Montana open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Montana

Montana Open Enrollment 2027 for Small Business Owners

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

Short answer

For small business owners 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. Your own coverage can also come from a private, medically underwritten plan, which does not wait for the window: if approved, it can start the first of any month.

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.

Group plans can renew at any point in the year, so open enrollment matters to owners for two reasons: an individual coverage HRA, or ICHRA, reimburses employees for individual plans they choose, and most of that shopping happens in this window; and an owner covering only the household buys in the individual market too. For your own household, the 2027 subsidy line is $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for four.

Montana this year

Montana gives small employers little relief on either side for 2027. Approved individual rates are climbing about 22.6 to 23.3 percent, and group renewals for small firms are averaging about 18 percent. Just two insurers sell individual coverage, so in many counties an employee in an ICHRA would choose between two networks. Long drives to hospitals in Billings, Missoula, Bozeman and Great Falls make network reach a practical issue, not a detail. Outfitters with a short season, Bozeman and Flathead construction crews, Bakken oil service companies and ranch operations all feel the squeeze, and a group plan rising almost as fast as individual coverage narrows the advantage of either path.

Small-group plans in Montana average about 18% for 2027, against 22.6% to 23.3% for individual plans, so put this year's group renewal next to an ICHRA quote before you sign it.

One thing to do before you choose

With only two individual insurers, check each network against the hospital your employees would actually drive to, whether in Kalispell, Great Falls or Billings. Then compare that to your group renewal line by line, including what happens for staff who live far from town. HealthCare.gov handles Montana enrollment through January 15, 2027, so set aside time before mid-December if you want January coverage.

Your checklist

Your 2027 group renewal letter and its effective date
How many employees you have and where they live
A fixed monthly ICHRA budget you could offer
Your own household's coverage, priced separately

Private plan or Marketplace?

Private plan

For the owner's own household when everyone is healthy: priced on age, ZIP code and health. Approval depends on health answers; not an ACA Marketplace plan.

Marketplace

For employees on an ICHRA, or an owner with ongoing care: HealthCare.gov accepts everyone 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.

If an employee's hours drop at my Montana business, do they lose the group coverage?

Possibly. Montana has no general continuation law for people who leave a small employer, but a worker whose hours fall below the plan's minimum can keep group coverage for up to one year, with the employer's consent and at the group rate. That can help seasonal operations.

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.