Open Enrollment 2027: Covered California and HealthCare.gov Guide

Health Guide · Insurance

Open enrollment 2027: pick a plan before the deadline

Dates, income limits, price changes and the official links to sign up or renew.

13%average rise in benchmark premiums for 2027 (KFF)

$63,840single-person income where federal help ends (400% FPL)

1.7MCalifornians enrolled in Covered California (Oct. 2026)

Open enrollment 2027 is underway: from Nov. 1, 2026, Americans who buy their own health insurance can sign up, renew or switch plans for next year, on HealthCare.gov until Jan. 15, 2027, and on Covered California until Jan. 31, 2027.

This is the window that matters for self-employed people, small business owners without a group plan, early retirees, gig workers and anyone whose job does not offer coverage. Miss it, and you can only enroll later if you have a qualifying life event, such as losing other coverage, moving, marriage or a new baby.

This year the stakes are higher than usual. The enhanced premium tax credits that lowered premiums from 2021 through 2025 expired at the end of 2025, and Congress had not renewed them as of KFF’s Oct. 30, 2026 review. Full-price premiums are rising again for 2027. The good news: most people who qualify for financial help can still find low-cost plans, and California is adding its own money.

Open enrollment 2027 dates and deadlines

Deadlines depend on where you live. Most states use HealthCare.gov; California, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and a number of other states run their own marketplaces with their own dates. The dates below come from HealthCare.gov and Covered California on Nov. 4, 2026.

One more date to know: if you already have a marketplace plan and do nothing, you will usually be renewed into the same or a similar plan. That sounds convenient, but your premium, your tax credit and even your insurer can change. Log in, update your expected 2027 income and compare before the deadline.

Income limits: who gets help paying premiums

Financial help is tied to the federal poverty level (FPL). For 2027 coverage, the marketplaces use the 2026 HHS poverty guidelines: $15,960 for one person, plus $5,680 for each additional person in the 48 contiguous states and Washington, D.C. (Alaska and Hawaii are higher).

Here is what the lines mean in practice:

• Below about 138% FPL: in states that expanded Medicaid, including California (Medi-Cal), most adults qualify for Medicaid instead of a marketplace plan. You can apply any time of year.
• 138% to 400% FPL: you can get a premium tax credit that lowers your monthly bill. Below 250% FPL, a silver plan can also come with extra savings on deductibles and copays.
• Above 400% FPL: with the enhanced credits gone, federal help stops. KFF notes that people above this line now pay the full cost of coverage, except in a few states that add their own help.
• Under the new rules, the repayment caps are gone. Starting with the 2026 tax year, there is no longer a limit on how much excess tax credit you must pay back if your income ends up higher than you estimated. The first tax returns under this rule are filed in early 2027.

What is changing for 2027

Higher full-price premiums

Insurers asked for a median increase of 15% for 2027, according to the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker’s review of 276 insurers in all 50 states and D.C. After review, KFF found the average benchmark silver premium rising 13%, the second double-digit increase in a row.

Because tax credits are tied to the benchmark plan, credits rise when premiums rise, which shields many people who qualify. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) says more than 75% of HealthCare.gov shoppers will still have access to a plan at $50 a month or less in 2027, and that the average shopper can choose from about 100 plans and five to six insurers.

Tighter rules on who qualifies

• Lawfully present immigrants: starting in 2027, premium tax credits are limited to lawful permanent residents (green card holders), certain Cuban and Haitian entrants and Compact of Free Association residents. KFF reports that refugees, asylees and trafficking victims can still buy coverage but lose eligibility for the credit.
• Medicaid work requirements: from 2027, KFF notes that people denied Medicaid only for not meeting the new work requirements cannot get a premium tax credit instead.
• Special enrollment: outside open enrollment, you need a qualifying life event, and insurers cite stricter verification of those events.
• Some relief: for 2027 plans, KFF reports that failing to reconcile past tax credits on your tax return will not, by itself, cost you your 2027 subsidy. Several provisions of the 2027 federal rules are on hold in court, including a rule that would have shortened open enrollment.

Fewer insurers in some areas

As of Oct. 29, 2026, KFF counted 11 insurers leaving at least one state for 2027 and seven entering a new state. Cigna is leaving the individual market in all 11 states where it sold plans. If your insurer is leaving, you will need to pick a new plan to stay covered.

Covered California: what is different for 2027

California runs its own marketplace, Covered California, with more than 1.7 million people enrolled as of Oct. 30, 2026. It offers a longer window, through Jan. 31, 2027, and state-funded help on top of the federal tax credit.

• Who gets the state subsidy: Californians with incomes up to 200% FPL in 2027, which Covered California lists as $31,920 for one person or $66,000 for a family of four.
• $0 plans: nearly 200,000 enrollees can choose from two silver plans with a $0 premium.
• Prices: Covered California’s preliminary 2027 rates rose a weighted average of 9.9% (announced July 21, 2026), below the 14% national median cited at the time. Changes ranged from 8.0% to 14.9% by region and 5.6% to 20.4% by insurer.
• What enrollees pay: Covered California says 55% of enrollees will see no increase in their monthly premium for 2027, and more than 330,000 will pay less each month.
• Insurer change: Molina Healthcare will not offer plans in northeast Los Angeles County or Orange County in 2027, so its members there must choose a new plan.
• Cost of the federal change: Covered California estimates the end of the enhanced federal credits costs Californians nearly $2.5 billion a year.

Where to sign up or renew: official links

Use only the official marketplace sites below, or a certified enroller listed on them. Help from these sources is free. KFF also warns that brokers may not promise that you will “always qualify” for a $0 plan; be wary of anyone who does.

In California, one application covers both Covered California and Medi-Cal, and the state lists 16,000 certified enrollers who help at no cost.

Tips for self-employed people and small business owners

• Estimate income carefully. Business income swings; use your best projection of 2027 net income and update it during the year if it changes. Our quarterly estimated taxes guide walks through a projection.
• Know the deduction. Self-employed people may be able to deduct health insurance premiums they pay; the IRS uses Form 7206 for the self-employed health insurance deduction. Ask your tax professional how it works with the premium tax credit.
• Side income counts. Income from a side business adds to household income for subsidy purposes; see our side hustle taxes guide.
• Check your state’s extra help. KFF reports that California, New Mexico, New Jersey, Rhode Island and Virginia offer or are adding state help for 2027.

Common mistakes

• Letting the plan renew without looking. Your premium, credit and network can change even if your plan name does not.
• Using last year’s income. The credit is based on expected 2027 income.
• Missing the Jan. 1 deadline. Dec. 15 on HealthCare.gov and Dec. 31 in California.
• Picking on premium alone. A low premium can come with a high deductible.
• Trusting unofficial sites or callers. Start from HealthCare.gov or your state’s official marketplace.

Key terms

• Open enrollment: the yearly window to buy, renew or change a marketplace plan.
• Premium tax credit: federal help that lowers your monthly premium, based on income.
• Federal poverty level (FPL): the HHS income guideline used to set eligibility for help.
• Benchmark plan: the second-lowest-cost silver plan in your area, used to calculate your credit.
• Special Enrollment Period: a chance to enroll outside open enrollment after a qualifying life event.

The bottom line: open enrollment 2027 rewards people who act early and update their numbers. Log in by Dec. 15 on HealthCare.gov or Dec. 31 in California, enter your expected 2027 income, compare at least three plans and use free certified help if anything is unclear. Health coverage is part of the foundation of every small business, because the business only runs when its owner and its people are well.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• HealthCare.gov: When can you get health insurance? Dates and deadlines (viewed Nov. 4, 2026)
• Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Plan Year 2027 Marketplace Plans and Prices Fact Sheet (Oct. 30, 2026)
• Covered California: Open Enrollment 2027 release (Oct. 30, 2026)
• Covered California: Rates and Plans for 2027 (July 21, 2026)
• Covered California: Open enrollment, dates and how to enroll
• KFF: 9 Things to Watch for the 2027 ACA Open Enrollment Period (Oct. 30, 2026)
• Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker: How much and why ACA Marketplace premiums are going up in 2027 (July 8, 2026, updated Aug. 3, 2026)
• U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (ASPE): 2026 Poverty Guidelines
• IRS: About Form 7206, Self-Employed Health Insurance Deduction