ACA Open Enrollment 2027: Dates, Subsidy Changes, Next Steps

If your state uses HealthCare.gov, open enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1, 2026 and ends January 15, 2027, according to a CMS statement dated August 4, 2026. Pick a plan by December 15 and pay your first premium, and coverage starts January 1. Pick a plan from December 16 through January 15, and coverage starts February 1 (HealthCare.gov dates and deadlines). If you already have a Marketplace plan and do nothing by December 15, you may be renewed automatically for January 1, but HealthCare.gov says that in some cases you will not be, and that you should update your application either way.

Why mention this at all? A 2025 federal rule would have ended open enrollment by December 31 starting with 2027 coverage, and that limit still appears in the federal regulations. After a federal court ruling, CMS wrote that it has not altered the dates in the section that sets a November 1 to January 15 window. Court cases can move, so treat December 15 as your real deadline. That date protects January 1 coverage under any version of the rules.

Some states run their own enrollment websites with their own dates. Georgia residents use Georgia Access, Illinois residents use Get Covered Illinois, and starting November 1, Oregon residents will use ExploreHealthOR.gov for 2027 coverage. To find yours, pick your state on HealthCare.gov's Marketplace in your state page, then check the deadline on that state's own site. Do not assume January 15 applies to you.

Most people who buy a Marketplace plan get a premium tax credit that lowers the monthly bill. Three changes shape what you will pay in 2027.

The IRS explains that for tax years 2021 through 2025, Congress temporarily removed the rule that cut off the credit above 400% of the federal poverty line (IRS premium tax credit Q&A). The IRS table for 2027, published in Revenue Procedure 2026-26, ends at 400% again. Under that table, households expect to pay between 2.15% and 10.22% of income toward a benchmark silver plan, depending on income. In general, the credit is for households from 100% to 400% of the poverty line.

For 2027 coverage, the IRS uses the poverty guidelines in place on the first day of open enrollment, which are the 2026 guidelines. For a family of 3 in the 48 contiguous states and DC, 100% is $27,320 (HHS poverty guidelines). By our arithmetic, 400% is $109,280. A family of 3 that earns more than that gets no premium tax credit for 2027. At $54,640 (200%), the IRS table sets the expected share at 6.78% of income, which works out to about $3,705 a year, or about $309 a month, toward the benchmark silver plan. A cheaper plan costs less than that, and a pricier one costs more.

The 2025 tax and spending law, P.L. 119-21, removed the limit on how much extra premium help you have to repay. The IRS says that beginning with tax year 2026, you must repay the full amount of any excess advance payments (IRS). That makes your income estimate more important than ever. If you guess low and earn more, the difference comes out of your tax refund or adds to what you owe.

Starting with tax year 2027, the same law limits the credit for lawfully present immigrants to three groups: people with green cards (lawful permanent residents), Cuban and Haitian entrants, and people living in the U.S. under a Compact of Free Association (P.L. 119-21, sec. 71301). If someone in your household holds another status, such as a refugee or asylee, ask a free local assister how this affects your family before you enroll.

Medicaid is free or low cost, and you can apply any time of year. If your income dropped, or you have a new baby or a pregnancy, check it before you shop. Our state Medicaid guides list each state's income limits, which we verified on October 26, 2026 (for example, Georgia, Texas, North Carolina and Maryland). When you submit a Marketplace application, HealthCare.gov also checks whether anyone in your household might qualify and sends your information to your state (HealthCare.gov).

Savings are based on what you expect to earn in 2027, not last year. HealthCare.gov warns that if you don't update, you could get less help than you qualify for, or more help that you have to pay back at tax time (HealthCare.gov). Count yourself, your spouse and everyone you claim as a tax dependent. If you are paid by the hour, work gig jobs or expect a raise, write down a realistic yearly total and update it during the year if it changes.

By November 1 you should get two letters, one from your insurance company and one from the Marketplace. They tell you if your plan is still offered, which plan you will be renewed into, and whether the Marketplace needs documents from you. Do not just let it renew. Prices, networks and your credit can all change for 2027. Check that your doctors and pharmacy are in network, and compare the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, not only the monthly premium.

Search localhelp.healthcare.gov by ZIP code for assisters, sometimes called navigators. They are trained and certified by the Marketplace and must give fair, impartial and accurate information (HealthCare.gov). Agents and brokers are licensed to sell plans and are generally paid by insurance companies. To get your tax credit, an agent must enroll you through the Marketplace. You can also call the Marketplace Call Center at 1-800-318-2596 for free help.

HealthCare.gov's fraud guidance is plain: the Marketplace, assisters and your state will never threaten you or ask for your credit card or payment to keep or qualify for coverage. You pay premiums to your plan, not to anyone else. Be wary of social media ads offering cash, gifts or perks. If someone contacts you, write down their name, company and phone number, and do not share your Social Security number or bank details until you have checked who they are. CMS's 2027 rule lists as banned marketing any cash or gifts to get you to enroll, falsely saying you will always qualify for a $0 premium, and getting deadlines wrong. If something feels off, report it to the Federal Trade Commission and call the Marketplace Call Center.

After open enrollment, you can enroll or change plans only with a Special Enrollment Period, usually within 60 days of a life change (HealthCare.gov). Changes that may qualify include:

• Losing job-based, individual or family coverage, or expecting to lose it in the next 60 days
• Losing Medicaid or CHIP (you may have 90 days)
• Getting married, or having, adopting or fostering a child
• Moving to a new ZIP code or county
• Becoming a U.S. citizen or leaving incarceration
• An employer offering an individual coverage HRA

You may need to send documents. The monthly Special Enrollment Period based only on low income is gone: CMS says marketplaces are barred from offering it after 2026 (CMS). Medicaid and CHIP take applications any time of year.