Virginia open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Virginia

Virginia 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 Virginia, Virginia's Insurance Marketplace sets the 2027 open enrollment dates, running November 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027 with December 15 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

Virginia's average 2027 rate change is 15.8% to 16.9% (finalized). The details are on the Virginia 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.

Virginia this year

Virginia small employers have the milder number for 2027: their group renewals average around 10.7 percent, while finalized individual increases run about 15.8 to 16.9 percent. Virginians enroll through Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, the state exchange since the 2024 plan year, and Northern Virginia, Richmond, Hampton Roads and southwest Virginia each have different plan lineups and hospital systems. For a federal contracting firm in Fairfax, a cybersecurity consultancy, a Hampton Roads shipyard supplier or a Charlottesville-area winery, keeping a group plan may look more attractive than in states where group renewals are climbing faster. An ICHRA still deserves a quick check.

Small-group plans in Virginia average about 10.7% for 2027, against 15.8% to 16.9% 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

If staff in Arlington or Alexandria see doctors in DC or Maryland, check whether the individual plans they would choose under an ICHRA still list those doctors, since some Virginia plans cover little outside the state. Compare that with your group network. Virginia's Insurance Marketplace keeps open enrollment going until January 29, 2027, two weeks past the federal close.

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: Virginia's Insurance Marketplace accepts everyone during open enrollment.

Compare Virginia 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 Virginia. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee; independent, not HealthCare.gov or any government agency.

Questions

Who sets Virginia's 2027 open enrollment deadline?

Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, Virginia's own exchange. For 2027 coverage it runs open enrollment from November 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027.

Can a departing worker at my 9-person Virginia business stay on our group plan?

Yes. Virginia insured group plans outside federal COBRA, which usually means businesses with 19 or fewer employees, must give 12 months of continuation once someone has three months covered. The cost is the group rate plus an administrative fee of no more than 2 percent.

Can I get a private plan in Virginia 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 Virginia

Official source: Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: special enrollment. 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 Virginia and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.