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Open enrollment for 2027 coverage is the one window each year when anyone can buy a marketplace plan or change the one they have. Miss it and you wait a year. Here are the dates that matter and what actually happens if you let them pass.
The 2027 deadlines
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Open enrollment starts; 2027 plans become visible |
| December 15, 2026 | Deadline to enroll for coverage starting January 1 |
| January 15, 2027 | Open enrollment ends on the federal marketplace |
| February 1, 2027 | Coverage starts if you enrolled December 16 to January 15 |
Those are the federal marketplace dates on HealthCare.gov. State-run exchanges set their own windows, and some stretch into late January, so check your state’s exchange if you do not use the federal site. Employer plans run their own enrollment periods, usually a couple of weeks in November or early December, announced by your employer.
Why December 15 is the real deadline
You can technically enroll until January 15 on the federal marketplace, but coverage does not start until February 1 if you enroll after December 15. That leaves January uncovered or stuck on your old plan. December 15 is the date that gets you continuous coverage starting New Year’s Day. Treat it as the deadline and the rest as a grace period.
What happens if you do nothing
Most enrollees get automatically re-enrolled in the same plan or the closest equivalent. That sounds safe, but three things reset every January whether you act or not: what the plan costs, which drugs it covers and at what tier, and which doctors are in network. A prescription that was cheap this year can move tiers or come off the list entirely.
This year there is a fourth risk. Tighter verification rules mean your premium tax credit may not follow you automatically through renewal. A plan that quietly renews can renew without the financial help attached, and the first sign is a January bill that looks nothing like December’s. Log in and confirm your income, household, and credit before the window closes.
What happens if you miss the window
After January 15, the marketplace is closed until next fall unless you qualify for a special enrollment period. Qualifying events include losing job-based coverage, moving to a new area, getting married, having a baby, or aging off a parent’s plan. You generally get 60 days from the event to enroll. Without one, your options are limited to plans sold outside the marketplace, short-term coverage, or going uninsured until next year.
Medicaid and CHIP are the exceptions: they enroll year-round with no window. If your income qualifies, you do not need open enrollment at all.
The 10-minute check worth doing
Before December 15, log in to your marketplace account and verify four things: your plan is still offered and the price is what you expect, your doctors are still in network, your prescriptions are still covered at the same tier, and your tax credit carried over correctly. That check catches nearly every expensive surprise. For the full annual review routine, see our open enrollment checklist, and the mistakes that cost people money covers what goes wrong when they skip it.
