Open enrollment for 2027 health coverage through the Affordable Care Act marketplace starts Sunday, Nov. 1. If you buy your own insurance, or you’re thinking about it, this is the one stretch of the year when you can sign up or switch plans without a qualifying life event.
It’s tempting to let your plan roll over. This year, that’s riskier than usual: premiums are rising again, extra pandemic-era subsidies are gone, and some of the rules around enrollment spent the summer in court. Here’s how to review your options step by step.
The Key Dates for 2027 Coverage
On HealthCare.gov, which serves most states, the calendar looks like this:
- Nov. 1, 2026: Open enrollment begins. You can apply for 2027 coverage or update an existing application.
- Dec. 15, 2026: Last day to enroll or change plans for coverage that starts Jan. 1.
- Jan. 15, 2027: Open enrollment ends. Sign up between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15 and coverage starts Feb. 1.
- After Jan. 15: You can enroll only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, for example after losing other coverage, moving or having a baby. Medicaid and CHIP applications are accepted year-round.
States that run their own marketplaces can set different deadlines. According to a roundup by Healthcare Insider, Idaho’s window closes Dec. 15, Rhode Island’s on Dec. 31, Massachusetts on Jan. 23, Virginia on Jan. 29, and California, New Jersey, New York and Washington, D.C., on Jan. 31. Always confirm on your own state’s site.
Why the Dates Were in Doubt
A 2025 federal rule would have created a single, shorter enrollment window for every state starting with 2027 coverage, ending no later than Dec. 31. In June 2026, a federal court in Maryland struck down parts of that rule, and a second ruling in July paused several provisions of the 2027 marketplace payment rule. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has since confirmed that HealthCare.gov’s window stays Nov. 1 to Jan. 15. The litigation is still being appealed, so it’s worth checking the official dates again before you act.
One practical result: CMS told insurers to remove notice language about a planned $5 charge for some automatically re-enrolled customers, and it restored an automatic 60-day extension for people who need to resolve mismatches in their reported income.
Why You Shouldn’t Just Auto-Renew This Year
If you have marketplace coverage and do nothing, HealthCare.gov will usually re-enroll you automatically so you don’t have a gap. That plan may be your current one or a “comparable” plan from a different insurer, and its price can change.
The pricing backdrop is not great. An AP report on a KFF analysis of 77 insurers’ public filings found a median proposed premium increase of 14% for 2027, after a median of 20% for 2026. Insurers pointed to rising medical and drug costs, inflation and the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies at the end of 2025, which pushed many healthier people out of the market. The marketplace shrank by more than 2.5 million people over the past year, according to federal data cited by AP.
Most enrollees still qualify for premium tax credits. But the amount you get, and the plan that’s cheapest for you, can shift a lot from one year to the next.
Step 1: Read Your Two Letters
By Nov. 1, HealthCare.gov says you should receive two letters: one from your insurer and one from the marketplace. Together they tell you whether your current plan will be offered in 2027, which plan you’ll be matched with if you don’t act, whether your savings are changing and whether you need to send any documents.
Pay special attention if the marketplace letter says you won’t get a premium tax credit next year. HealthCare.gov lists reasons such as the end of the extra COVID-era savings on Dec. 31, 2025, updated income data from the IRS, or a document request you haven’t answered. If a letter is missing, call your insurer or the Marketplace Call Center.
Step 2: Update Your Application
Log in to your account and update your expected 2027 income and your household information. Your tax credit is based on what you expect to earn next year, not on past years.
This step matters more than it sounds. If your estimate is too low, you may get more help than you’re entitled to and have to repay the difference when you file your federal taxes. If it’s too high, you leave savings on the table. Raises, a new job, a spouse’s income change, a child aging off your plan or a move all count.
Step 3: Compare Plans, Not Just Premiums
HealthCare.gov recommends comparing three things: your current plan, the plan you’ve been matched with, and everything else available in your area. You can preview plans and prices before applying with the site’s plan preview tool.
Know the Metal Levels
Marketplace plans come in tiers that describe roughly how costs are split, according to HealthCare.gov:
- Bronze: the plan pays about 60% of covered costs; you pay about 40%. Deductibles are generally high.
- Silver: the plan pays about 70%; you pay about 30%.
- Gold: the plan pays about 80%; you pay about 20%.
- Platinum: the plan pays about 90%; you pay about 10%.
- Catastrophic: available in some areas to people under 30 or those who qualify for a hardship or affordability exemption.
Those percentages are averages, and your real costs depend on how much care you use.
Don’t Skip the Silver Check
If your income qualifies, you may get “extra savings,” formally called cost-sharing reductions, that lower deductibles, copays and coinsurance. You get these only on a Silver plan. With them, a Silver plan can cover 73% to 96% of costs, which can beat a Gold plan for less money. If the application says you qualify, compare Silver plans carefully before picking a cheaper Bronze one.
Check Doctors and Drugs
A cheap premium is no bargain if your doctor is out of network or your prescription isn’t covered. Before you choose, use the plan details to check:
- Whether your doctors, hospitals and any specialists are in the plan’s network.
- Whether your regular prescriptions are on the plan’s drug list, and at what cost.
- The deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, which is the most you’d pay in a bad year.
- Whether the plan is an HMO or PPO, which affects referrals and out-of-network care.
Step 4: Enroll, or Renew, and Pay
Once you’ve picked, either renew your current plan or enroll in a new one. To have coverage start Jan. 1, finish by Dec. 15. Then pay your first premium: coverage does not start until you do.
If you don’t want marketplace coverage in 2027, HealthCare.gov says to log in, select your current-year application (not next year’s), and use the option to stop coverage under “My Plans & Programs.” Do it by Dec. 15 to be safe, or you may be automatically re-enrolled.
A Quick Open Enrollment Checklist
- Find your insurer and marketplace letters and note any changes.
- Update your 2027 income and household details.
- Compare your matched plan with at least two or three alternatives.
- If you qualify for extra savings, look closely at Silver plans.
- Confirm your doctors and prescriptions are covered.
- Enroll by Dec. 15 for Jan. 1 coverage, and pay the first premium.
- Save copies of your application and plan confirmation.
If you’re turning 65 or helping a parent who is, Medicare runs on a different calendar. We cover that in our Medicare open enrollment guide.
More on Contoh
- Medicare Open Enrollment 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide to Reviewing Your Coverage
- How to Check Your Social Security Statement Online (and Fix Mistakes)
- How to Check Your Credit Reports for Free (Every Week)
Sources
- HealthCare.gov: When can you get health insurance?
- HealthCare.gov: Renew, change, update, or cancel your plan
- HealthCare.gov: Automatic re-enrollment keeps you covered
- HealthCare.gov: The “metal” categories
- Healthcare Insider: Health insurance marketplace deadlines for 2027 coverage
- Groom Law Group: CMS guidance after the Columbus II stay
- AP via WAFB: Affordable Care Act insurers are proposing another year of double-digit premium increases