Ohio open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Ohio

Ohio 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 Ohio, 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

Ohio's average 2027 rate change is 16.3% (finalized). The details are on the Ohio 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.

Ohio this year

Ohio small employers face one of the largest group increases on my list for 2027: about 22 percent on average, compared with a finalized individual increase near 16.3 percent. The Ohio Marketplace on HealthCare.gov is large and competitive, especially in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati, which gives ICHRA participants a deep set of choices. For a Toledo manufacturing shop, an Akron trades contractor, an I-75 trucking company or a farm business in the western counties, that roughly six-point gap is the reason to price an ICHRA before signing the group renewal. Smaller towns may still see fewer individual options.

Small-group plans in Ohio average about 22% for 2027, against 16.3% 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

Request your group renewal early and build an ICHRA comparison from actual HealthCare.gov prices matched to each employee's age and county. If you or your staff winter in Florida, check that individual plan networks work in both states; I am licensed in Ohio as well as Florida. Ohio employees who settle on a plan by December 15 can begin coverage January 1.

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 Ohio 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 Ohio. 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 Ohio?

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 I let an employee go at my Ohio business, can they keep our group plan?

Ohio insured group plans must extend coverage for 12 months to employees who lose it through involuntary termination, after three months of continuous coverage. The cost is no more than the group rate. The Ohio rule is written for involuntary terminations rather than every departure.

Can I get a private plan in Ohio 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 Ohio

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