Louisiana open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Louisiana

Louisiana 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 Louisiana, 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

Louisiana's average 2027 rate change is 18.1% (finalized). The details are on the Louisiana 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.

Louisiana this year

Louisiana's approved average for 2027 is 18.1 percent, above the national figure, with small-employer coverage up about 11.9 percent and no state reinsurance or premium subsidy to soften either. Offshore and oil and gas contractors, petrochemical consultants along the river and New Orleans hospitality workers often move between jobs. For anyone COBRA does not reach, Louisiana group plans have to provide continuation lasting up to a year once someone has three straight months of coverage. You have until the last day of the month following the month coverage would have stopped to send the written election and first payment.

State continuation in Louisiana: Louisiana requires group plans to offer up to 12 months of continuation to employees who are not eligible for federal COBRA, after three consecutive months of coverage, at no more than the full group rate, with the written election and first payment due by the end of the month after the month coverage would have ended.

One thing to do before you choose

Find the month your Louisiana group coverage would have ended and circle the last day of the following month; that is your state continuation deadline. Before then, price a Marketplace option for your parish using expected 2027 income, counting any final pay that lands in the new year. If one option clearly costs less and covers your doctors in Baton Rouge or Lafayette, you can let the other go.

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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana. 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 Louisiana?

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 offshore contract ended, and the company has 200 employees. Does Louisiana continuation apply?

Likely not. Louisiana's 12-month rule is for people who cannot get federal COBRA, which generally applies once an employer has 20 or more workers. A company that size would usually offer COBRA, normally up to 18 months. You can also skip it and use the 60-day special enrollment window on HealthCare.gov.

Can I get a private plan in Louisiana 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 Louisiana

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 Louisiana and 30 other states, NPN 21032307. Last updated November 3, 2026.