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Understanding the Health Insurance Marketplaces

These resources are for anyone shopping (or helping someone shop) for health coverage within the health insurance marketplaces created through the Affordable Care Act (also known as the ACA or Obamacare.) For healthcare.gov and in most state-run marketplaces, the open enrollment period for 2027 coverage started on November 1, 2026 (in all states except Connecticut, Idaho, and Massachusetts) and ends on January 15, 2027 (in most states.) Eligible individuals may also enroll in Medicaid at any point during the year and in Marketplace coverage if they qualify for a special enrollment.

9 Things to Watch for the 2027 ACA Open Enrollment Period

The ACA Marketplace Open Enrollment season began November 1, bringing higher premiums, fewer insurer options in some states as more insurers exit the market, less access to health insurance subsidies, and less help finding coverage following federal actions to address broker fraud—among other changes to watch.

MARKETPLACE SUBSIDIES

Explaining Health Care Reform: Questions About Health Insurance Subsidies

This brief provides an overview of the financial assistance provided under the ACA for people purchasing coverage on their own through health insurance Marketplaces (also called exchanges).

Explaining Health Savings Accounts in the Affordable Care Act Marketplaces

This brief explains how recent changes under the budget reconciliation law expanded access to HSA-eligible plans on the Marketplace and explains why relatively few enrollees may be able to take advantage of them despite their potential benefits.

Beginning January 1, 2027, the 2025 reconciliation law will limit immigrant eligibility for ACA Marketplace subsidies. This brief provides an overview of implementation of the immigrant eligibility changes for Marketplace subsidies and issues to consider for affected individuals and states.

OPEN ENROLLMENT RESOURCES

Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator webpage on a laptop screen, prompting users to enter household information. The page includes a submit button and a results section indicating likely eligibility for financial help.

Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator

The Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator, updated with 2027 premium data, provides estimates of health insurance premiums and subsidies for people purchasing insurance on their own through the ACA Marketplaces.

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