Alabama open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Alabama

Alabama Open Enrollment 2027 for People Between Jobs

Last updated November 3, 2026 · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker

Short answer

For people between jobs in Alabama, open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov, and December 15 is the date to choose by for a January 1 start. If you are healthy, a private, medically underwritten plan is another route that ignores the calendar: if approved, it can start the first of any month, right after your job coverage ends.

What 2027 looks like for you

Alabama's average 2027 rate change is 20.7% to 25% (finalized). The details are on the Alabama 2027 premium increase page.

Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day special enrollment period, and open enrollment runs at the same time this fall, so most people between jobs have two doors open at once. Federal COBRA, where it applies, lasts up to 18 months at up to 102% of the full premium. Any Marketplace subsidy depends on your 2027 household income, with the line at $63,840 for one person and $86,560 for two.

Alabama this year

Losing a job in Alabama this fall means shopping in a market where 2027 individual premiums rose roughly 21 to 25 percent and only four insurers filed plans. Alabama gives no general state continuation right to people who leave a small shop, so a worker at a business under 20 employees usually goes straight to a HealthCare.gov plan or a private one. Larger employers in Birmingham, Huntsville and Mobile still owe federal COBRA, which can last 18 months and cost as much as 102 percent of the full premium. Aerospace and defense consultants in Huntsville who work contract to contract often face this choice more than once.

State continuation in Alabama: Alabama has no general state continuation law for employees of small employers; only a narrow rule protects certain abuse victims. Leaving a small shop usually means a Marketplace special enrollment period or a private plan rather than continued group coverage.

One thing to do before you choose

If your Alabama job ended in the last few weeks, write down the exact date your group coverage stopped. Sixty days from that date is your special enrollment deadline, and it overlaps open enrollment, which runs through January 15. Estimate 2027 income honestly, because one adult earning under $63,840 may be eligible for a subsidy. Then hold that net price up against your COBRA notice before you elect anything.

Your checklist

The exact date your job coverage ends, in writing
Your COBRA notice and its election deadline
Severance and final pay in your 2027 income estimate
A private quote while COBRA is still in reserve

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

Healthy and between roles: priced on age, ZIP code and health, with COBRA kept in reserve. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

Ongoing treatment, or a year of lower income: HealthCare.gov must accept you within the 60-day window or during open enrollment.

Compare Alabama plans this open enrollment

Private plans priced first, the Marketplace alongside when it fits. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee.

Get a quote Book a call (786) 218-2384

About your broker

Frank Caballero (NPN 21032307), licensed in 31 states including Alabama. Phone or video, English or Spanish, no fee; independent, not HealthCare.gov or any government agency.

Questions

When is the 2027 open enrollment deadline in Alabama?

January 15, 2027 on HealthCare.gov. Choose by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1; plans picked after that start February 1.

My Alabama employer had only 12 workers. Can I keep the group plan after I leave?

Usually not. Federal COBRA reaches employers with 20 or more employees, and Alabama offers no broad state continuation law for smaller ones; a narrow rule protects only certain abuse victims. Most people leaving a small Alabama business sign up for a Marketplace plan during a special enrollment period, or they look at private coverage, where approval depends on health answers.

Can I get a private plan in Alabama after open enrollment closes?

Yes. You can apply in any month and, if approved, a private plan can start the first of a month; the insurer can decline based on health answers.

More for Alabama

Official sources: HealthCare.gov, the federal Marketplace; HealthCare.gov: special enrollment periods. FC Insurance Solutions is an independent, licensed brokerage and is not affiliated with any government agency.

Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker in Alabama and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.