How much does small group health insurance cost in Virginia in 2027?

For one employee age 40 in the Fairfax area, filed 2027 rates run from $435 to $1,062 a month. The median Silver plan is $625. Your cost depends on employee ages, your business location and your contribution.

Which carriers sell small group health insurance in Virginia?

11 carriers filed 2027 small group rates in Virginia. The largest by number of plans are Sentara Health Plans (HMO/POS), UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley and Kaiser Permanente.

How much are small group rates going up in Virginia for 2027?

The Virginia Bureau of Insurance approved average increases of +7.6% to +20.6% by carrier.

How are small group health insurance premiums set?

Each employee's premium is set by age and by the rating area of your main business location. Carriers can't price a group by its employees' health.

Can an owner-only Virginia business buy small-group coverage?

Virginia law counts a self-employed individual as a small employer, so it can. Each carrier still sets its own proof-of-business and enrollment rules, so ask before you apply.

Are Virginia's 2027 small-group rates final?

Yes. The Bureau of Insurance approved each carrier's 2027 small-group filing in September 2026 at the average it filed.

Which carriers sell SHOP plans in Virginia?

For 2027, Kaiser Permanente and CareFirst filed plans for Virginia's Insurance Marketplace SHOP, mainly in Northern Virginia and the Richmond area. Anthem, Sentara and UnitedHealthcare sell off-exchange.

Virginia · Small group · 2027 rates

Virginia Small Group Health Insurance: 2027 Plans and Rates

Updated October 9, 2026

Carriers filed 2027 small group rates with the state, effective January 1, 2027.

Virginia has 11 small group carriers and 370 plan designs for 2027. Your price depends on your employees' ages and your business location.

Prices are going up for 2027. Virginia approved average increases of about 8% to 21%. Compare again before you renew.

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What's changing for Virginia small group health insurance in 2027?

Average approved 2027 changes by carrier range from +7.6% to +20.6%. Approved by the Virginia Bureau of Insurance. Your group's change also depends on employee ages.
Carriers filed 16 plan designs that are new for 2027, alongside plans that renew.
Carriers marked 104 current plan IDs as terminated for 2027. Groups on those plans are moved to a replacement at renewal.
Every carrier that sold small-group plans in 2026 filed 2027 rates.
Anthem's two companies rose about 8% and Kaiser about 7.6%. Sentara rose about 19% to 21%, and CareFirst's BluePreferred PPO about 19%.
Rates step up each quarter, so a plan starting in October 2027 costs about 4% to 10% more than one starting in January.

Aerial view of downtown Norfolk and its riverfront park on the Elizabeth River at sunset

How much does small group health insurance cost per employee in Virginia?

Monthly premium for one employee age 40, Fairfax area (Area 10: Alexandria city, Arlington, Clarke and 12 more), rates effective January 1, 2027, before the employer contribution.
Metal	Plans offered here	Lowest	Median	Highest
Bronze	Plans offered here40	Lowest$435	Median$543	Highest$644
Silver	Plans offered here112	Lowest$482	Median$625	Highest$766
Gold	Plans offered here161	Lowest$578	Median$722	Highest$916
Platinum	Plans offered here53	Lowest$669	Median$831	Highest$1,062

How employee age changes small group premiums

Median monthly premium per employee by age, Fairfax area. Small-group premiums are set per employee by age, so a younger team pays less for the same plan.
Metal	Age 21	Age 30	Age 40	Age 50	Age 60	Age 64+
Silver	Age 21$489	Age 30$555	Age 40$625	Age 50$874	Age 60$1,328	Age 64+$1,468
Gold	Age 21$565	Age 30$641	Age 40$722	Age 50$1,009	Age 60$1,533	Age 64+$1,695

Which carriers offer small group health plans in Virginia?

Plan designs counted by plan name. Approved change is the carrier's average as decided by the Virginia Bureau of Insurance.
Carrier	Plan designs	Plan types	Rating areas	From, age 40, Fairfax	Approved 2027 change
Sentara Health Plans (HMO/POS)	Plan designs63	Plan typesHMO, POS	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$530	Approved 2027 change+20.6%
UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley	Plan designs49	Plan typesPOS	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$595	Approved 2027 change+15.4%
Kaiser Permanente	Plan designs48	Plan typesHMO, POS	Rating areas3 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$435	Approved 2027 change+7.6%
CareFirst BlueChoice (HMO/POS)	Plan designs40	Plan typesHMO, POS	Rating areas1 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$446	Approved 2027 change+11.9%
Anthem HealthKeepers (POS)	Plan designs32	Plan typesPOS	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$524	Approved 2027 change+8.1%
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company	Plan designs31	Plan typesPPO	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$644	Approved 2027 change+14.6%
Anthem Health Plans of Virginia (PPO)	Plan designs29	Plan typesPPO	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$571	Approved 2027 change+8.1%
UnitedHealthcare (Optimum Choice, HMO)	Plan designs24	Plan typesHMO	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$569	Approved 2027 change+15.5%
UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic (HMO)	Plan designs24	Plan typesHMO	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$585	Approved 2027 change+16.0%
Sentara Health Insurance Company (PPO)	Plan designs21	Plan typesPPO	Rating areas12 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$587	Approved 2027 change+19.3%
CareFirst GHMSI (PPO)	Plan designs9	Plan typesPPO	Rating areas1 of 12	From, age 40, Fairfax$766	Approved 2027 change+19.4%

Small group health plan prices by Virginia region

Monthly premium for one employee age 40, rates effective January 1, 2027. A group is priced in the rating area of its main business location.
Rating area	Carriers	Lowest Bronze	Lowest Silver	Lowest Gold
Area 1: Giles, Montgomery, Pulaski and 1 more	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$568	Lowest Silver$626	Lowest Gold$710
Area 2: Albemarle, Charlottesville city, Fluvanna and 2 more	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$495	Lowest Silver$546	Lowest Gold$618
Area 3: Danville city, Pittsylvania	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$558	Lowest Silver$615	Lowest Gold$697
Area 4: Harrisonburg city, Rockingham	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$551	Lowest Silver$607	Lowest Gold$688
Area 5: Bristol city, Scott, Washington	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$541	Lowest Silver$596	Lowest Gold$657
Area 6: Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford and 2 more	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$549	Lowest Silver$605	Lowest Gold$685
Area 7: Amelia, Caroline, Charles City and 17 more	Carriers9	Lowest Bronze$435	Lowest Silver$482	Lowest Gold$578
Area 8: Botetourt, Craig, Franklin and 3 more	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$530	Lowest Silver$584	Lowest Gold$662
Area 9: Chesapeake city, Gloucester, Hampton city and 12 more	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$539	Lowest Silver$594	Lowest Gold$670
Area 10: Alexandria city, Arlington, Clarke and 12 more	Carriers11	Lowest Bronze$435	Lowest Silver$482	Lowest Gold$578
Area 11: Frederick, Winchester city	Carriers8	Lowest Bronze$521	Lowest Silver$564	Lowest Gold$637
Area 12: Accomack, Alleghany, Augusta and 51 more	Carriers9	Lowest Bronze$435	Lowest Silver$482	Lowest Gold$578

Virginia small group rules employers ask about

Who counts as a small employer

1 to 50 employees, with at least one on the first day of the plan year.
Self-employed owners count under Virginia law, so an owner-only business can qualify. Carrier rules still apply.

Va. Code §§ 38.2-3431, 38.2-3437

How premiums are set

By age (federal 3:1 curve), tobacco up to 1.5:1, rating area and plan.
Composite (averaged) premiums are allowed.
Rates step up each quarter, so your start month matters.

45 CFR §147.102; CMS state rating; Virginia rate filing templates

When you can enroll

Any month if you meet participation and contribution rules.
Miss those rules and you can still enroll November 15 to December 15 for a January 1 start.

45 CFR §147.104

Tax credit and SHOP

Pays up to 50% of premiums (35% tax-exempt) for fewer than 25 FTEs.
SHOP runs on Virginia's Insurance Marketplace; Kaiser and CareFirst filed SHOP medical plans for 2027.

IRS Small Business Health Care Tax Credit; Virginia's Insurance Marketplace

Virginia small group health insurance FAQ

For one employee age 40 in the Fairfax area, filed 2027 rates run from $435 to $1,062 a month. The median Silver plan is $625. Your cost depends on employee ages, your business location and your contribution.
11 carriers filed 2027 small group rates in Virginia. The largest by number of plans are Sentara Health Plans (HMO/POS), UnitedHealthcare of the River Valley and Kaiser Permanente.
The Virginia Bureau of Insurance approved average increases of +7.6% to +20.6% by carrier.
Each employee's premium is set by age and by the rating area of your main business location. Carriers can't price a group by its employees' health.
Virginia law counts a self-employed individual as a small employer, so it can. Each carrier still sets its own proof-of-business and enrollment rules, so ask before you apply.
Yes. The Bureau of Insurance approved each carrier's 2027 small-group filing in September 2026 at the average it filed.
For 2027, Kaiser Permanente and CareFirst filed plans for Virginia's Insurance Marketplace SHOP, mainly in Northern Virginia and the Richmond area. Anthem, Sentara and UnitedHealthcare sell off-exchange.

Small group health insurance in other states

Buying for yourself or your family instead? See the Marketplace plan directory.

Where these numbers come from

Rates: each carrier's 2027 small-group rate sheets, filed in SERFF with the state insurance department, rates effective January 1, 2027. Plan names, metal levels and plan types: the carriers' Unified Rate Review Templates.
Approved rate changes: Virginia Bureau of Insurance rate decisions; filed changes: ratereview.healthcare.gov, small group, plan year 2027.
Anthem Health Plans of Virginia, Inc.: SERFF ATEM-134903144;ATEM-134902952; actuarial memo
CareFirst BlueChoice, Inc.: SERFF CFAP-134960904;CFBC-134911263;CFBC-134911414; actuarial memo
Group Hospitalization and Medical Services Inc.: SERFF CFAP-134960917;CFBC-134911400;CFBC-134911411; actuarial memo; rate justification
HealthKeepers, Inc.: SERFF ATEM-134903142;ATEM-134902946; actuarial memo
Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic States, Inc.: SERFF KPMA-134956618;KPMA-134772514; actuarial memo
Optimum Choice, Inc.: SERFF UHLC-134956725;UHLC-134890151; actuarial memo; rate justification
Sentara Health Insurance Company: SERFF OPHL-134959283;OPHL-134764884; actuarial memo; rate justification
Sentara Health Plans: SERFF OPHL-134958973;OPHL-134764844; actuarial memo; rate justification
UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company: SERFF UHLC-134956550;UHLC-134890162; actuarial memo; rate justification
UnitedHealthcare of the Mid-Atlantic Inc: SERFF UHLC-134956908;UHLC-134890257; actuarial memo; rate justification
UnitedHealthcare Plan of the River Valley, Inc.: SERFF UHLC-134956916;UHLC-134922998; actuarial memo; rate justification
Va. Code § 38.2-3431 (definitions)
Va. Code § 38.2-3437 (group size rules)
Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: Small Business (SHOP)
45 CFR §147.104 (enrollment windows)
CMS Market Rating Reforms
CMS Virginia geographic rating areas
IRS Small Business Health Care Tax Credit
ratereview.healthcare.gov VA 2027 Small Group
CMS URR PUF plan year 2026
SERFF rate filings approved 09/11–09/16/2026 (Virginia Bureau of Insurance dispositions)

Reviewed by Jacob Guidi, licensed health insurance agent (NPN 19902041), Thrive Benefits Group.

Thrive Benefits Group is a licensed broker, not a carrier or government agency. Rates shown are filed 2027 rates for one employee before the employer contribution. Your group's quote depends on employee ages, location, plan choice and carrier rules. Rate changes shown were approved by the Virginia Bureau of Insurance.