Open Enrollment Checklist for 2027 Marketplace Coverage
Open enrollment has hard deadlines and a few expensive traps. Here's a step-by-step checklist for working through it without missing anything.
This checklist applies in the 8 states I'm licensed in: Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Georgia, Indiana, and South Carolina. In 7 of them (Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Arizona, Texas, Indiana, and South Carolina) you enroll through healthcare.gov, and I can help you enroll there or through HealthSherpa. Georgia runs its own marketplace, Georgia Access, and I'm not an agent on it, so you enroll yourself there. I can still walk you through how a marketplace plan works and read a plan summary you send me. I can also look with you at life or supplemental coverage, and at private health plans, where the insurer reviews your health history before it decides.
Open Enrollment for 2027 Coverage
Open enrollment for 2027 marketplace coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on healthcare.gov; Georgia runs its own, Georgia Access, and its dates are in my 2027 guide's Georgia section. The January 15 close is contested, and Key Dates below says why.
After open enrollment ends, you can enroll in or change a marketplace plan only if you qualify for a special enrollment period. Medicaid and CHIP take applications all year. The questions at the end of this page have the details.
My 2027 open enrollment guide has these dates and the appeal in full. For your state, see my state pages.
Checklist Overview
Phase 1: Preparation (Start 30 Days Early)
Preparation Checklist
Review Current Coverage
Analyze what worked and what didn't in your current plan. If your plan is from Cigna and you live in Florida, start with my Florida guide.
Calculate Healthcare Spending
Total your 2026 medical, dental, and prescription costs
List Your Doctors
Create a complete list of all healthcare providers you want to keep
Inventory Prescriptions
Document all medications, dosages, and monthly costs
2026 Healthcare Spending Analysis Worksheet
| Category | Annual Cost | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Premiums paid | $_______ | Monthly × 12 |
| Deductible met | $_______ | Out-of-pocket before insurance |
| Copays/Coinsurance | $_______ | After insurance kicks in |
| Prescriptions | $_______ | Monthly costs × 12 |
| Total 2026 Cost | $_______ | Use for 2027 planning |
Phase 2: Document Gathering
What to Have Ready
- • Social Security numbers for everyone in your household, including people who aren't applying
- • Home and mailing addresses for everyone applying
- • W-2s, pay stubs, or other income records for everyone in your household
- • Employer contact details for everyone in your household who has a job
- • Details of any job-based coverage anyone in your household can get, even if they don't take it
- • Policy numbers for any health coverage you have now (they're on the insurance card)
- • Immigration document information for anyone lawfully present who needs coverage
- • How you'll file your taxes, and who you'll claim as a dependent
Tips
- • Scan documents to digital files
- • Create a dedicated enrollment folder
- • Have backup payment methods ready
- • Double-check all personal information
- • Estimate 2027 household income
Phase 3: Compare Plans
Pro Tip: Don't just compare monthly premiums. I explain how deductibles and out-of-pocket costs work in my deductibles guide.
Plan Comparison Matrix
| Factor | Plan A | Plan B | Plan C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly Premium | $_____ | $_____ | $_____ |
| Annual Deductible | $_____ | $_____ | $_____ |
| Out-of-Pocket Max | $_____ | $_____ | $_____ |
| Primary Care Copay | $_____ | $_____ | $_____ |
| Specialist Copay | $_____ | $_____ | $_____ |
| Prescription Coverage | _____ | _____ | _____ |
| Network Size | _____ | _____ | _____ |
| Estimated Annual Cost | $_____ | $_____ | $_____ |
If you're weighing Aetna, Cigna and UnitedHealthcare, I've written up what actually differs between them, starting with which of them sells marketplace plans in your state.
Phase 4: Enrolling
Key Dates
These are healthcare.gov's dates for 2027 coverage; Georgia runs its own, Georgia Access, and its dates are in my 2027 guide's Georgia section.
- By December 15, 2026: Pick a plan, and it starts January 1, 2027 as long as you pay your first premium.
- By January 15, 2027: Last day of open enrollment for 2027. A plan picked between December 16 and January 15 starts February 1, as long as you pay your first premium. The January 15 close is contested: on June 12, 2026 a federal court threw out the part of a 2025 rule that would have ended enrollment on December 15, and the government has appealed. The dates stand until a court changes them.
- After you enroll: Pay your first premium to your insurance company, when and how it tells you. Your coverage won't start until you do.
The sources for these dates, and for the court order and the appeal, are in Sources at the end of this page.
Step-by-Step Enrollment Process
These are the steps on healthcare.gov; in Georgia, you apply at Georgia Access instead.
Create Healthcare.gov Account
Or log into the one you have. You'll set up security questions and verify your identity.
Complete Application
Enter your household, your expected 2027 income, and any coverage you have now, then submit it.
Review Subsidy Eligibility
Your eligibility results show whether you qualify for a premium tax credit. They also show whether you qualify for extra savings on deductibles and copays, which you get only with a Silver plan.
Compare and Select Plan
Use your comparison matrix to make the final decision.
Complete Enrollment
Enroll in the plan you picked. To check it went through, look under "My Plans & Programs" in your account.
4 Costly Mistakes to Avoid
Choosing Based on Premium Alone
Deductibles, copays, and coinsurance can add a lot to your year, sometimes more than the premium. A Bronze plan pays about 60 percent of covered costs and leaves you about 40 percent, with a deductible that's generally high. A Gold plan pays about 80 percent.
Not Checking Provider Networks
Your doctor might not be in the plan's network. An HMO generally won't cover care outside its network except in an emergency, and neither will an EPO. A PPO lets you go outside it for an additional cost.
Ignoring Prescription Coverage
Each plan has its own list of covered drugs, called a formulary, and drugs on your plan's list usually cost you less. Check every medication you take against each plan.
Getting Your Income Estimate Wrong
The premium tax credit you get during the year is based on the income you estimate. If the marketplace pays more credit on your behalf than your final income supports, you pay back the whole difference on your tax return. From tax year 2026 there's no cap on that repayment, at any income. If your income changes during the year, update your application as soon as you can.
Month-by-Month Timeline
These are healthcare.gov's dates, with their sources in Sources; Georgia runs its own, Georgia Access, and its dates are in my 2027 guide's Georgia section.
Before November 1: Get Ready
Review current coverage, gather documents, research new options
November: Active Enrollment
Open enrollment begins November 1, 2026. Start comparing and enrolling
December: Decision Deadline
Pick a plan by December 15, 2026, and it starts January 1, 2027 as long as you pay your first premium
Closing date
January 15, 2027 is the last day of open enrollment for 2027 coverage. The January 15 close is contested; Key Dates above says why.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I miss the open enrollment deadline?
Outside open enrollment, you can enroll in or change a marketplace plan only if you qualify for a special enrollment period after a life event, like losing other coverage, getting married, having a baby, or moving. Medicaid and CHIP take applications all year. The general rule is 60 days from the event to pick a plan. If you're about to lose qualifying health coverage, like a job-based plan, you can also pick a plan up to 60 days before it ends. If you lost Medicaid or CHIP, you have 90 days after it ended.
Can I change my plan after enrolling?
Yes, until open enrollment ends, on healthcare.gov or, in Georgia, on Georgia Access; the dates are in my 2027 guide. After that, you can change plans only if you qualify for a special enrollment period, for example after moving, getting married, or having a baby.
How do I know if I qualify for subsidies?
The premium tax credit is for household incomes from 100 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Other rules apply too, and when you apply, you'll find out whether you qualify. For 2027 coverage, the poverty line that counts is the 2026 guideline, the one in effect on the first day of open enrollment. For a family of four that's $33,000, so 100 to 400 percent is $33,000 to $132,000. If you're in Florida, I go through where that line falls and what crossing it costs in Florida's 2026 ACA subsidy cliff.
Want Help Working Through This?
You don't have to work through this alone. I'll walk you through the deadlines, check what your current plan actually covers, and show you what the carriers I work with offer against it.
I'm the one who calls, at the time you pick. I don't sell your information or pass it to other agents.
Sources
HealthCare.gov's pages below describe healthcare.gov, the marketplace in 7 of the 8 states I'm licensed in; Georgia runs its own, Georgia Access.
- Which states use healthcare.gov and which run their own marketplace: CMS, States by Marketplace Type (FFM/SBM-FP/SBM) for Plan Year 2027, page last modified September 1, 2026, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- Open enrollment November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 on healthcare.gov: CMS, Statement Regarding City of Columbus v. Kennedy, No. 1:26-cv-02215, July 31, 2026, read October 5, 2026. In effect; the court order that keeps the January 15 close is on appeal.
- December 15 for a January 1 start, December 16 to January 15 for a February 1 start, the first premium, and what happens after open enrollment ends: HealthCare.gov, Dates and deadlines, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- The court order: City of Columbus v. Kennedy, No. 1:25-cv-02114-BAH (D. Md.), order of June 12, 2026 as amended June 16, 2026 (ECF 76), item 3(e), read October 5, 2026. Vacated; on appeal.
- The appeal and the argument date: City of Columbus v. Robert Kennedy, Jr., No. 26-1938 (4th Cir.), the court's Oral Argument Notification, filed August 27, 2026, which sets argument for October 30, 2026 (the copy on Georgetown Law's Health Care Litigation Tracker, read October 5, 2026). Pending appeal; no decision on the tracker's case page, read October 5, 2026.
- Enrolling and changing plans only during open enrollment or a special enrollment period: 45 CFR 155.410(a), eCFR, up to date as of October 1, 2026, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- Paying your first premium: HealthCare.gov, Complete your enrollment & pay your first premium, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- The steps, eligibility results and extra savings on a Silver plan: HealthCare.gov, Getting a Health Insurance Marketplace plan: 4 steps, Creating an account and Health plan categories, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- What to have ready: HealthCare.gov's checklist, Get Ready to Apply for or Re-Enroll in Your Health Insurance Marketplace Coverage (CMS Product No. 11896, September 2025), read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- Total yearly costs and the Bronze and Gold estimates: HealthCare.gov, Your total costs for health care and Health plan categories (the percentages are its estimates), read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- HMOs, EPOs and PPOs: HealthCare.gov, Health insurance plan & network types, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- Drug lists: HealthCare.gov, Getting prescription medications, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- The credit and your income estimate, paying back the difference, and updating your application: HealthCare.gov, Premium tax credit (glossary) and How to estimate your expected income, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- No cap on that repayment from tax year 2026: Public Law 119-21, section 71305, approved July 4, 2025, read October 5, 2026, which applies to "taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025"; 26 U.S.C. 36B(f)(2), uscode.house.gov, "Text contains those laws in effect on September 25, 2026", read September 26, 2026. In effect.
- Special enrollment periods: 45 CFR 155.420(c)(1), (c)(2) and (c)(6), eCFR, up to date as of October 1, 2026, read October 5, 2026; HealthCare.gov, Special Enrollment Periods and Get or change coverage outside of Open Enrollment, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- Changing plans after you enroll: HealthCare.gov, Changing plans after you're enrolled, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- The 100 to 400 percent range: 26 U.S.C. 36B(c)(1)(A), uscode.house.gov, "Text contains those laws in effect on September 25, 2026", read September 26, 2026. In effect.
- The 2026 poverty guidelines: HHS, Annual Update of the HHS Poverty Guidelines, 91 FR 1797, published January 15, 2026, table for the 48 contiguous states and DC, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
- Which year's guideline counts: 26 CFR 1.36B-1(h) and 45 CFR 155.300, eCFR, up to date as of October 1, 2026, read October 5, 2026. In effect.
Zach Bradford
Licensed Florida Insurance Broker (W347851)
Learn more about how I help with health insurance.