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Health Insurance

Open Enrollment

The yearly period when you can enroll in, renew or change a Marketplace plan without a qualifying life event. Outside it, one is generally needed.

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Open Enrollment at a glance

Once a year
A set window for enrolling in, renewing or changing Marketplace coverage.
Start dates depend on timing
When you enroll decides when coverage begins.
States can differ
State-run Marketplaces can set their own dates.
Outside the window
A Special Enrollment Period, or Medicaid and CHIP at any time.

What is open enrollment?

Open Enrollment is the yearly period when you can enroll in a Marketplace plan, renew the one you have, or change to another, without needing a qualifying life event — the Marketplace's other eligibility rules still apply. For states that use HealthCare.gov, the window runs November 1 to January 15, and HealthCare.gov publishes the exact dates and coverage-start deadlines for each plan year. States that run their own Marketplace can set different dates, so it is worth confirming the window that applies where you live for the current year.

When coverage starts depends on when you pick a plan and pay the first premium: enrolling earlier in the window generally means coverage from the first day of the new year, and enrolling later means a later start.

What you can do during Open Enrollment

  • Enroll for the first timeNo qualifying life event is needed during the window.
  • Renew or change plansIncluding moving to a different metal level or insurer.
  • Update your applicationHousehold and income estimates affect any financial help, so they are worth reviewing each year.
HealthCare.gov puts it plainly: plans and prices change every year, and your situation may have changed too. Reviewing your plan during Open Enrollment, rather than letting it renew unexamined, is how you find out whether it still fits.

If you already have Marketplace coverage

If your coverage is through HealthCare.gov and you take no action during Open Enrollment, HealthCare.gov says it will generally re-enroll you in a plan for the next year so that you avoid a gap in coverage; a state-run Marketplace sets its own renewal process. That keeps you covered; it does not keep everything the same.

  • Premiums can changeHealthCare.gov notes that plan premiums may change, so even if your income has not changed, your premium tax credit can be different.
  • Your plan can changeNetworks, drug lists and cost-sharing are set plan year by plan year.
  • Your estimate can changeFinancial help is based on expected income for the coming year, not past years, so the application is worth updating.

Outside Open Enrollment

Outside the window, you can generally enroll or change plans only with a Special Enrollment Period, opened by a qualifying life event such as losing other coverage, a change in household, or a move. Medicaid and CHIP are different: you can apply for them at any time of year.

How Special Enrollment Periods work

2027 dates on HealthCare.gov

These are the dates for states that use HealthCare.gov. A state that runs its own Marketplace publishes its own.

  • Plan year 2027 · States using HealthCare.gov

    Open Enrollment on HealthCare.gov

    November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027

    States that run their own Marketplace can set different dates. Check your state's Marketplace if it is not HealthCare.gov.

    Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · checked Sep 2026

  • Plan year 2027 · States using HealthCare.gov

    For coverage starting January 1, 2027

    Enroll or change plans by December 15, 2026, and pay the first premium

    Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · checked Sep 2026

  • Plan year 2027 · States using HealthCare.gov

    Enrolling December 16, 2026 to January 15, 2027

    Coverage starts February 1, 2027, once the first premium is paid

    Source: Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services · checked Sep 2026

Common misconceptions

Each of these is repeated often enough to be worth answering directly.

  • Often heard

    If I do nothing, my coverage and costs simply carry over unchanged.

    In practice: You may be re-enrolled automatically, but premiums, plans and any financial help can differ in the new year. Reviewing the renewal is how you find out.

Common questions

What if I miss Open Enrollment?
You may qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you have a qualifying life event, and Medicaid and CHIP accept applications all year. Otherwise, the next chance is the following Open Enrollment.

Sources

  1. 1.Dates and deadlines for health insurance — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (accessed Sep 2026)
  2. 2.Renew, change, update, or cancel your plan — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (accessed Sep 2026)
  3. 3.Getting health coverage outside Open Enrollment — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (accessed Sep 2026)
  4. 4.Special Enrollment Period (glossary) — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (accessed Sep 2026)
  5. 5.Getting Medicaid and CHIP — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (accessed Sep 2026)

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