ACA open enrollment for 2027: what should you check before you renew?
Open enrollment on HealthCare.gov for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Insurers asked for a median 15% premium increase, so it pays to check the numbers before letting a plan renew on its own.
By The Savvy Rabbits Staff ·
✓Checked twice. Fact-checked against the original sources and approved by an editor. About our standards
Open enrollment for 2027 health coverage on HealthCare.gov runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, according to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). Insurers have asked for a median premium increase of 15% for 2027, a second year of double-digit increases, according to KFF. Anyone planning to let last year's plan renew automatically has good reason to check the new numbers first.
When is open enrollment, and which deadline matters?
In a July 31, 2026 statement, CMS said open enrollment on the federal exchange will begin on November 1, 2026 and end on January 15, 2027 (CMS).
Within that window, the earlier date matters most. HealthCare.gov says December 15 is the last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage that starts January 1. Plans chosen from December 16 through January 15 start February 1 (HealthCare.gov).
These are the dates for HealthCare.gov. People in states that run their own marketplace website should check that site's deadlines.
How much are premiums going up?
KFF reviewed proposed 2027 rates from 276 insurers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. In an analysis updated August 3, 2026, it found a median proposed increase of 15%. That is the second-highest requested change since 2018, after last year's median finalized increase of 20% (KFF).
KFF says rising health care prices are the main driver. Insurers also pointed to the end of the enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025, which they expect to leave a sicker mix of people buying coverage (KFF).
These were proposed rates. Final prices vary by state, insurer and plan, and the price that matters to a household is the one shown after any tax credit.
What changed with the subsidies?
The tax credit that lowers monthly premiums still exists, but it is smaller and narrower than it was from 2021 through 2025.
There is an income cutoff again. The IRS's 2027 table only covers household incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty line (IRS, Rev. Proc. 2026-26). HealthCare.gov says the previous year's figures are used to calculate savings for the next year's plans, and lists the 2026 poverty guidelines as $15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two and $33,000 for a family of four (HealthCare.gov). Those are the HHS figures for the 48 contiguous states and the District of Columbia. Multiplying them by four, 400% works out to $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for four; these dollar amounts are our calculation, not figures published by HHS or HealthCare.gov. Alaska and Hawaii have higher guidelines (HHS).
Expected contributions are set by income. For 2027, the IRS table asks households to pay from 2.15% of income at the lowest band up to 10.22% at 300% to 400% of poverty, toward the benchmark plan (IRS, Rev. Proc. 2026-26).
Underestimating income costs more. Starting with tax year 2026, the caps on paying back excess advance tax credits are gone. If actual income comes in higher than the estimate, the full difference is owed at tax time, though people whose income ends up below 100% of poverty still do not have to repay (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities).
Some immigrants lose eligibility. Starting January 1, 2027, only U.S. citizens, lawful permanent residents, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants qualify for the credit. Other lawfully present groups, including refugees and people granted asylum, can still buy marketplace coverage but at full price (Center on Budget and Policy Priorities).
Several other rule changes planned for 2027, including wider catastrophic-plan eligibility and higher out-of-pocket limits for bronze plans, will not take effect as finalized after a federal court in Maryland stayed them on July 16, 2026, CMS said (CMS). CMS said the stay applies while the litigation remains pending.
What happens if you do nothing?
HealthCare.gov says people with marketplace coverage in December who take no action by December 15 may be re-enrolled automatically, either in the same plan or a different plan from the same insurer. If the insurer is not offering plans next year, HealthCare.gov will re-enroll the person with a different company. It also warns that premiums change, so the tax credit can change even when income does not (HealthCare.gov).
What should you check before auto-renewing?
Premium after the tax credit. Compare the new monthly amount with what is being paid now, not the sticker price.
Deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. A lower premium can come with a higher deductible. Check both.
Doctors and hospitals. Confirm each regular doctor, clinic and preferred hospital is in the 2027 network, not just the 2026 one.
Prescriptions. Look up each medication in the plan's 2027 drug list and note its cost tier.
Income and household. Update the expected 2027 income and any changes in household size. HealthCare.gov says an outdated estimate can mean too much or too little help, with any extra paid back at tax time (HealthCare.gov).
The insurer itself. Confirm the current company is still offering a plan in the area.
What about Medicare and job-based coverage?
Medicare is a separate program with its own window. CMS says Medicare open enrollment runs October 15 to December 7, 2026. In a September 28, 2026 release, it projected the average monthly premium for stand-alone Part D drug plans would rise from $35.09 in 2026 to $36 in 2027 (CMS).
Employer plans set their own enrollment windows, so the dates come from the employer's benefits or HR office.
What is a sensible next step?
Before December 15, log in, update the 2027 income estimate, and write down three numbers for the current plan and one alternative: the monthly premium after the credit, the deductible, and the out-of-pocket maximum.
This article is for general information only and is not financial, tax, or legal advice. Consider speaking with a qualified professional about your own situation.
Sources
KFF, "How Much and Why ACA Marketplace Premiums Are Going Up in 2027" (updated August 3, 2026): https://www.kff.org/affordable-care-act/how-much-and-why-aca-marketplace-premiums-are-going-up-in-2027/
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, "Statement Regarding the City of Columbus v. Kennedy" (July 31, 2026): https://www.cms.gov/files/document/statement-re-city-columbus-073126.pdf
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, "Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug Programs Expected to Remain Stable in 2027" (September 28, 2026): https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/press-releases/medicare-advantage-medicare-prescription-drug-programs-expected-remain-stable-2027
HealthCare.gov, "Dates and deadlines": https://www.healthcare.gov/quick-guide/dates-and-deadlines/
HealthCare.gov, "Keep or change your plan": https://www.healthcare.gov/keep-or-change-plan/
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ASPE), "Poverty Guidelines": https://aspe.hhs.gov/topics/poverty-economic-mobility/poverty-guidelines
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, Health Reform: Beyond the Basics, "Changes Coming to ACA Marketplace Policies" (January 2026): https://www.healthreformbeyondthebasics.org/faq-changes-coming-to-aca-marketplace-policies-2/
Our take
This take is opinion, not professional advice.
The Savvy Rabbits Staff
Our editors' take
The most useful number in this article is not the 15%. It is the 400% line. A median increase describes insurers, not households. If your income sits under that line, the tax credit is built to cap your share of the benchmark plan at a set percentage of income, so a rising sticker price is partly absorbed. Above the line, nothing absorbs it. That is why two neighbors on the same plan can open very different renewal letters. The second point people underrate is the income estimate. With the repayment caps gone starting in tax year 2026, an estimate that turns out too low gets settled in full at tax time. A raise, a side job, a spouse going back to work: put it in the application now, while it only changes a monthly bill.
