Quick answer
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027 in Florida and every other state that uses HealthCare.gov. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1; enroll by January 15 and it starts February 1. Outside those dates you need a qualifying life event, like losing coverage, moving, getting married or having a baby.
Apply at HealthCare.gov or by phone at 1-800-318-2596 (24 hours a day except holidays, Spanish available). Estimate your 2027 household income carefully. Since 2026, any advance tax credit you get beyond what you qualify for is paid back in full when you file your taxes.
Key dates for 2027 coverage
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Open enrollment starts. Preview plans and prices, update your application, pick a plan. |
| December 15, 2026 | Last day to enroll for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. |
| December 16, 2026 to January 15, 2027 | Enroll now and coverage starts February 1, 2027, once you pay your first premium. |
| January 15, 2027 | Open enrollment ends. After this you need a special enrollment period. |
A rule would have ended open enrollment on December 15, but a federal court struck it down in June 2026, so as of October 2026, January 15 is the deadline again.
Signing up outside open enrollment
A special enrollment period lets you sign up during the year, usually within 60 days before or after a qualifying life event:
- Losing health coverage: a job-based plan (including COBRA), an individual plan, Medicaid or CHIP (you get 90 days after losing Medicaid or CHIP), or Medicare Part A
- Moving to a new ZIP code or county, or to the U.S.
- Getting married, having a baby, adopting or taking in a foster child
- Divorce or a death in the family that ends your coverage
- Becoming a U.S. citizen, or leaving incarceration
You may have to send proof, such as a letter showing your coverage ended, within 30 days of picking a plan.
Low income alone isn't enough anymore. The monthly special enrollment period for people with income under 150% of the poverty line ended in August 2025, and since 2026 a plan picked through a special enrollment period based only on income gets no premium tax credit.
What to have ready before you apply
- Social Security numbers for everyone in your household, including people who aren't applying
- Immigration document numbers for anyone who has them
- How you'll file your taxes: married filing jointly or separately, and who your dependents are
- Pay stubs, W-2s or 1099s for everyone in your household, and your best estimate of household income for 2027 (your last AGI is a good starting point)
- Information about any job-based coverage you or your family could get (HealthCare.gov's Employer Coverage Tool helps), and any HRA notice from an employer
- Policy numbers for any health coverage you have now
How to apply, step by step
- Log in or create an account at HealthCare.gov, or call 1-800-318-2596 (TTY 1-855-889-4325). Already enrolled? Update your 2026 application for 2027 instead of starting over.
- Fill out the application for everyone in your tax household. Answer the income questions for the coverage year, 2027.
- See what you qualify for: a premium tax credit that lowers your monthly premium, and on silver plans, possibly extra savings on deductibles and copays if your income qualifies.
- Compare plans by monthly premium, deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, and whether your doctors and medicines are covered.
- Choose how much of your tax credit to use now: all of it, part of it, or none (and get it at tax time instead).
- Enroll and pay your first premium to the insurance company, not the Marketplace. Coverage doesn't start until you pay.
Free help is available from trained assisters (navigators and certified application counselors) at localhelp.healthcare.gov. Licensed agents and brokers can enroll you too; insurance companies usually pay them.
How the tax credit works, and how not to owe it back
The premium tax credit is based on your household income for the whole year. When you enroll, the Marketplace uses your income estimate to pay part of your premium every month (the advance credit). When you file your taxes, Form 1095-A and Form 8962 compare that with the credit your actual income qualifies you for.
- Income higher than you estimated? You got too much in advance, and since 2026 you pay back all of the difference.
- Income lower than you estimated? You get the rest of your credit as part of your refund.
- Income above 400% of the poverty line? Under current law (as of October 8, 2026), there's no credit at all for 2026, so everything paid in advance is paid back. The larger credits of 2021 to 2025 expired at the end of 2025.
Tips that prevent a surprise at tax time
- Update your application as soon as your income or household changes: a raise, a new or second job, more overtime or tips, a spouse going back to work, a marriage, a baby.
- If your income goes up and down (tips, gig work, seasonal jobs), estimate on the high side, or take only part of the credit in advance.
- If you're offered job-based coverage that's affordable, you usually can't get the credit anymore. Tell the Marketplace.
- Keep every pay stub and 1099. They prove your income if the Marketplace asks.
Changes for 2027 coverage
- Who can get the credit: starting in 2027, only U.S. citizens, green card holders, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants and COFA migrants. Other lawfully present immigrants, such as refugees, asylees and TPS holders, can still buy a Marketplace plan but without the credit. The Marketplace is asking noncitizens to update their immigration documents during open enrollment; anyone whose status can't be confirmed loses advance credit on January 1, 2027.
- DACA recipients aren't eligible for Marketplace coverage since August 25, 2025.
- The share of income you pay toward the benchmark plan for 2027 ranges from 2.15% to 10.22%, with no credit above 400% of the poverty line under current law (as of October 8, 2026).
- Automatic re-enrollment: if you do nothing, you may be re-enrolled automatically, but your credit may change. Log in, update your income and compare plans anyway.
- Filing to reconcile still matters. After court rulings, the Marketplace isn't removing advance credit in 2026 and 2027 from people who didn't file and reconcile, but the law still requires you to file Form 8962, and the rule comes back in 2028.
In Florida: Florida uses HealthCare.gov and hasn't expanded Medicaid, so the Marketplace is the main option for many working adults. There's no state penalty for going without coverage, and no federal one since 2019.
Common questions
When is the last day to sign up for 2027 Marketplace coverage?
January 15, 2027, in Florida and the other HealthCare.gov states. Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage starting January 1.
What income do I put on my Marketplace application?
Your best estimate of your household's income for the coverage year: generally the adjusted gross income you expect on your tax return, plus certain untaxed income such as tax-exempt interest and the untaxed part of Social Security benefits. Include everyone in your tax household who has to file.
What happens if my income changes during the year?
Report it to the Marketplace as soon as possible so your advance credit can be adjusted. Starting with 2026, any extra credit you received is paid back in full when you file.
Is there a penalty for not having health insurance?
Not federally since 2019, and Florida has no penalty of its own. A few states and Washington, D.C., have their own.
Can I get Marketplace coverage if I have an ITIN?
People applying for coverage need to be U.S. citizens or lawfully present. Household members who aren't applying can still be listed, and the application asks for their Social Security number if they have one.
What happens if I miss my first payment?
Your coverage won't start. If you get advance credit and later fall behind, there's usually a 3-month grace period before coverage ends.
What do I need for my taxes next year?
Form 1095-A from the Marketplace, sent by January 31. You'll use it on Form 8962. See our Form 1095-A guide.
Official sources
We checked this guide against these official pages:
- Dates and deadlines for 2027 health insurance healthcare.gov
- Special enrollment period healthcare.gov
- How to apply for Marketplace coverage healthcare.gov
- Checklist: apply for or renew coverage healthcare.gov
- Save on monthly premiums healthcare.gov
- Changes to report to the Marketplace healthcare.gov
- Coverage for lawfully present immigrants healthcare.gov
- CMS guidance on noncitizen eligibility for plan year 2027 cms.gov
- Rev. Proc. 2026-26 (2027 applicable percentages) irs.gov
This guide is general information, not tax advice for your situation. Tax rules change, so check the official sources or ask a tax pro. Nationwide Tax Pro is a private tax preparation company and an authorized IRS e-file provider. We are not affiliated with the IRS, HealthCare.gov or any government agency.