Open Enrollment for 2027 health plans starts November 1st, 2026.

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Important dates to note:

November 1st, 2026: Open Enrollment starts — first day you can enroll, re-enroll, or change a 2026 insurance plan through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Coverage can start as soon as January 1, 2027.

December 15th, 2026: Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1, 2027.

January 15th, 2027: Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start February 1st, 2027.

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Need 2026 coverage outside of open enrollment?

You can still get health coverage if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period due to a qualifying life event — like getting married, losing other coverage, or having a baby. Find out if you qualify.

Apply for a Special Enrollment Period

Don't qualify for a special enrollment period? Need less coverage? We've got you covered. 

Short Term Coverage

Apply for a short-term plan for the part of the rest of the year, or start one on January 1st. These plans are less expensive than many individual ACA plans but do not cover some of the essential health benefits such as maternity coverage. These plans are your best option if you don't currently qualify for a special enrollment period. 

Catastrophic Health Plan Quotes

Medicaid & CHIP – apply any time

There’s no limited enrollment period for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). You can apply any time.

2025 Marketplace Changes 

Health Insurance Exemptions For 2024

The individual mandate was repealed for 2019. Meaning, Americans without health coverage in 2019 will not be subject to a tax penalty.

The new CMS rules, titled in true Trump fashion, “Final 2019 Payment Notice Rule To Increase Access To Affordable Health Plans For Americans Suffering From High Obamacare Premiums,” could potentially save you from paying a tax penalty this year. The new rule provides exemptions to residents living in counties where no health insurance companies offer coverage, or only one insurer offers coverage. 

However, a handful of states have their own individual mandate: 

• California
• District of Columbia
• Massachusetts
• New Jersey 
• Rhode Island
• Vermont

You may be fined at tax time if you don't have health insurance in those states. 

Verification For Premium Tax Credits

The final CMS rule is also going to attempt to improve the integrity of the Advanced Premium Tax Credits (APTC) program. It hopes to do this by “implementing stronger checks” that would take tougher measures to verify anyone applying for Advanced Premium Tax Credits earn the income they claim. The new measure is also going to disqualify any applicant who fails to file taxes or reconcile prior APTCs.

Obamacare had what it known as the 80/20 rule, which meant health insurance companies were required to have an MLR score of at least 80%. For health insurance companies offering group large group coverage (usually to 50 or more people), that minimum score jumped to 85%. The new CMS rule is going to loosen the Obama era MLR regulations, helping “ease the burden” for health insurance companies. This would allow more companies to enter the marketplace, and create more competition in an attempt to drive down costs.

What are your health insurance options?

Depending on your situation, you have the following options:

Renew your current policy

During open enrollment, you can keep your current health insurance as long as it's still offered. You may not have to do anything if you want to keep what you have. But your current plan may be changing. Watch the mail for a letter about any changes your plan intends to make in 2020.

Changes might not be acceptable to you. For instance, your doctor could be leaving the network or your drugs won't be part of its list of covered medications. You want to look for a plan that better suits your needs. If you need to switch, open enrollment is the time.

Buy an individual policy through a marketplace or directly from an insurance provider

You may want to sign up on the marketplace exchange in your state. That includes if you qualify for tax subsidies to help you pay your premiums. Qualifying depends on your family size and income. To qualify, your family income must fall between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL).

Based on this formula, for 2020 coverage for a family of four, the income bracket between 100% and 400% is $25,750 to $100,3000. If you or your family are under 400% of the federal poverty level, you can find subsidized health coverage. About three dozen states also have Medicaid expansion. Those states let people with incomes 138% of the federal poverty level to get Medicaid. That's a low-cost option that provides full health coverage. 

Make changes to your employer-based group health insurance

If you get your health insurance through your employer, the open enrollment period for the government-run marketplaces and Affordable Care Act plans won't affect you.

You need to sign up for coverage during your employer's open enrollment period. Some employers will automatically renew the plan you had this year. Others require that you sign up each year during its open enrollment. Employers often change health insurance providers, so make sure you review your offerings. It likely changed since last year. Ask your employer its rules so you know what you have to do.

Change your Medicare plan

If you are enrolled in Medicare and want to make a change in your plan – such as switching to Medicare Advantage (Part C) or adding prescription drug coverage (Part D) – you must sign up during its open enrollment period.

Medicare open enrollment is Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and coverage starts Jan. 1. Again, open enrollment for the government-run marketplaces doesn't affect you.

Buy a short-term health plan (for a long time)

Short-term health insurance plans were previously only available to young people or those who couldn't afford any other kind of health insurance. Starting in 2019, all people were given access to short-term plans. 

Starting in 2020, many states began offering short-term plans for up to 36 months which is technically longer than an ACA plan.

These plans aren't nearly as generous as ACA plans. They don't have to cover basic services, such as maternity, prescription and mental health. So, you need to dig into a plan's specific coverage before going with a short-term plan. 

A benefit of short-term insurance plans is that they're much cheaper than other plans. However, they don't offer as much coverage so you may get stuck paying with more or all of healthcare costs for some services.