Open Enrollment

The annual window to enroll

Open enrollment is the period each year when you can buy an ACA-compliant individual plan or switch to a different one, no questions asked. Outside this window, you need a qualifying life event to enroll.

For 2027 coverage on HealthCare.gov, which serves Florida and many other states:

• Starts: November 1, 2026.
• Deadline for January 1 coverage: December 15, 2026.
• Ends: January 15, 2027. Enroll between December 16 and January 15 and your coverage starts February 1.

States that run their own exchanges may set different dates, so check your state if you live outside Florida.

Why renewing automatically can cost you

If you do nothing, the Marketplace may renew you into the same or a similar plan. That sounds convenient, but:

• Your premium may have changed.
• Your subsidy may have shifted because the benchmark silver plan changed.
• Your network may have dropped your doctor or hospital.
• Your formulary may have moved a medication to a higher tier.
• For 2027, the federal out-of-pocket maximum rose to $12,000 self-only and $24,000 family, and many plans adjusted their caps.

Example

The Patel family, two parents and two kids with a self-employed dad, were on a silver plan in 2026. In November, Frank reviews their renewal:

• Their premium increased and their projected 2027 income is now just above the subsidy line of $132,000 for a family of four, so their credit would drop to zero.
• Their pediatrician is leaving the plan's network.

They compare a full-price Marketplace plan with a private PPO plan that includes their pediatrician, pick the better fit, and submit everything by December 15 so coverage starts January 1.

What to review each open enrollment

• Updated household income estimate for next year.
• Doctors, hospitals and pharmacies in each plan's network.
• Prescription tiers on each formulary.
• Deductible, out-of-pocket maximum and copay changes.
• Whether an HSA-eligible bronze or catastrophic plan makes sense.

Marketplace vs private plans

Open enrollment dates apply to ACA-compliant plans, on and off the exchange. Many private underwritten plans accept applications year-round, so open enrollment is less of a deadline for them. Still, it is the best time to compare everything at once, because it is the only time ACA options are open without a qualifying event.

Changes for 2027

The monthly special enrollment period for incomes under 150% of the federal poverty level is gone for 2027. That makes open enrollment more important for everyone.

Read our full 2027 open enrollment guide and open enrollment help in Tampa. To get your renewal reviewed before December 15, request a quote.