ICHRA savings in Connecticut
2 Connecticut counties price individual coverage below small group. Employers there save up to $148 per employee per year.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · plan-year 2026, lowest-cost silver (age 50), same year both markets.
Top Connecticut counties by savings
Monthly benchmark premiums: individual vs small group, 2026 plan year.
| County | Individual /mo | Small group /mo | You save | Annual / employee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Windham County | $946 | $958 | 1.3% | $148 |
| New London County | $972 | $982 | 1.1% | $128 |
The Connecticut picture
Connecticut runs close to parity on 2026 silver-plan data: only two counties qualify, and the wider estimated gap — Windham County, in the state's northeast corner — is about $12 per employee per month, or 1.3% below comparable small-group coverage. In the Hartford, New Haven, and Fairfield County employment centers, the benchmark comparison does not qualify at all, so a savings-driven ICHRA rarely pencils in Connecticut this plan year, and we would rather say that than imply otherwise. For 2027, insurers have filed a proposed average individual-market increase of 16.2%, a filing still under review and separate from every figure above.
The irony for Connecticut employers is that the state's group-insurance heritage — Hartford built an industry on it — coexists with an individual market priced right alongside it, leaving little arbitrage on 2026 data. Firms here that pursue an ICHRA anyway tend to be solving different problems: a Stamford company with employees living in New York, where the estimated gaps are far wider, or a growing firm that wants benefits spend fixed as a defined contribution rather than exposed to group renewals. The county estimator settles the question for your specific address.
Connecticut ICHRA FAQs
How much can employers save with an ICHRA in Connecticut?
Across 2 qualifying Connecticut counties, the 2026 gap between small-group and individual silver coverage averages 1% — up to $148 per employee per year in the strongest county. Figures are plan-year-2026 estimates (lowest-cost silver, age 50, same year both markets), not quotes.
Which Connecticut county has the biggest ICHRA savings?
Windham County currently shows the widest 2026 spread in Connecticut: individual $946/mo vs small group $958/mo — about 1.3% ($148/employee/year, estimated).
Does every Connecticut county qualify for ICHRA savings?
No. Only counties where the individual market prices below small group make the list — 2 in Connecticut for plan year 2026. In other counties a savings-driven ICHRA usually is not the right move, and an analysis will say so.
Where does this Connecticut data come from?
Individual-market premiums come from the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files and small-group benchmarks from Ideon — lowest-cost silver plan, age 50, same county and same plan year (2026) on both sides.
My Connecticut company has employees who live in New York — does the ICHRA math change for them?
It can, because individual-market pricing follows where each employee lives, not where the company sits. On 2026 data, Connecticut's own estimated gaps are minimal — about $12 per employee per month in Windham County at the widest — but many New York counties show substantially larger estimated spreads on the same silver-at-50 benchmark. A Connecticut employer with commuters from across the state line funds one defined contribution while each employee shops their home county's market. Every figure is an estimate for the 2026 plan year, so run the estimator for the counties where your people actually live.
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