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A trusted independent health insurance guide since 1994.
When is open enrollment for my state?
In the majority of the states, open enrollment for 2024 coverage will run from November 1, 2023 through January 15, 2024. But some state-run exchanges have different schedules. You can see the deadlines for each state here.
How to sign up for Obamacare in the ACA Marketplace
Once open enrollment begins, you can enroll in an ACA-compliant individual and family health insurance plan – or make changes to your existing coverage – through the Marketplace in your state.
Consider your health coverage needs and budget
- If you have specific doctors or medical facilities you want to use, check to see if any plans have them in-network. If you take any medications, check to see if any plans have them in their formularies and what the out-of-pocket costs will be.
- If you want help with the process, assistance is available via local insurance brokers and Navigators, as well as enhanced direct enrollment entities.
Learn more about how to choose the best health plan for your situation.
Be prepared to provide your personal information. Here’s what you’ll need for each enrollee:
- Name
- Address
- Social Security Number (Here’s why it’s required.)
- Birth date
- Citizenship or legal residency status. (Proof may be required.)
- Payment information for the first month’s premium. (Setting up automatic payments for future months can help you avoid an inadvertent lapse in coverage.)
- If you’re 30 or older and want a catastrophic plan, you’ll need a hardship exemption.1
- Many applicants are eligible for financial assistance.2 If you’re applying for subsidies, you’ll also need:
- The number of people on your tax return and your total household income. (The Marketplace may require proof of your income through a variety of documentation.3
- Coverage details about any employer-sponsored coverage available to you.
Fill out an enrollment form and choose your plan
- You can do this yourself or have a broker, Navigator, or enrollment assister help you with the process
- You can apply online, over the phone, submit a paper application, or enroll in-person with a local broker, Navigator, or enrollment assister.
- You will not need to answer any medical history questions. But be sure that the plan you’re selecting has your medical providers in-network, covers your medications, and has out-of-pocket costs that you’ll be able to manage.
Confirm that everything is in order and you know when your coverage will start
- Log into your Marketplace account after you’ve completed the process, to make sure everything is in order.
- Watch your email and mail for communications from the Marketplace and your new insurer. (For example, you may be asked to provide documentation to verify income or legal residency.)
- Once your policy and ID cards arrive in the mail, read through all of it and reach out to your broker, Navigator, or the health plan if you have questions.
Frequently asked questions
about Obamacare open enrollment
To be able to enroll on the ACA’s Marketplace:4
- You must live in the United States.
- You must be a U.S. citizen or national or be lawfully present.
- You must not be incarcerated.
- You can not be enrolled in Medicare coverage.
DACA recipients have historically not been allowed to enroll through the Marketplace, but the Biden administration has proposed a rule change that would allow them to enroll starting in November 2023.5
But eligibility for financial assistance is different. Being eligible to enroll in the Marketplace is not the same as being eligible for financial assistance. In short, the income-based subsidies available through the Marketplace/exchange are reserved for people who aren’t eligible for Medicaid, zero-premium Medicare Part A, or coverage offered by an employer that’s deemed affordable and comprehensive. (Here’s how to determine whether employer-sponsored coverage is affordable to you.)
Premium subsidy rules are designed to ensure that subsidy-eligible individuals won’t pay more than 8.5% of their household income in premiums for the benchmark (second-lowest-cost Silver) plan in the Marketplace.6 The percentage of household income that people are expected to pay can be much lower – as low as 0% – depending on their income.6
You can use our subsidy calculator to get an idea of whether you’re eligible for premium subsidies, and if so, how much those subsidies could be.
Premium subsidies are a refundable tax credit.7 You may qualify for a subsidy based on your projected household income for the year you apply for coverage. And then you’ll need to reconcile that with the IRS when you file your tax return for that year, based on your actual income.8
Marketplace cost-sharing reductions (CSR)9 are another type of Obamacare subsidy. CSR assistance is designed to ensure that people with low to moderate incomes can afford to receive health care services. (And enrollees who qualify for CSR will often also qualify for premium subsidies.)
CSR subsidies result in lower out-of-pocket costs, including lower deductibles and copays. For applicants with eligible incomes, these subsidies are automatically incorporated into all of the available Silver-level plans. But if you’re eligible for CSR subsidies and you buy a metal plan other than a Silver plan, you’ll forfeit this advantage In addition to federal premium subsidies and CSR subsidies, some state-run Marketplaces offer their own subsidies.
No. It is unlawful for someone to sell you a Marketplace plan (or an individual/family plan outside the exchange) if you already have Medicare, even if you only have either Medicare Part A or Part B.10 So if you’re enrolled in Medicare, the Marketplace open enrollment period does not apply to you.
During the open enrollment period for 2023 coverage, enrollment reached a record high, with more than 15.7 million people signing up for coverage through the Marketplaces nationwide.11
The record-high enrollment was driven in large part by the subsidy enhancements created by the American Rescue Plan (ARP), and those subsidy enhancements will continue to be available in 2024.
For 2024 coverage, there are a few changes that enrollees should keep in mind:
- HealthCare.gov’s automatic re-enrollment protocols have changed somewhat,12 to allow the exchange to move a CSR-eligible enrollee from a Bronze plan to a Silver plan, if the Silver plan would have an equal or lower premium and the same provider network and product type (HMO, PPO, EPO, etc.) as the Bronze plan. This protocol can be used regardless of whether the Bronze plan continues to be available for 2024. The idea behind this change is to maximize the benefits that enrollees can receive, but it’s still in each person’s best interest to log into their account and select their own coverage for 2024. Read why letting your individual health insurance plan automatically renew may not be in your best interests.
- In some states, there are new insurers joining the exchange for 2024. And in other cases, insurers are leaving the exchange for 2024. (For example, Oscar Health is leaving the exchange in California,13 and Friday Health Plans policies will no longer be in force in any state after the end of August 2023). Insurer exits and entries can result in changing benchmark premiums, which can change premium subsidy amounts. Here’s what you need to know about how that works.
- Some states are offering new or enhanced state-funded subsidies for 2024, including California,14 Colorado,15 and New Mexico.16 Read more about states that offer their own health insurance subsidies.
- Virginia will be using a new exchange platform, instead of HealthCare.gov.17 (Georgia had also sought approval to operate its own state-based exchange platform, but CMS delayed Georgia’s implementation until the fall of 2024.18
The Biden administration has proposed a rule change that would allow DACA recipients to be able to enroll in coverage through the exchanges starting November 1, 2023.19
In a nutshell, this author says no. Auto-renewal or automatic re-enrollment (when a plan is terminating) for the coming year’s coverage is available through the Marketplaces in every state. However, in the opinion of this author, it may not be in your best interest to rely on automatic renewal. Selecting your own plan for 2024 is better than relying on auto-renewal or a Marketplace algorithm that will select a new plan on your behalf.
You’ll want to pay close attention to any notices you receive from your health plan and Marketplace, as they will let you know how your benefit details, monthly premium, and premium subsidy (if applicable) are changing for 2024. You’ll also want to carefully compare the other options available in your area, as they may not be the same as the options that were available for this year.
You can certainly choose to select a plan and complete the enrollment process on your own, through the Marketplace/exchange website (or via an enhanced direct enrollment entity if you’re in a state that uses HealthCare.gov).26
But if you prefer to have help with the process, it’s available for free online, over the phone, and from people in your community:
- Health insurance Navigators
- Provide education and outreach about the Marketplace and available health plans, help applicants determine whether they qualify for subsidies or Medicaid, and assist in the enrollment process.
- Can generally provide assistance after you enroll, helping with issues like eligibility appeals and how to utilize your health coverage.
- Are funded by the federal government in states that utilize a federally run exchange, and by the states that run their own exchanges.27
- Certified application counselors (CACs)
- Similar to Navigators, but their focus tends to be strictly on helping people enroll, without the more extensive assistance that some Navigators can provide.
- The exchange designates local “CAC organizations” (health centers, faith-based organizations, colleges, etc.) and people who are affiliated with or employed by those organizations are eligible to serve as CACs.28
- CAC funding can come from a variety of state and federal sources, and CACs are often volunteering their time to help people enroll in health coverage.
- Insurance brokers and agents
- Licensed by the state and certified by the Marketplace/exchange.
- Can help consumers determine subsidy or Medicaid eligibility, and they can also make plan recommendations based on a client’s particular situation.29 (Navigators and CACs cannot do this.)
- Provide ongoing assistance for questions and problems regarding billing, utilization, claims, and appeals.
- Generally carry errors and omissions insurance.
Would ACA subsidies lower your health insurance premiums?
Use our 2023 subsidy calculator to see if you’re eligible for ACA premium subsidies – and your potential savings if you qualify.
Obamacare subsidy calculator *
Estimated annual subsidy
$0
* This tool provides ACA premium subsidy estimates based on your household income. healthinsurance.org does not collect or store any personal information from individuals using our subsidy calculator.
Articles related to open enrollment
Legislation signed today provides substantial premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions to Americans receiving unemployment benefits.
How the Affordable Care Act's subsidies are calculated, and who is eligible to receive them under the American Rescue Plan.
Open enrollment for 2023 ACA health coverage started nationwide on November 1. In most states, it will end on January 15, 2023.
Sweeping health reform legislation delivered a long list of provisions focused on health insurance affordability, consumer protections.
- “How to pick a health insurance plan” HealthCare.gov, Accessed September 2023 ⤶
- “Effectuated Enrollment: Early 2023 Snapshot and Full Year 2022 Average“ CMS.gov, March 15, 2023 ⤶
- “How do I resolve a data matching issue?“ HealthCare.gov, Accessed September 2023 ⤶
- “A quick guide to the Health Insurance Marketplace®” HealthCare.gov, accessed August, 2023 ⤶
- “Clarifying Eligibility for a Qualified Health Plan Through an Exchange, Advance Payments of the Premium Tax Credit, Cost-Sharing Reductions, a Basic Health Program, and for Some Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs” Federal Register, April 26, 2023 ⤶
- “Internal Revenue Bulletin: 2021-35” IRS.gov, August 30, 2021 ⤶ ⤶
- “Premium tax credit” HealthCare.gov, Accessed September 2023 ⤶
- “If my income changes and my premium subsidy is too big, will I have to repay it?” healthinsurance.org, Oct. 20, 2022 ⤶
- “APTC and CSR Basics” CMS.gov, June 2023 ⤶
- “Medicare & the Health Insurance Marketplace” Medicare.gov, September 2022 ⤶
- “Effectuated Enrollment: Early 2023 Snapshot and Full Year 2022 Average” CMS.gov, March 15, 2023 ⤶
- “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2024” CMS.gov, September 2023 ⤶
- “Oscar Health will exit from California” Healthcare Dive, May 10, 2023 ⤶
- “Covered California to Launch State-Enhanced Cost-Sharing Reduction Program in 2024 to Improve Health Care Affordability for Enrollees” CoveredCA.com, July 20, 2023 ⤶
- “Amended Regulation 4-2-78 – Cost Sharing Reduction Enhancements.pdf” Colorado Division of Insurance, Accessed September 2023 ⤶
- “2024 Plan Year Health Insurance Marketplace Affordability Program Policy and Procedures Manual” New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance” April 13, 2023 ⤶
- “State-based Exchanges” CMS.gov, Sept. 6, 2023 ⤶
- “CMS letter to Georgia Access” CMS.gov, July 27, 2023 ⤶
- “Clarifying Eligibility for a Qualified Health Plan Through an Exchange, Advance Payments of the Premium Tax Credit, Cost-Sharing Reductions, a Basic Health Program, and for Some Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs” Federal Register, April 26, 2023 ⤶
- “Will you owe a penalty under Obamacare?” healthinsurance.org, accessed August 2023 ⤶
- “Massachusetts Individual Mandate” Massachusetts Health Connector, accessed August 2023 ⤶
- “New Jersey’s Health Coverage Requirement” NJ.gov, Nov. 1, 2022 ⤶
- “Why Are Californians Required by Law to Have Health Insurance? ” CoveredCA.com, Feb. 16, 2023 ⤶
- “Health Insurance Mandate” State of Rhode Island Division of Taxation, accessed August 2023 ⤶
- “Updated Guidance For Applicable Entities Pursuant To The Individual Taxpayer Health Insurance Responsibility Requirement Amendment Act Of 2018” DC.gov, March 31, 2020 ⤶
- “Entities Approved to Use Enhanced Direct Enrollment” CMS.gov, April 28, 2023 ⤶
- “Biden-Harris Administration Makes Largest Investment Ever in Navigators Ahead of HealthCare.gov Open Enrollment Period CMS.gov, Aug. 26, 2022 ⤶
- “Certified application counselor designated organization (CDO) program information CMS.gov, accessed August 2023 ⤶
- “Who’s helping me complete my application? HealthCare.gov, accessed August 2023 ⤶