ACA Open Enrollment 2027: Key Dates, Deadlines & What Has Changed
If you buy your own coverage, ACA open enrollment 2027 is a shorter window than the one you got used to, and it sneaks up on people every single year. For most of the country it opens November 1, 2026 and closes December 15, 2026. Last year January 15 was the safety net. That net is gone. Add expired subsidies, premium filings up around 15% at the median, and two Texas carriers packing up, and I would not let this one auto-renew in the background. Here is how it shakes out.
Open Enrollment for Health Insurance 2027: The Dates That Matter
The short version of open enrollment for health insurance 2027: shopping starts November 1, 2026, and in the 29 states that use HealthCare.gov the window shuts December 15. Every plan you pick in that window starts January 1, because the old February 1 start date is gone too. State-run exchanges can run a little longer, but none can go past December 31, so if you live in one of those states, check your exchange's own calendar.
Obamacare Open Enrollment Dates 2027 in Plain English
Obamacare and the ACA are the same law, so the obamacare open enrollment dates 2027 you keep seeing in search results are identical: November 1 to December 15 for most people. Put the open enrollment 2027 dates in your phone calendar today, and set the reminder for about December 1 instead of the 15th.
Texas Health Insurance Open Enrollment 2027
Texas has no state-run exchange, so Texas health insurance open enrollment 2027 goes through HealthCare.gov on those same dates. It is a messier year here than most, because both Baylor Scott & White Health Plan and Cigna are leaving the Texas individual market. If one of them is your carrier, you are shopping whether you planned to or not. A decent place to start is the individual and family plans we compare.
The Healthcare Deadline 2026 You Cannot Move
The healthcare deadline 2026 that counts is December 15, 2026. Select a plan by then, pay the first premium, and you are covered on January 1, 2027. In my experience the real deadline is closer to December 5, since income verification, carrier mix-ups and a surprise "we need one more document" email eat more days than you would think. Miss it without a qualifying event and you may spend most of 2027 with no marketplace plan.
What Has Changed for 2027
Mostly it is money. The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025, so the original ACA subsidy formula is what applies now. Households above roughly 400% of the federal poverty level (somewhere around $62,600 for a single adult) get no subsidy at all, and that cliff is where most of the sticker shock landed. Insurers have also filed 2027 rates with a median increase near 15%, according to KFF's review. Your own plan could come in higher or lower, and a subsidy will soften some of it, but I would not budget around last year's price. Some lawfully present immigrants, including refugees and asylees, lose marketplace subsidy eligibility starting in 2027, so if that is you, check your status with an agent before you pick anything. Carriers are leaving as well. Cigna is out of all 11 of its marketplace states, Texas included, and Baylor Scott & White Health Plan is leaving the Texas marketplace. A plan you liked may simply not exist on January 1.
Special Enrollment Period Qualifying Life Events
If you miss the window, one of the special enrollment period qualifying life events is usually the only way back in. The common ones are losing other coverage (your insurer leaving the market counts), getting married, having or adopting a baby, and moving somewhere that sells different plans. You normally get 60 days from the event and you will be asked for proof, so keep that termination letter. Forgetting to enroll is not on the list, sadly.
Health Insurance Enrollment Assistance, Free
You do not have to untangle this alone, and health insurance enrollment assistance should not cost you anything. HealthCare.gov has a call center, community navigators exist in most areas, and licensed agents like us can walk you through it. Agents are paid by the carrier, and your premium is generally the same whether you enroll through one of us or on your own. We are independent, so we compare plans from many carriers side by side, and you can read how our enrollment process works before committing to anything. If you would rather just talk to a human today, talk to a licensed agent.