California health insurance 2027: prices, plans and free help

California health insurance facts

Marketplace

California runs its own state-based marketplace, Covered California.Source

2027 open enrollment

Covered California states that anyone can apply during open enrollment, November 1 to January 31. Apply by December 31 for a January 1 start; apply in January for a February 1 start.Source All states' 2027 dates.

Medicaid expansion

California adopted Medicaid expansion (Medi-Cal, implemented January 1, 2014).Source

State insurance department

California Department of Insurance. File complaints and check agent licenses here.Source

Facts checked 2026-09-14. Rules change; confirm anything you plan around at the linked source.

Average cost of health insurance in California for 2027

The benchmark plan, the second-lowest-cost silver plan that tax credits are measured against, averages $633 a month for a 40-year-old in California for 2027, before any credit. That is up 11% from $570 in 2026.Source

2027 benchmark silver price by age in California

Age 40 is the KFF benchmark. Other ages use the CMS default age curve.SourceSource Tax credits lower these prices for most buyers. See your own price with the 2027 price checker.

The 2026 Marketplace in California, in numbers

For 2026, 1,927,371 California residents picked a Marketplace plan during Open Enrollment, and 81.9% of them received an advance premium tax credit. The average premium was $737 a month per person before the credit and $264 after it, counting everyone who picked a plan. 11% paid $10 a month or less after the credit.Source State premium help paid by California’s own exchange is not included in these figures.

The benchmark plan, the second-lowest-cost silver plan that tax credits are measured against, averaged $570 a month for a 40-year-old in California in 2026, before any credit.Source

Your own price depends on your age, county, household income and the plan you pick, and you see exact 2027 numbers only on a Marketplace application or a quote. How the pieces fit together is in how much health insurance costs per month.

What our clients in California actually paid each month is in health insurance cost by state.

Health insurance companies in California for 2027

California runs its own exchange, so the 2027 insurers and plans for your ZIP code are listed on Covered California. Private plans sold outside the exchange are a separate list; an advisor can compare both with you.

Cheap health insurance in California: where the low prices are

Tax credits change the price most. For 2026, 81.9% of California Marketplace enrollees got a premium tax credit, and 11% paid $10 a month or less after it.Source

California expanded Medicaid, so adults with low incomes may qualify for Medicaid at little or no cost.Source For people who mainly want protection from a large bill, a catastrophic plan can cost less; what our own clients pay is in health insurance cost by state.

Short-term health insurance in California

Short-term limited duration health insurance cannot be issued, sold, renewed or offered in California. The prohibition took effect January 1, 2019 under Senate Bill 910.Source Short-term plans are not Marketplace coverage and do not get tax credits. How they compare with a catastrophic plan is in catastrophic coverage.

Free, impartial help in California

If you have Medicare or will soon: California’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is California Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP), 1-800-434-0222.Source SHIPs are federally funded, give objective one-on-one Medicare counseling, and there is no cost to use them.Source

America First Healthcare is a licensed agency, not a SHIP or a Marketplace assister. Use them, us, or both; a second opinion costs you nothing either way.

Who we usually help in California

New to private coverage? Start with private health insurance in the USA.

Self-employed? Self-employed health insurance in California has your 4 options, 2026 prices and a tax deduction calculator.

• Self-employed and 1099 workers, plus the five coverage alternatives and how the rules differ by state
• Small business owners
• Early retirees bridging to Medicare
• People losing employer coverage
• People who are out of work
• Families who want catastrophic-first coverage

We work with families across California, including Los Angeles, San Diego, San Jose, San Francisco and Sacramento, and everywhere in between. The review is by phone or video, so where you live in the state does not change how it works.

What a licensed advisor does and how advisors are paid is on talk to a licensed advisor near you.

On our homepage map, California is one of the states marked active now.

California health insurance FAQs

Educational only. Not medical, legal, or personalized insurance advice. Plans are offered and underwritten by third-party carriers. All states.