When is open enrollment for ACA-compliant health insurance?

When is open enrollment for ACA-compliant health insurance?

People in need of individual health insurance that’s Affordable Care Act- (ACA-) compliant have an annual opportunity to enroll during the ACA annual individual market Open Enrollment Period (OEP). In recent years, the OEP has started November 1 and ended January 15 in most states. However, the federal government has proposed a rule change that would change the OEP deadline to December 15, nationwide. If finalized, this change will go into effect in the fall of 2025, for coverage effective in 2026.¹

The annual open enrollment window applies to health plans sold through the federally run and state-run exchanges as well as off-exchange major medical coverage and ACA-compliant plans available through Enhanced Direct Enrollment (EDE) entities.

When do I need to enroll to have coverage in place at the start of the next year?

Starting with coverage effective in 2026, the federal government has proposed a rule change that will end open enrollment nationwide on December 15.¹ If the rule is finalized, December 15 will be the deadline to enroll in coverage that takes effect on January 1. And it will also be the last day that a person can enroll in coverage effective for the coming year, unless they qualify for a special enrollment period.

In states that use the federally run Marketplace (31 states as of the 2025 plan year), December 15 has traditionally been the deadline to enroll in a plan with a January 1 effective date, although this has sometimes been extended by a few days.² But for the last few years, open enrollment has continued until January 15, giving people an additional month to sign up for coverage effective February 1. If the new proposed rule is finalized, that additional month will no longer be available, and all enrollments will need to be completed by December 15.

In states that run their own Marketplaces, there has historically been quite a bit of variation in terms of the open enrollment schedule. The deadline to get a January 1 effective date has in some cases been as late as December 31, and several states have chosen to extend their open enrollment deadline past January 15.³ Some state-run exchanges have offered various extensions to their normal deadlines. For example, for 2025 coverage, the open enrollment period in the District of Columbia was extended through February 7,⁴ and open enrollment in Rhode Island was extended to February 28 due to a security breach. ⁵

But if the new proposed rule is finalized, state-run exchanges will no longer have the flexibility to offer a longer open enrollment period, as the rule calls for the December 15 deadline to be used nationwide.

Can I enroll in ACA-compliant coverage outside of the designated open enrollment period?

If you don’t enroll in coverage during the open enrollment period, you may still be able to buy coverage or switch to a different plan outside of open enrollment if you qualify for a special enrollment period.

There are more than 10 types of qualifying life events that might make you eligible for a special enrollment period.

Among them:⁶

• • Involuntary loss of major medical coverage
  • Family changes such as having a baby, getting married or adopting a child
  • A permanent move to an area where different health plans are available.

Read our overview of special enrollment periods.

Who doesn’t need to sign up during open enrollment?

There are exceptions that allow year-round enrollment in ACA compliant coverage for some populations, such as individuals who are:

• • American Indians and Alaska Natives (AI/AN)
  • qualified for coverage through the ConnectorCare program in Massachusetts, the Covered Connecticut program, or the Basic Health Programs in New York, Minnesota, and Oregon.
  • eligible for Medicaid or CHIP