When Is Open Enrollment for Health Insurance in 2027?

Open enrollment lasts from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 each year on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, though some states operate their own health exchanges and have different enrollment dates. Other health insurance coverage types — such as employer-sponsored insurance and Medicare — also have different enrollment periods, so when you can sign up varies based on how you choose to shop for health insurance.

Open enrollment is the annual period when consumers can shop for health insurance plans through the government-operated Marketplace. In most states, open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15.

Keep reading to learn more about health insurance open enrollment, including how you can sign up for a plan that complies with the Affordable Care Act and what options may be available if you miss your state’s enrollment deadline.

On This Page

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  What Is Open Enrollment?

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  How Often Does Open Enrollment Occur?

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  Who Is Open Enrollment For?

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  When Is Open Enrollment?

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  How Does Open Enrollment Work?

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  What Types of Health Insurance Are Available During Open Enrollment?

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  How Do I Maximize the Open Enrollment Period This Year?

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  Health Insurance Open Enrollment at a Glance

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  How Do I Sign Up for Health Insurance During Open Enrollment?

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  Frequently Asked Questions

What Is Open Enrollment?

Open enrollment refers to a period when consumers can freely sign up for an ACA-compliant health plan or adjust their existing coverage. By limiting when customers can buy coverage, open enrollment periods help keep the health insurance market stable. Otherwise, people could enroll only after they become sick or injured, which would significantly increase the number of insurance claims per policyholder and likely require insurers to raise premiums.^[1]

When Does Open Enrollment Start?

Open enrollment for 2027 health plans begins on the federal Health Insurance Marketplace at HealthCare.gov on Nov. 1, 2026.^[2] Keep in mind that, if your state operates its own marketplace website, you may have a different health insurance open enrollment period.

When Does Open Enrollment End?

The federal open enrollment period ends on Jan. 15, 2027.^[2] If you intend to shop for a new Marketplace health insurance plan or make any changes to your existing coverage, you need to be sure to do so before the conclusion of open enrollment in January.

When Must I Enroll for Jan. 1 Coverage?

For your Marketplace health insurance coverage to take effect on Jan. 1, 2027, you must complete your enrollment by Dec. 15, 2026, and pay the premium for your first month of coverage. If you sign up between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15, your coverage will begin on Feb. 1, 2027, instead.^[2]

As mentioned previously, several states have their own health exchange platforms, so insurance shoppers in these states may be subject to different open enrollment dates. See the table below for key dates and websites to note when enrolling in a 2027 health insurance plan in any of the states that don’t use the federal Marketplace:^[3]

What Happens if I Miss the Deadline?

If you miss open enrollment, you may not be able to sign up for a new plan or alter your existing coverage until next year’s open enrollment period. In some states, going without insurance could result in a financial penalty if you haven’t been approved for an exemption from the state’s individual mandate. The table below goes over the annual fines you may encounter for being uninsured in regions that require health insurance:

To tide yourself over until the next open enrollment period, you may be able to purchase a short-term health insurance policy from a private insurance company at any time. However, these plans may not adhere to the minimum essential coverage standards outlined in the ACA, so they may not meet the health insurance requirements for the states discussed above.^[31]

How Often Does Open Enrollment Occur?

Open enrollment only occurs on the Marketplace once per year. However, you may be able to sign up for Marketplace health insurance outside of open enrollment if you qualify for a special enrollment period. Special enrollment periods are triggered by major life events that can cause your health insurance needs or eligibility to suddenly change, such as the following:^[32]

• Getting married, divorced or separated
• Giving birth to or adopting a child
• Changing or losing your job
• Moving to a home in a new ZIP code
• Losing your existing coverage due to the death of a family member
• Turning 26 and aging out of your parents’ health insurance
• Gaining American citizenship
• Being released from prison

Who Is Open Enrollment For?

The Health Insurance Marketplace’s open enrollment period is open to anyone who meets its eligibility requirements and wants to secure health coverage through the Marketplace. To qualify, you must be an American citizen, national or lawful resident who actively lives in the United States, isn’t currently in prison and isn’t already enrolled in a plan through Medicare.^[33]

When Is Open Enrollment?

Each major type of health insurance may have its own set of enrollment dates — so when you can sign up generally depends on how you obtain your health insurance coverage. In the next sections, you’ll learn about open enrollment periods for common types of major medical insurance other than Marketplace health insurance.

Employer-Sponsored Insurance

Each individual employer sets the open enrollment dates for its own employees’ health plans, so there’s no standardized enrollment period for workers with job-based group health insurance. That said, many business owners choose to run open enrollment in the fall, meaning your employer-sponsored health plan could come up for renewal around the same time as Marketplace open enrollment.^[34]

Since exact enrollment dates vary by company, it’s best to reach out to your human resources department to confirm when you can enroll in a new health insurance plan.

Medicare

Original Medicare members can update their coverage during the annual Medicare open enrollment period from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7. If you receive coverage through a Medicare Part C plan from a private health insurance company rather than the federal government, you can also drop or switch plans during Medicare Advantage open enrollment from Jan. 1 to March 31.^[35]

Medicaid/CHIP

Unlike most other types of health insurance, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program don’t employ a limited-time open enrollment period. As a result, if you have a low annual income or can’t afford private coverage for your kids, you can apply for free or low-cost government-sponsored health insurance through Medicaid or CHIP at any point during the year.^[2]

How Does Open Enrollment Work?

During open enrollment, you’re free to compare rates from different health insurance providers and make changes to your insurance coverage, such as joining a health plan for the first time, switching to a different plan, renewing your current plan or canceling your health insurance. When applying, you’ll want to provide up-to-date information about your income to determine whether you’re eligible for premium tax credit subsidies.^[36]

To activate a new health plan, you’ll need to pay the premium for the first month of coverage up front. Meanwhile, if you’re already enrolled in a Marketplace plan and don’t take action to change your coverage by Dec. 15, you may be automatically reenrolled in the same plan or switched over to a similar plan, with coverage becoming active on Jan. 1.^[36]

What Types of Health Insurance Are Available During Open Enrollment?

Most ACA-compliant health insurance plans sold on the Health Insurance Marketplace during open enrollment fall into one of the following four categories:^[37]

1. Health maintenance organization: HMOs tend to come with the lowest premiums because they only cover medical services from providers in the plan’s network — except in emergencies — and don’t allow you to visit a specialist unless you obtain a referral from your primary care physician.
2. Exclusive provider organization: EPO plans also exclude coverage for routine out-of-network care, but they do allow you to see a specialist without a referral from your PCP.
3. Point-of-service: A POS plan will cover care you receive from out-of-network providers — albeit with higher out-of-pocket costs — but it won’t cover treatments from a specialist unless your PCP referred you to them.
4. Preferred provider organization: PPO insurance generally grants the greatest flexibility at the highest price, allowing you to receive treatment from providers outside of your plan’s network and visit specialists regardless of whether you have a referral.

How Do I Maximize the Open Enrollment Period This Year?

To best take advantage of this year’s open enrollment period, you need to consider your family’s health insurance needs for the upcoming year, such as expected medical treatments and prescription drug costs. Then, evaluate whether your current plan meets your coverage needs or if another plan might be a better fit. If you’re interested in changing plans, be sure to check whether any doctors you currently see are in the new plan’s network.

Also, think about how often you’re likely to use your health insurance and weigh plans based on their health insurance tier. Plans in the bronze and silver tiers have lower premiums but require you to pay more in deductibles, copays and coinsurance when you access health care. Conversely, gold and platinum plans are more expensive when it comes to regular premium payments but cheaper when it comes to out-of-pocket costs.^[38]

Health Insurance Open Enrollment at a Glance

1. Definition: Open enrollment refers to a limited-time window when individuals can shop for a new health insurance plan or update their existing coverage.
2. Dates: If you shop through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace, you can sign up from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15 — with coverage starting at the beginning of the new year if you enroll by Dec. 15.
3. Regional differences: Several state governments operate their own health exchange websites, and some of them have different open enrollment dates from the federal Marketplace.
4. Differences by plan type: Different open enrollment periods may also apply for different types of health insurance. For example, Medicare open enrollment lasts from Oct. 15 to Dec. 7, and employer-sponsored health insurance enrollment dates vary from company to company. In addition, enrollment in Medicaid and CHIP is available year-round.
5. Missing open enrollment: Anyone who fails to sign up for health insurance during open enrollment may be automatically reenrolled in their current plan, and they may not be able to make further changes to their coverage until the next annual open enrollment period.
6. Special enrollment: Outside of open enrollment, you may only be able to alter your health insurance coverage during a special enrollment period triggered by a qualifying life event, such as getting married, losing your work-based health insurance or moving to a new county.
7. Individual mandate: Residents of California, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Rhode Island and the District of Columbia are required by law to carry health insurance and may have to pay a tax penalty if they fail to do so.

How Do I Sign Up for Health Insurance During Open Enrollment?

You may be able to sign up for Marketplace health insurance online, in person, over the phone, by mail or through an insurance company or another enrollment partner.^[39] Every state either has its own health exchange website or uses the federal Marketplace at HealthCare.gov.^[3] When applying for coverage, you may need to share information like your Social Security number, address and household income.

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