Wisconsin open enrollment 2027 Open enrollment · Wisconsin

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, 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

Wisconsin's average 2027 rate change is 21.7% (finalized). The details are on the Wisconsin 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.

Wisconsin this year

Wisconsin has the most crowded market Frank works in, where twelve insurers filed, many of them regional plans connected to local hospital groups, and a final 2027 average of about 21.7 percent that outpaced the state reinsurance program. Small-group plans rise about 13.3 percent. Manufacturing contractors in Milwaukee and Kenosha-Racine, skilled trades in Madison and Green Bay, and Northwoods seasonal workers get one of the stronger state rules: insured group plans of any size must offer continuation running 18 months at most for anyone with three or more months of enrollment, never above the full group rate, and you have 30 days from the notice to elect.

State continuation in Wisconsin: Wisconsin requires insured group health plans, regardless of employer size, to offer up to 18 months of continuation after at least three months of coverage, at no more than the full group rate, with 30 days to elect after notice. Self-funded employer plans are outside the Wisconsin law.

One thing to do before you choose

Wisconsin plan lineups change completely between Milwaukee, Madison, Green Bay and the Northwoods, so price HealthCare.gov plans using your exact county. Keep the employer's continuation notice handy; you have 30 days from it to elect. If your old plan was self-funded, the state rule does not apply, and federal COBRA or a new plan becomes the path.

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 Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin. 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 Wisconsin?

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

Does Wisconsin continuation apply if my employer had only six workers?

Yes, as long as the plan was insured. Wisconsin's rule applies whatever the employer's size and allows up to a year and a half after three months of enrollment, never above the full group rate. Self-funded plans fall outside the state law.

Can I get a private plan in Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin

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