Montana open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Montana

Montana 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 Montana, 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

Montana's average 2027 rate change is 22.6% to 23.3% (finalized). The details are on the Montana 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.

Montana this year

Montana individual premiums go up roughly 23 percent in 2027, a final figure, and only two insurers file individual plans, so in many counties the choice comes down to two networks. Small-group plans rise about 18 percent. If an outfitting season ends, a Bakken oil contract wraps, or a Bozeman construction job dries up, Montana offers little state help: there is no general continuation law for workers exiting a small employer. The only rule lets a worker whose hours fall below the plan's minimum keep group coverage up to a year, with the employer's consent, at the group rate.

State continuation in Montana: Montana has no general continuation law for people who leave a small employer; its law only lets a worker whose hours drop below the plan's minimum keep group coverage for up to one year, with the employer's consent and at the group rate.

One thing to do before you choose

If your hours were cut rather than your job ended, ask your Montana employer in writing whether it will consent to continuing your group coverage for up to a year. If the job is gone, enroll through HealthCare.gov within 60 days after coverage ends, and get it done by December 15 if you want January 1. Healthy guides and ranch hands can also request a private quote.

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 Montana 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 Montana. 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 Montana?

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

Montana has only two insurers. Does a layoff change which plans I can choose?

No. Your HealthCare.gov choices come from the same two insurers either way, often with different networks by county; the special enrollment period after a job loss only changes when you can sign up. A private plan, priced on age, ZIP code and health, is another path, though it is not ACA Marketplace coverage.

Can I get a private plan in Montana 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 Montana

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