Utah open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Utah

Utah Open Enrollment 2027 for Small Business Owners

Last updated November 3, 2026 · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker

Short answer

For small business owners in Utah, open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov, and December 15 is the date to choose by for a January 1 start. Your own coverage can also come from a private, medically underwritten plan, which does not wait for the window: if approved, it can start the first of any month.

What 2027 looks like for you

Utah's average 2027 rate change is 6.7% to 7.4% (finalized). The details are on the Utah 2027 premium increase page.

Group plans can renew at any point in the year, so open enrollment matters to owners for two reasons: an individual coverage HRA, or ICHRA, reimburses employees for individual plans they choose, and most of that shopping happens in this window; and an owner covering only the household buys in the individual market too. For your own household, the 2027 subsidy line is $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for four.

Utah this year

Utah reverses the national pattern, with individual coverage rising more slowly than group plans for 2027. Finalized individual increases are about 6.7 to 7.4 percent, while small-group renewals sit near 10.4 percent. Six insurers are in Utah's individual market, several tied to large integrated health systems, so along the Wasatch Front the choice often comes down to which system's network an employee wants. For a Lehi software company, a Provo direct-sales business, an Ogden construction firm or a ski-town shop, that difference makes an ICHRA worth pricing alongside the group renewal before anything is signed.

Small-group plans in Utah average about 10.4% for 2027, against 6.7% to 7.4% for individual plans, so put this year's group renewal next to an ICHRA quote before you sign it.

One thing to do before you choose

Utah households tend to be larger, so price the ICHRA option for employees with spouses and several children, not just single workers. Compare individual plans in Salt Lake, Utah County, Logan and St. George against the group renewal for those same families. If your team leans toward one health system, check that it appears in the plans they would realistically pick.

Your checklist

Your 2027 group renewal letter and its effective date
How many employees you have and where they live
A fixed monthly ICHRA budget you could offer
Your own household's coverage, priced separately

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

For the owner's own household when everyone is healthy: priced on age, ZIP code and health. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

For employees on an ICHRA, or an owner with ongoing care: HealthCare.gov accepts everyone during open enrollment.

Compare Utah plans this open enrollment

Private plans priced first, the Marketplace alongside when it fits. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee.

Get a quote Book a call (786) 218-2384

About your broker

Frank Caballero (NPN 21032307), licensed in 31 states including Utah. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee; independent, not HealthCare.gov or any government agency.

Questions

When is the 2027 open enrollment deadline in Utah?

January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. Choose by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1; plans picked after that start February 1.

Does Utah's mini-COBRA law cover employees who leave my small business?

Yes. Utah's mini-COBRA law requires insured employer group plans to offer 12 months of continued coverage to people who cannot use federal COBRA, provided they spent three months on the plan. The charge is limited to 102 percent of the group's rate.

Can I get a private plan in Utah after open enrollment closes?

Yes. You can apply in any month and, if approved, a private plan can start the first of a month; the insurer can decline based on health answers.

More for Utah

Official sources: HealthCare.gov, the federal Marketplace; HealthCare.gov: special enrollment periods. FC Insurance Solutions is an independent, licensed brokerage and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker in Utah and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.