ACA Open Enrollment for 2027 Begins Today as Shoppers Face Higher Premiums, New Rules
Open enrollment for 2027 ACA coverage began Sunday with higher premiums and new federal rules; New Jersey's own marketplace runs through January 31, more than two weeks beyond the federal January 15 deadline.
Open enrollment for 2027 health coverage under the Affordable Care Act began Sunday, with shoppers facing higher premiums and a series of new federal rules, while New Jersey residents get a longer window through the state's own marketplace.
For most of the country, the enrollment window on HealthCare.gov runs from November 1, 2026, through January 15, 2027. Shoppers who want coverage that starts January 1 must enroll by December 15, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
New Jersey is different. The state runs its own exchange, Get Covered New Jersey, and its enrollment period also opened Sunday but runs through January 31, 2027, more than two weeks beyond the federal deadline. Residents can preview plans and estimate financial help now through the state's Shop and Compare tool at GetCovered.NJ.gov using just a zip code, birth date and income. Five insurers are offering 2027 plans in the state: Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey, AmeriHealth, Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, Oscar and UnitedHealthcare.
Costs are the central concern this year. Enhanced federal premium subsidies expired at the end of 2025, and insurers raised rates by a national average of about 15% for 2027, after a 26% jump last year, according to NPR. Most buyers will still receive subsidies, though smaller ones, and the help cuts off entirely above four times the federal poverty level, which is $63,840 for a single person this season.
New Jersey's numbers show the strain. State exchange enrollment fell by a net 74,492 people between January 31 and June 30, dropping from 509,192 to 434,700, the Department of Banking and Insurance said. The state is continuing its own subsidy program, New Jersey Health Plan Savings, for households earning up to 600% of the federal poverty level, and awarded $5.1 million in Navigator grants to 33 community organizations offering free enrollment help in more than 10 languages.
New federal fraud-prevention rules apply mainly to the federal marketplace used by 29 states, not to state-run exchanges like New Jersey's. Consumers there who enroll through an agent will need a one-time confirmation code, and those deemed high-risk, including first-time applicants, people changing states or agents, and plans with premiums of $30 or less, must verify their identity. Brokers who were not registered for 2026 are barred from assisting until February at the earliest.
Eligibility is also narrowing. Under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, many lawfully present immigrants, including refugees, asylees, temporary protected status holders and H-1B visa holders, lose subsidy eligibility in 2027. Only green-card holders, certain Cuban and Haitian entrants, and citizens of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands and Palau remain eligible.
New Jersey officials urge residents to shop early. Free help is available through Get Covered New Jersey's call center at 1-833-677-1010, and the state's coverage mandate remains in effect, with a tax penalty for those who go uninsured without an exemption.