number. Our page for groups above 50 covers how credibility changes the math.
What to do with your renewal letter this week.
Find your carrier’s line
Match your carrier and legal entity to the table above. The carrier’s approved figure is the fair starting point for a small-group renewal, and a letter far above it deserves a question.
Separate rate from everything else
Plan changes, a new deductible, a different network or a change in your contribution can all move cost without moving the filed rate. Ask for the renewal on the same plan design as last year.
Ask for the rating factors
Age, county, tobacco status and plan mix all feed the number. Ask your carrier for the breakdown and check it against your current census, because stale census data is a common reason a renewal runs high.
Get a second set of eyes
A second opinion costs nothing and tells you whether the increase is competitive. Send us the four documents and we will put what we find in writing.
Ten questions employers are asking about the 2027 approvals.
Short answers, each one built to stand on its own.
What did DIFS approve for 2027 small-group health rates?
DIFS approved a statewide small-group average of 9.6% for the 2027 plan year. By carrier the approved figures run from 7.0% for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan to 14.8% for UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company. The figures come from DIFS’s approved-rates table, updated October 22, 2026.
Does that mean my renewal will go up 9.6%?
No. The 9.6% is an average across carriers, plans and counties. DIFS notes that rate changes vary by plan, geographic area and tobacco status, and that employee premiums also depend on how much the employer contributes. Your renewal letter is the number that applies to you.
Why is Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan at 7.0% when UnitedHealthcare is at 14.8%?
DIFS’s table does not give reasons, and each carrier files on its own claims experience, provider contracts, pharmacy costs and mix of members. A carrier’s number tells you how that carrier priced its book. It does not tell you whether that carrier is the right fit or the best price for your group.
Did DIFS reduce any of the requests?
Not in the small-group table. The approved figure equals the requested figure for all eight carriers. Across all 18 filings for 2027, in both the individual and small-group markets, DIFS reports issuing 944 objections and no denials.
If DIFS approved the rate, is my renewal fair?
Not automatically. DIFS reviews whether a filed rate is supportable under the rules. It does not compare your carrier to the market for your group. A fair renewal is one that matches your carrier’s filed rate for your plan, county and census, and that holds up when the same census is priced elsewhere.
We have more than 50 employees. Does the 9.6% apply to us?
No. These approvals cover the small-group market. A larger employer’s renewal is priced on its own claims experience, so the table does not set or cap it. It is useful as a view of where carriers see trend, and it is not a benchmark for your number.
What should I do if my renewal is above my carrier’s approved average?
Ask the carrier for the rating breakdown: age, county, tobacco status, plan mix and any benefit or network changes. Confirm the census it used is current. If the gap is still unexplained, price the same census with other carriers. We will do that comparison for you in writing.
Which carriers have plans with increases of 15% or more?
DIFS counts 26 small-group plans at or above 15%. UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company has 13, Blue Care Network of Michigan has 6, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan has 4 and Priority Health has 3. DIFS says plans at that level are subject to additional rate review and disclosure.
How do I get a second opinion on my renewal?
Send us the renewal letter, the plan summary, your current census and your latest claims or billing, which are the four documents we ask for on our send us your renewal page. We review them at no cost and put the findings in writing. You do not have to move your coverage to get the review.
Where can I check the numbers myself?
DIFS publishes the full table on its Marketplace Plan and Rate Information page, and the underlying filings are searchable in SERFF Filing Access. The SERFF tracking number for each carrier appears in the DIFS table. The source list at the bottom of this page links the document we used.
Ready? Upload your renewal, or talk it through with someone first. No cost, no obligation.
General information about health insurance rates and renewals, not legal advice. Plan-specific questions belong with your carrier and, where the law is involved, ERISA counsel.
Where these figures and rules come from.
Michigan DIFS approved rates
Marketplace Plan and Rate Information, which links the 2027 Michigan Health Insurance Approved Rate Changes table (small group market, updated October 22, 2026).
45 CFR 154.301(b)
Rate review public disclosure. DIFS states its table satisfies this federal disclosure requirement.
Michigan Public Act 21 of 2026
Article 7, Section 301, which DIFS cites in the same table for its rate-filing disclosure requirements.
SERFF Filing Access
Each carrier’s filing can be searched by the SERFF tracking number shown in the DIFS table.
Figures as published by DIFS and current when this page was updated on October 29, 2026. Always confirm against your own renewal letter.
Send us your renewal.
Four documents — the renewal letter, the plan summary, the contribution split by tier and enrolled counts by tier. We’ll come back with a competitive read, where we see opportunity, and the five questions we’d put to your carrier.
An independent employee benefits consulting firm. We look at the entire benefits program — cost, plan performance, risk and administration.
Switch to CFH. Unhappy with your broker? Your employees won’t notice. You will. →
Cookies on This Site
We use cookies to keep the site working properly and to understand how it is used. You can decline anything that is not essential. See our Privacy Policy for the detail.
- Essential — needed for the site to load and for you to move around it. These cannot be switched off.
- Analytics — tell us which pages get read, so we know what is worth writing more of.
- Advertising — set by third parties such as ad and social platforms to measure and target campaigns.