Tennessee open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Tennessee

Tennessee 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 Tennessee, 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

Tennessee's average 2027 rate change is 12.7% to 15.6% (finalized). One insurer is leaving Tennessee's individual market, so some renewals arrive as a plan you did not pick. The details are on the Tennessee 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.

Tennessee this year

Tennessee's 2027 increase is finalized, though the trackers' estimates range from about 13 to 16 percent, and one of six insurers is leaving. Small-group plans rise about 14.7 percent. The state's continuation rule changed twice recently: Tennessee scrapped its old law in 2025, then brought back a shorter version in 2026, so insured group plans now offer the balance of the month plus three more to anyone covered three months, with the enrollee paying the full group premium. For session musicians and touring crews in Nashville, logistics contractors around Memphis, and healthcare consultants, three months goes quickly.

State continuation in Tennessee: Tennessee repealed its old continuation law in 2025, then restored a shorter one in 2026: insured group plans must let you continue for the rest of the month plus three months, after three months of coverage, at the full group premium. Three months is brief, so most people leaving a small Tennessee shop also compare a Marketplace or private plan right away.

One thing to do before you choose

If you are leaving a small Tennessee employer, line up a replacement before the three months of state continuation run out. Choose an individual plan during this open enrollment and time its start so there is no gap. Musicians and crew members whose 2027 bookings are uncertain should use a careful income estimate and update it as tours are confirmed.

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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee. 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 Tennessee?

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

Tennessee brought back continuation in 2026. Does it help if I left my job in October?

If you had a quarter of a year under an insured group policy, Tennessee's restored rule lets you continue through the end of that month plus three more, paying the whole group premium. That carries an October departure into early 2027, so choose the next plan during this open enrollment.

Can I get a private plan in Tennessee 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 Tennessee

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