Re-shop, don’t auto-renew
If you have a Marketplace health plan, it will renew on its own for 2027 unless you act. This year, letting it renew without looking is the expensive choice.
Prices changed. The extra federal help that lowered monthly bills from 2021 through 2025 ended on December 31, 2025, and Congress has not brought it back. Many plans also raised their prices for 2027, and some insurance companies left. The plan that was the best deal for you last year may not be the best deal now — and the help you qualify for may be more or less than before.
Comparing takes about 10 minutes. Start below, then check your real price.
Check what you qualify for — free 2-minute check
What changed for 2027
- The extra subsidy is gone. The bigger premium tax credits from the pandemic years expired at the end of 2025. For 2027, tax credits go to households earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level — about $15,960 to $63,840 a year for one person, or $33,000 to $132,000 for a family of four.
- The income cliff is back. If your income lands even $1 over the 400% line, you get no tax credit at all. If your income is near that line, estimate it carefully.
- You now repay any extra credit in full. Starting with the 2026 tax year, the caps that used to limit how much advance credit you had to pay back are gone. If your real income ends up higher than your estimate, you repay the full difference. Report income changes during the year, as soon as they happen.
- Prices went up. Insurers proposed a median increase of about 15% nationwide for 2027, according to KFF. Final numbers vary by state: Pennsylvania’s approved average increase is about 16%, and California’s average is 9.9% — but California added state money (see below).
- Some insurers left. In Texas, Cigna and Baylor Scott & White will not sell Marketplace plans in 2027. If one of them is your insurer, your plan ends December 31, 2026, and you must pick a new one — you will not lose your subsidy, but you do have to choose.
- The most you can pay out of pocket in 2027 is $12,000 for one person or $24,000 for a family on Marketplace plans, after which the plan pays 100% of covered care.
Know your deadline
Open enrollment starts November 1, 2026 everywhere. The date that matters most is the deadline for coverage that starts January 1, 2027:
- Texas and Florida (HealthCare.gov): Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage starting January 1. The last day to enroll is January 15, 2027, for coverage starting February 1.
- Pennsylvania (Pennie): Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage starting January 1. The last day to enroll is January 15, 2027, for coverage starting February 1.
- California (Covered California) is different: Enroll by December 31, 2026 for coverage starting January 1 — and California’s window stays open longer, until January 31, 2027.
After your state’s last day, you can usually only enroll if you have a big life change, like losing other coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby.
How to compare
Log in, update your expected 2027 income, then compare the total cost — monthly premium plus deductible — not just the monthly bill. If your income is on the lower side, check Silver plans closely: their lower deductibles and copays often make them cheaper over the year than a bare-bones Bronze plan. And confirm your doctors and prescriptions are still covered, especially if your insurer is leaving Texas.
Our full San Antonio guide walks the whole checklist step by step: Health Insurance Open Enrollment in San Antonio 2027.
Extra help in California
California added its own state subsidy for 2027 — $300 million — on top of federal help. It reaches households earning up to 200% of the poverty level (about $31,920 for one person, $66,000 for a family of four). Covered California projects that more than 500,000 people will get it, and nearly 200,000 will be able to choose a Silver plan with a $0 monthly premium. You only get it if you apply — one application at Covered California checks both state and federal help, and Medi-Cal, at the same time.
Free help, and how to avoid scams
Applying is always free at the official sites: HealthCare.gov (Texas and Florida), pennie.com (Pennsylvania), and coveredca.com (California). Certified helpers and navigators in your area can sit with you and help you compare, free — they do not sell plans. Never pay a website or a caller to enroll you, and never give bank information to someone who calls you about “your application.”
Not sure which door is yours — Medicaid, a Marketplace plan, or something else? Our free check looks at the whole picture: food, housing, utilities, and health coverage together.
San Antonio Benefits is an independent assistance site. We are not a government agency, and we do not sell insurance. We help neighbors find and apply for programs; enrollment decisions are always made by the official sites listed above.
Sources: HealthCare.gov (2027 dates and deadlines), Pennie.com, CoveredCA.com (2027 open enrollment and July 21, 2026 rate announcement), IRS.gov (premium tax credit repayment rules), Pennsylvania Insurance Department (final 2027 rates), KFF (2027 proposed rate analysis). Read October 30–31, 2026.
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