Who is applying and who is in the tax household?
Review marriage, divorce, births, adoptions, deaths, dependent status, and custody arrangements.
2027 individual health coverage
Open Enrollment is a deadline. Your plan review should be a process.
Update the household picture, compare the complete cost, verify doctors and prescriptions, and personally confirm the application before 2027 coverage begins.
Federal Marketplace opensNovember 1, 2026
Scheduled final dayDecember 15, 2026
Coverage beginsJanuary 1, 2027
Dates shown for the federal platform must be reverified immediately before the campaign goes live.
Prepare the application
Update the facts before looking at prices.
Marketplace savings and eligibility depend on the coverage-year household and other information—not simply what was true last year.
What do you reasonably expect in 2027?
Consider known changes in employment, self-employment, retirement, and other relevant household income sources.
Is job-based coverage available?
An employer offer can affect eligibility for Marketplace financial assistance even if the employee declines it.
Where will each person live?
Address, county, students away from home, travel, and multiple residences can affect available networks and plans.
Compare the whole plan
A low premium can still be an expensive fit.
Estimate how the plan behaves when care is actually used.
01Net monthly premium
02Deductible
03Copayments
04Coinsurance
05Out-of-pocket maximum
06Doctors and hospitals
07Prescription formulary
08Prior authorization
Network and formulary rule
Never rely only on a familiar carrier name. Verify each physician, facility, prescription, pharmacy, tier, and restriction using current official plan information—and confirm participation with the provider.
Metal levels
Cost-sharing categories—not quality grades.
Availability varies by county and carrier. Cost-sharing reductions, when available, generally require an eligible person to choose a Silver Marketplace plan.
Eligibility and savings
The application determines which financial help is available.
Household, expected annual income, tax filing, employer coverage offers, HRAs, and other coverage can affect Marketplace eligibility and savings.
Premium tax credit
Eligible households may use an advance premium tax credit to reduce the monthly Marketplace premium. The final amount is reconciled on the federal tax return.
Cost-sharing reductions
Eligible applicants receive these extra savings only when they enroll in an eligible Silver Marketplace plan; they can reduce deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, and the out-of-pocket maximum.
Job-based offers and HRAs
An offer of employer coverage or an individual-coverage HRA can affect eligibility for Marketplace savings. Use the official application and employer information rather than guessing.
Direct carrier coverage
Coverage bought outside the Marketplace does not qualify for income-based premium tax credits or Marketplace cost-sharing reductions.
Outside Open Enrollment
A qualifying life event may open a Special Enrollment Period.
Loss of qualifying coverage, marriage, birth or adoption, certain moves, and other changes may create an enrollment opportunity. The Marketplace determines eligibility after the application is updated.
- Record the event and exact date
- Keep loss-of-coverage or other supporting notices
- Apply within the applicable enrollment window
- Review the Marketplace eligibility notice
- Submit requested verification documents promptly
- Select a plan and pay the first premium
- Confirm the coverage is active before relying on it
From review to active coverage
Enrollment is not finished at plan selection.
The application, consumer confirmation, plan selection, first premium, and effectuation all matter.
- 01
Update the application
Use HealthCare.gov or an approved enrollment pathway and provide accurate current information.
- 02
Review eligibility
Understand Marketplace findings, savings, documentation requests, and deadlines.
- 03
Compare available plans
Use providers, prescriptions, expected care, total costs, and preferences.
- 04
Personally verify accuracy
Review application answers and attestations before submission.
- 05
Select the plan
Complete selection through the approved pathway.
- 06
Pay the first premium
Coverage generally must be effectuated with the carrier.
- 07
Confirm the plan
Create the member account, check identification cards, and verify providers and prescriptions again.
- 08
Report changes
Update the Marketplace when relevant household, income, address, or coverage facts change.
Questions before you renew
Automatic reenrollment deserves an active review.
What if I miss Open Enrollment?+
You generally need a qualifying Special Enrollment Period to enroll outside the annual window. Medicaid and MIChild have separate year-round application pathways for eligible people.
Do pre-existing conditions affect ACA eligibility?+
ACA-compliant individual coverage cannot deny coverage or charge more because of a pre-existing condition.
What if my income changes?+
Marketplace financial assistance is tied to expected annual household income and other eligibility factors. Report relevant changes and reconcile advance credits when filing taxes.
What if my doctor accepts the carrier?+
That does not guarantee participation in every plan or network. Confirm the exact plan.
What happens after I select a plan?+
Complete any documentation, pay the first premium, verify that coverage is active, and retain confirmation records.
Request a review
Request an ACA Open Enrollment review.
Share only basic contact information and the general reason for your review. Household, income, immigration, tax, and enrollment details belong in the approved Marketplace workflow—not this public form.
Submit only basic contact and scheduling information. Do not include Social Security numbers, Medicare or Medicaid identifiers, medical details, policy numbers, payment information, or documents.