Open Enrollment: What to Know About Getting Marketplace Health Insurance for 2026 

Experts say there is still time for lawmakers to extend them, but “the clock is really ticking down,” says Liz Fowler, a distinguished scholar in the department of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

A KFF poll finds that three-quarters (78 percent) of adults want Congress to extend the enhanced tax credits for ACA insurance plans. The same poll found that 7 in 10 adults who buy their own health insurance say that if their monthly premiums nearly doubled, they could not pay the higher premiums without a significant financial disruption.

If the tax credits expire, the Congressional Budget Office said in September that about 4 million people will lose coverage and become uninsured. The Urban Institute estimates that closer to 5 million people will lose health coverage if the enhanced premium tax credits expire.

“For a lot of people, [higher premiums] are just out of reach, and they’ll end up dropping coverage,” Fowler says. Oftentimes, the people who drop tend to be younger and healthier, which then “affects the viability of the risk pool in the long term,” Fowler adds, and could result in even higher premiums in the future. 

Getting help with enrollment could be more challenging

Another change people enrolling in or shopping for ACA insurance might notice this year is a shortage of people who can help field enrollment questions.

Trained navigators, who provide unbiased assistance and help consumers search for health coverage options in the marketplace, have faced significant federal budget cuts this year. Layoffs have also affected government employees who assist with resolving coverage issues.

“So, at least in the states where the federal government runs the marketplace, which is a little over half the states, there will be dramatically fewer people on the ground to provide that free, impartial help,” Corlette says.

There are some changes in eligibility requirements 

Some people who were previously eligible for ACA coverage may no longer be eligible in 2026, due to new rules.

As of Aug. 25, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipients are no longer eligible for marketplace coverage. And lawfully present immigrants with incomes under the poverty line who are not eligible for Medicaid because they are in the five-year waiting period are no longer eligible for premium tax credits through the marketplaces, like they were in previous years. An estimated 300,000 people are expected to lose coverage as a result of this change.

What’s more, the special enrollment period that allowed low-income individuals to sign up for health coverage outside of the standard open enrollment window based on their income has been eliminated. However, there is still a special enrollment period if you’ve experienced certain life events, such as a divorce or a move.

Picking a plan

If you already have an ACA plan, open enrollment is the time to make sure your coverage still works for your budget and your health needs.

“Make sure you’re looking at all options,” Fowler says, and if you have questions, contact a navigator, whose assistance is available free of charge.

Keep in mind that lower-tier plans, which offer lower monthly premiums, often have higher deductibles. If you go with an option such as this, McGough says you’ll just want to make sure you have enough savings on hand to pay for any care you receive before you reach your deductible.

You’ll also want to check to make sure your health care providers are in your plan’s network, and that the medications you take are covered under your plan.

Another tip: “See if there’s any state-based assistance that may be available” to help with premium costs, Fowler says.

“The other advice I would have is more a note of caution,” Corlette says. “Outside of the marketplace, outside of healthcare.gov, there are brokers and agents that will sometimes try to sell people insurance products that are cheaper [than a marketplace plan], but they are actually a pretty bad deal, particularly for somebody who’s older, who might have pre-existing conditions, might need more health care.”

If you do work with a broker, which is different from a navigator, Corlette says, “go with a broker who lives in your community who has to look you in the eye if you bump into them at the grocery store, because there’s a ton of online brokers now.” And using one, she explains, could increase the risk that you’ll end up with an unhelpful insurance product.

Bear in mind that brokers can be paid a commission by health insurance providers.

Finally, given that it’s still possible for lawmakers to extend the enhanced premium tax credits before they expire, it might make sense to wait a little while to see what happens before selecting or changing plans, Corlette says.

Just don’t wait too long: The deadline to enroll is Dec. 15 if you want your coverage to start on Jan. 1.

Where do you sign up for an ACA plan?

You can shop for federally run ACA plans at healthcare.gov. Twenty states, plus the District of Columbia, have their own marketplace: 

• California: Covered California
• Colorado: Connect for Health Colorado
• Connecticut: Access Health CT
• D.C.: DC Health Link
• Georgia: Georgia Access
• Idaho: Your Health Idaho
• Illinois: Get Covered Illinois
• Kentucky: Kynect
• Maine: Cover ME
• Maryland: Maryland Health Connection
• Massachusetts: Massachusetts Health Connector
• Minnesota: MN Sure
• Nevada: Nevada Health Link
• New Jersey: Get Covered NJ
• New Mexico: Be Well
• New York: NY State of Health
• Pennsylvania: Pennie
• Rhode Island: Health Source RI
• Vermont: Vermont Health Connect
• Virginia: Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace
• Washington: Washington Health Plan Finder

Key dates and deadlines

​Dates may be different for state-run marketplaces

• Nov. 1: Open Enrollment begins.
• Dec. 15: Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start Jan. 1.
• Jan. 1: Coverage starts for those who enrolled by Dec. 15.
• Jan. 15: Open Enrollment ends.
• Feb. 1: Coverage starts for those who enrolled in or changed a plan between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15. 

Note: The enrollment period for 2027 coverage next year will be shorter due to a new rule. Open enrollment on Healthcare.gov will begin on Nov. 1 and end Dec. 15.