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HARTFORDBUSINESS.COM | OCTOBER 19, 2026 17 Ingleside Professional Center, Holyoke MA Five Decades of Expertise in Commercial Renovations, from Interior Updates to Exterior Transformations. COMMERCIAL • INDUSTRIAL • AUTO • HEALTHCARE ABUILDERS.COM Associated Builders has been supporting Connecticut manufacturers for over 50 years Whether an interior transformation or a ground-up build... ICHRA, Chapman said. But the switch also created chal- lenges for employees, who had to navi- gate insurance options and choose their own plans. Asked how workers responded, Chapman was unequivocal. "They hate it," she said. Many of Baron's longtime manufac- turing employees were unfamiliar with online enrollment, requiring Chapman to help them establish email accounts and create passwords. The company's leadership also iden- tified several plans comparable to its previous coverage to help employees evaluate their options. Chapman praised Access Health CT staff for helping workers navi- gate enrollment, while criticizing the company's broker for providing inadequate assistance. Carbone said the exchange offers individual enrollment support, including workplace meetings and virtual consultations, recognizing that some employees need help under- standing their options. Different motivations For Hartford Film Co., the appeal of an ICHRA was less about replacing expensive coverage than providing health benefits for the first time. Owner T.J. Noel-Sullivan said his young company, which currently has five full-time employees, wanted to offer health benefits without selecting a single plan for workers whose needs could change as the business grows. "I did not start a film company to learn the intricacies of payroll and benefits," Noel-Sullivan said. However, longer-term experience suggests ICHRAs do not eliminate rising insurance costs. David Fiereck, president of Plain- ville-based Loureiro Engineering, told attendees at a Connecticut Business & Industry Association event in September that his employee-owned engineering and construction company switched to an ICHRA about three years ago. The move followed premium increases exceeding 40% under tradi- tional fully insured coverage, he said. The switch reduced the company's costs, but its ICHRA expenses are now increasing about 10% to 11%, Fiereck said. Premium challenges Meanwhile, employers sticking with traditional group coverage face another year of steep premium increases. Connecticut insurers recently received approval for average 2027 rate increases of 15.1% for fully insured small-group coverage and 11.3% for fully insured individual-market plans. The individual-market increases could put additional pressure on businesses using ICHRAs, since employees purchase coverage in that market. Carbone acknowledged that rising premiums could require employers to reconsider their contribution amounts, although he said traditional group coverage faces similar pressures. He said Access Health CT has observed savings of about 15% to 25% among employers and employee groups moving to ICHRAs. HEALTH INSURANCE PREMIUMS RISE IN 2027 Average increases approved by the Connecticut Insurance Department INDIVIDUAL PLANS Anthem Health Plans ConnectiCare Benefits SMALL-GROUP PLANS Employers with 50 or fewer workers Anthem Health Plans UnitedHealthcare Note: These average rate increases apply to fully insured plans. | Source: Connecticut Insurance Department 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 8.8% 16% 15.5% 14%