ACA Open Enrollment for 2027: How to Pick the Right Health Insurance Plan

The Key Dates You Need to Know

Open enrollment for 2027 health insurance through the federal marketplace (HealthCare.gov) runs from November 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027. This is the once-a-year window when most people who buy their own coverage can enroll in a new plan, switch plans, or re-enroll in the same one. Two dates matter most:

  • December 15, 2026 — Enroll or switch by this date for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. Enroll between December 16 and January 15 and your coverage starts February 1 instead.
  • January 15, 2027 — The final deadline. Miss it and you generally cannot enroll until next fall unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period through a life event such as losing job-based coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby.

A few states run their own marketplaces with slightly different end dates, so check your state's exchange if you do not use HealthCare.gov. Employer-sponsored plans have their own open enrollment windows, usually in the fall — your HR department sets those dates.

The Big Change This Year: Subsidies Are Smaller

The most important context for 2027 is that the expanded premium subsidies from the pandemic years are gone. The enhanced premium tax credits that lowered monthly costs from 2021 through 2025 expired at the end of 2025 and have not been renewed. For 2027, the original Affordable Care Act rules apply again:

  • The 400% income cutoff is back. Households earning above 400% of the federal poverty level — roughly $63,000 for a single person and about $132,000 for a family of four — get no federal premium help at all. Even one dollar over the line wipes out the entire credit.
  • Smaller credits below the cutoff. The more generous percentages that applied at every income level have reverted to the pre-2021 formula, so monthly costs are higher for most subsidized shoppers than they were in recent years.
  • Premiums are rising on top of that. Insurers have proposed a median increase of about 15% for 2027 plans, driven by higher medical and prescription drug costs. Because the bigger subsidies no longer cushion the increase, shoppers feel the full impact.

The practical takeaway: your 2027 income estimate on the application matters more than ever, because it determines your subsidy. The credit is reconciled on your tax return, and repayment caps that used to limit what you owe back no longer apply — so estimate carefully, especially if you are self-employed.

How to Compare Plans: Premium Is Not the Price

The monthly premium is the number everyone looks at first, but it is not what a plan actually costs you. The real question is your total yearly cost: premium × 12, plus what you are likely to pay out of pocket for the care you use. A cheap premium with a $7,000 deductible can be far more expensive for someone with regular prescriptions than a pricier premium with a $1,500 deductible.

Work through these four numbers for every plan you consider:

  • Premium — what you pay each month, before any tax credit.
  • Deductible — what you pay for covered care before the plan starts sharing costs.
  • Out-of-pocket maximum — the most you can pay in a year for covered, in-network care. For 2027 the legal ceiling rises to $12,000 for an individual and $24,000 for a family. A plan with a lower maximum is worth more than it looks if you expect serious medical bills.
  • Your doctors and drugs — the network and the drug list (formulary) change every year. A plan is only a good deal if your doctors and your prescriptions are covered on favorable terms.

Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum — Which Tier Fits You

Marketplace plans come in metal tiers that describe how costs are split between you and the insurer, not how good the plan is:

  • Bronze — Lowest premiums, highest deductibles and cost-sharing. Best for young, healthy people who mainly want protection against a catastrophe and can handle a big bill if one happens.
  • Silver — The middle ground, and the only tier where extra cost-sharing reductions are available for lower-income households (roughly up to 250% of the poverty level). These reductions lower your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, which can make a silver plan the best value by far if you qualify.
  • Gold and Platinum — Higher premiums but much lower deductibles and copays. Often the cheapest total option for people with chronic conditions, planned surgeries, or expensive regular prescriptions.

Do the math for your situation rather than defaulting to the cheapest premium. Add up 12 months of premiums plus your expected deductible and copays — the "cheapest" plan on paper often loses this contest.

Check Three Things Before You Click Enroll

Plans change every year, so last year's winner may be this year's trap. Before you enroll:

  • Your doctors. Check the 2027 provider network, not last year's. Insurers shuffle networks annually, and out-of-network care can cost you far more — or not count toward your out-of-pocket maximum at all.
  • Your prescriptions. Look up each drug on the 2027 formulary. A medication that moves to a higher tier can cost more than the entire premium increase.
  • Your income estimate. Project your 2027 modified adjusted gross income as carefully as you can. Too low, and you may owe money back at tax time; too high, and you leave subsidy money on the table. Update it during the year if your income changes.

Watch Out for Auto-Renewal Traps

If you do nothing, the marketplace may automatically renew you into your current plan or a similar one for 2027. That sounds convenient, but this year it is especially risky:

  • Your insurer may be leaving the marketplace — several insurers are exiting in 2027, which means some auto-renewed shoppers would be mapped to an unfamiliar replacement plan.
  • Your plan's network, formulary, and premium will almost certainly have changed.
  • Your subsidy amount can change even if nothing else did, because it is recalculated each year.

Even if you loved your 2026 plan, log in and actively re-shop. Ten minutes of comparison beats a January surprise.

How to Get Free Help

You do not have to navigate this alone. HealthCare.gov lists trained local assisters — often called navigators — who help you compare plans and enroll at no cost. State-run marketplaces offer similar free help. A licensed insurance agent can also run your numbers for free, since they are paid by the insurer. Just make sure anyone helping you is legitimate: new federal rules this year require electronic consumer authorization before a broker can act on your application, so never approve access for someone you did not choose.

The Bottom Line

Open enrollment for 2027 runs November 1 to January 15, with December 15 as the real deadline for January 1 coverage. This year's landscape is tougher — bigger premiums, smaller subsidies, and a hard income cutoff — which makes active shopping more important than ever. Compare total yearly cost, not just the premium; verify your doctors and prescriptions against the 2027 details; and estimate your income carefully. As always, this is general education, not personal financial advice — use the free enrollment help available if your situation is complicated.


 

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