People shopping for 2027 health coverage have access to an average of 100 different plans from five to six insurance companies, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services says in its Plan Year 2027 fact sheet, published Oct. 30. HealthCare.gov open enrollment began Nov. 1 and ends Jan. 15, 2027. CMS also says more than 75% of Americans who buy through HealthCare.gov will have access to premiums at or below $50 in 2027.
The dates are not all the same, though. HealthCare.gov’s calendar lists Dec. 15 as the last day to enroll or change plans for coverage that starts Jan. 1. Anyone who signs up from Dec. 16 through Jan. 15 and pays the first premium gets coverage starting Feb. 1.
That makes the first question for anyone buying their own coverage, including people retired or between jobs who are not yet on Medicare, which of the two deadlines matters. A shopper who wants no gap in coverage has until Dec. 15, and a shopper who can wait a month has until Jan. 15. The CMS figures show how much there is to compare before either date.
Retirement deadlines, in your inbox: Miss an enrollment or claim deadline and the money can be gone. Join the Retirement Money Brief and we’ll send you our 2026 Government Check Reality Tracker as a welcome gift.
Get the Brief + the check tracker →
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
How many plans can a shopper actually choose from?
CMS puts the average at 100 different plans and five to six different insurance companies. The fact sheet also says eligible enrollees have access to 35 HSA-eligible plans on average in 2027, which are plans that can be paired with a health savings account. Because these are averages, the number of plans in any one county can be higher or lower.
CMS also credits the administration with the largest decrease in Americans’ prescription drug prices in nearly 70 years, a claim the fact sheet makes on its own authority and that the page does not break down by plan or premium. The agency presents the figures as a sign of competition in the marketplace. It describes the 35 HSA-eligible plans as a rise of more than 1,000% over the situation before the Working Families Tax Cuts, which is CMS’s own comparison and framing.
What will the premiums look like?
CMS says more than 75% of people who buy coverage through HealthCare.gov will continue to have access to premiums at or below $50 in 2027. That is a statement about access to a plan at that price, and it does not mean every enrollee will pay $50 or less. The fact sheet gives no year-over-year premium change.
For people eligible for tax credits, the agency says the federal government pays nearly 90% of the lowest-cost premium, compared with 85% in 2020. It adds that the lowest-cost catastrophic plan is nearly 10% cheaper than the next lowest-cost plan at other coverage levels. Catastrophic plans, CMS says, offer co-pay-free preventive care and protections for people with pre-existing conditions.
The timing leaves little room in the middle. Someone who enrolls on Dec. 16 would have coverage starting Feb. 1 and nothing from the marketplace in January, so a shopper who needs coverage to begin on the first of the year has to finish by Dec. 15. HealthCare.gov’s calendar describes Nov. 1 as the first day a person can enroll in, renew or change a plan.
What happens after Jan. 15?
HealthCare.gov says open enrollment ends Jan. 15 and that after that date people can enroll in or change plans only if they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period. That coverage is available between Jan. 16 and Oct. 31 for people with a qualifying life event. Medicaid and CHIP can be applied for at any time, the site says.
The practical effect is that a plan chosen in the weeks before Jan. 15 is, for most people, the plan for the year. A shopper who compares only the monthly premium and skips the deductible, the drugs covered and the doctors in the network has no scheduled second chance until next fall.
Why is the FTC warning health plan marketers?
The Federal Trade Commission said in an Oct. 29 announcement that its staff sent warning letters to 25 companies that market healthcare plans or generate sales leads for them, with open enrollment season in progress. The letters do not allege wrongdoing by any recipient, and the agency said more would follow on a rolling basis.
The FTC flagged falsely claiming that enrollees will receive free offers, cash rewards, rebates or other incentives. It also flagged misrepresenting a plan as major or comprehensive medical health insurance when it is not. Christopher Mufarrige, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection, said open enrollment “is not an invitation to misrepresent what their plans actually cover.” The agency cited earlier cases against companies including Top Healthcare Options Insurance Agency, Innovative Partners, Assurance IQ and MediaAlpha, and Simple Health Plans.
Shoppers who run into a deceptive pitch can report it at ReportFraud.ftc.gov or through the FTC’s Consumer Response Center at 877-382-4357.
Picked a plan, but is the rest of your retirement budget covered?
A marketplace plan chosen after Dec. 15 starts Feb. 1, and one chosen after Jan. 15 generally cannot be changed until a qualifying event. Health coverage is one of the largest bills for people buying their own plan, and it is only one place retirement money slips away.
The Keep-It Starter Bundle turns from the health premium to the other leaks. It is a 95-page download of nine short guides, one per money leak, and it includes how to cut Medicare costs: appeal the income surcharge and use the drug cap, for the step that comes when marketplace coverage gives way to Medicare.
Get the nine-guide bundle for the money leaks that come after the plan is chosen →
This article was produced with AI assistance and edited for accuracy against the sources linked above.
David M. Keller is a finance writer based in Columbus, Ohio, covering personal finance and consumer-focused economic topics. He earned his degree in journalism from Ohio University and began his career reporting on local business and economic trends for a regional media outlet. Since then, he has contributed to a variety of online publications, focusing on clear, practical coverage of topics such as cost of living, debt, and everyday financial decision-making.
