Life EventMay 15, 2026·6 min read·By Jacob Posner, Founder & Editor
ACA Open Enrollment: How to Pick a Health Insurance Plan for 2027
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1 to December 15, 2026 on healthcare.gov. Miss this window and you need a qualifying life event to enroll outside it.
For 2027 coverage, Open Enrollment on healthcare.gov runs November 1 through December 15, 2026. Coverage starts January 1, 2027 if you enroll by December 15
Miss the December 15 deadline on healthcare.gov and you cannot enroll in a marketplace plan until the next Open Enrollment unless you have a qualifying life event like job loss, marriage, or a move. Some state-based marketplaces have later deadlines.
Other paths: State-based marketplaces (CA, NY, others) may have later deadlines (year-round) · Medicaid and CHIP (year-round, no deadline) (year-round)
Quick Answer: ACA Open Enrollment is the one window each year when any eligible person can sign up for or change a marketplace health insurance plan without needing a special reason. For 2027 coverage on healthcare.gov, it runs November 1 through December 15, 2026. Enroll by December 15 and coverage starts January 1, 2027. Premium tax credits are available if your income falls between 100% and 400% FPL. Some state-based marketplaces have extended deadlines. Medicaid and CHIP are available year-round outside this window.
Most people only get one shot per year to enroll in marketplace health insurance: Open Enrollment. Outside this window, you need a qualifying life event (job loss, marriage, birth, move) to trigger a Special Enrollment Period. If you do not have one, you wait. That makes Open Enrollment the most important healthcare deadline most Americans face every fall.
Note for 2026: The enhanced premium tax credits that ran from 2021 through 2025 under the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act expired January 1, 2026. The subsidy cliff at 400% FPL is back. If your income is above 400% FPL ($63,840 for a single person in 2026), you receive no premium tax credit. Plan your budget accordingly. Check who qualifies for an ACA subsidy and whether the ACA marketplace is still available before you start your application. If you miss this window, a special enrollment period is your only path back in mid-year.
6 Steps to Get Coverage
1
Calculate your projected household income for the coverage year
Go to the federal poverty level table at /federal-poverty-level and find your household size. Subsidies phase in at 100% FPL ($15,960 for a single person in 2026) and cut off at 400% FPL ($63,840 single). Use your best estimate of what you expect to earn. You reconcile the actual amount on your tax return the following April.
2
Check whether you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP first
If your projected income is under 138% FPL ($22,025 single / $45,540 family of 4 in 2026) and you live in a Medicaid expansion state, apply through your state Medicaid agency or healthcare.gov, not through marketplace plans. Medicaid is free and enrolls year-round. If you have children under 19, check CHIP eligibility up to 200-300% FPL depending on your state.
3
Log in to healthcare.gov or your state marketplace and compare plans
Go to healthcare.gov (or Covered California, NY State of Health, GetCoveredNJ, etc. for state-based marketplaces). Enter your household information and income to see subsidy-adjusted plan costs. Compare Bronze (lowest premium, highest deductible), Silver (mid-range, cost-sharing reductions available), Gold (higher premium, lower out-of-pocket), and Platinum (highest premium, lowest cost-sharing). Check that your current doctors and prescriptions are covered in the plan network.
4
Select a plan and submit your enrollment application before the deadline
Enroll by December 15 on healthcare.gov for January 1, 2027 coverage. On healthcare.gov there is no February 1 start option for 2027. December 15 is the final enrollment deadline. Some state-based marketplaces (like California and New York) have extended deadlines past December 15. Check your state marketplace directly. Submit your application and write down your confirmation number.
5
Pay your first premium to activate coverage
Enrollment alone does not activate your coverage. Log in to your insurance company's website or call them directly to submit the first monthly premium payment. Your plan is not active until that payment clears. Most insurers give you until the end of the first month of coverage to pay, but check your specific plan terms.
6
Reconcile your subsidies on your federal tax return the following spring
If you received advance premium tax credits (APTC), you must file Form 8962 with your federal tax return to reconcile what you received against what you actually qualified for. Report income changes to the marketplace during the year by logging in to healthcare.gov and updating your application. This prevents a large repayment bill in April.
Compare Your Options
Available options
Option
Typical cost
Best for
Deadline
Bronze plan
Lowest monthly premium (often $0 to $150 with subsidies)
Healthy adults who rarely need care and want the lowest monthly cost
December 15 on healthcare.gov (state exchanges vary)
Silver plan
Mid-range premium; cost-sharing reductions available up to 250% FPL
Most people, especially if income is under 250% FPL ($39,900 single)
December 15 on healthcare.gov (state exchanges vary)
Gold plan
Higher premium, lower deductible and out-of-pocket max
People with ongoing prescriptions, chronic conditions, or frequent care
December 15 on healthcare.gov (state exchanges vary)
Medicaid
Free or near-free
Income under 138% FPL in expansion states ($22,025 single in 2026)
Year-round, no Open Enrollment deadline
CHIP (children under 19)
Very low or free
Children in households up to 200-300% FPL depending on state
Year-round
Silver plan cost-sharing reductions only apply if you enroll in a Silver plan. They are not available on Bronze, Gold, or Platinum. The 2026 subsidy cliff at 400% FPL is back; incomes above that receive no premium tax credit.
Common mistakes that cost people hundreds or thousands during Open Enrollment:
Enrolling in a Silver plan when income qualifies for cost-sharing reductions but choosing Bronze instead. Cost-sharing reductions only attach to Silver plans. If your income is under 250% FPL, a Silver plan often has lower total annual cost than Bronze despite the higher premium.
Not updating income on the marketplace mid-year. If your income rises significantly after enrollment, you could owe back a large amount of advance tax credits at tax time. Log in to healthcare.gov and submit an income update whenever your household income changes by more than $5,000.
Waiting too long to enroll on healthcare.gov. For 2027 coverage, December 15, 2026 is the only enrollment deadline on healthcare.gov. There is no January extension. Miss it and you are uninsured until a qualifying life event or next year's Open Enrollment. State-based marketplaces may have later deadlines; check your state directly.
Not checking your doctors and drug formulary before picking a plan. The cheapest plan is not always the cheapest if your preferred provider is out-of-network or your medication is not on the formulary. Compare plan networks at each insurer's website before finalizing enrollment.
Assuming you automatically re-enroll in the same plan at the same price. Plans change every year: premiums, deductibles, formularies, and networks all shift. If you do not actively compare during Open Enrollment, you may be auto-enrolled in a plan that costs significantly more than a comparable alternative.
Frequently Asked Questions
When is ACA Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage?
On healthcare.gov, Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1 through December 15, 2026. Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027. Some state-based marketplaces like Covered California and NY State of Health have later deadlines. Check your state's marketplace directly.
What if I miss Open Enrollment?
If you miss the December 15 deadline on healthcare.gov without a qualifying life event, you cannot enroll in a marketplace plan until the next Open Enrollment. However, Medicaid and CHIP are year-round programs. If your income qualifies, apply any time. Qualifying life events like job loss (60-day SEP), marriage (60-day SEP), birth (60-day SEP), or moving to a new state (60-day SEP) each trigger a Special Enrollment Period outside Open Enrollment.
What income qualifies for premium tax credits in 2026?
For plans purchased during the 2026 plan year, the enhanced subsidies from the American Rescue Plan expired. The subsidy cliff at 400% FPL is back in effect. For 2026, that means incomes between 100% FPL ($15,960 single) and 400% FPL ($63,840 single) qualify for premium tax credits. Incomes above 400% FPL receive no credit. In non-expansion states, incomes between 100-138% FPL also qualify for marketplace subsidies.
What is a Silver plan cost-sharing reduction and who gets it?
Cost-sharing reductions (CSRs) lower your deductible, copays, and out-of-pocket maximum when you enroll in a Silver plan and your income is between 100% and 250% FPL. CSRs are only available on Silver plans, not Bronze, Gold, or Platinum. For someone at 150% FPL ($23,940 single in 2026), a Silver plan with CSRs can function like a Platinum plan at a Silver premium.
Can I enroll in a marketplace plan if I have employer coverage offered?
You can enroll in a marketplace plan even if your employer offers coverage, but you will only qualify for premium tax credits if the employer's offered plan is unaffordable or does not meet minimum value standards. The IRS considers employer coverage affordable if your share of the premium for employee-only coverage costs no more than 9.96% of household income in 2026.
What is the difference between healthcare.gov and state-based marketplaces?
Healthcare.gov is the federally facilitated marketplace, used by most states. Fourteen states and DC run their own state-based marketplaces: California (Covered California), New York (NY State of Health), Washington (Washington Healthplanfinder), and others. Plans in both federally and state-run marketplaces qualify for the same federal premium tax credits. State marketplaces sometimes have extended enrollment deadlines or additional state subsidies.
What is Bronze vs Silver vs Gold vs Platinum?
These metal tiers describe the cost-sharing split. Bronze plans pay about 60% of covered costs on average, Silver about 70%, Gold about 80%, Platinum about 90%. Higher tiers mean lower deductibles and copays but higher monthly premiums. Bronze is cheapest monthly but most expensive if you need care. The right tier depends on how much care you expect to use and what subsidies you qualify for.
Do I need to re-enroll every year or does my plan auto-renew?
Most marketplace plans auto-renew if you take no action. However, this is risky: plans, premiums, formularies, and networks change each year. You may be auto-enrolled in a plan with a higher premium than a comparable new option. Always log in to healthcare.gov or your state marketplace during Open Enrollment to compare your current plan against alternatives, even if you plan to keep the same insurer.
You may qualify for free health insurance.
Our 2-minute screener checks Medicaid, ACA, Medicare, CHIP, and more. Most uninsured Americans qualify for $0/month coverage they didn't know about.
