Annual open enrollment period to apply for or change individual health insurance through the ACA marketplace.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) open enrollment period runs from November 1 to January 15 each year. During this window, you can apply for new health insurance through the Healthcare.gov marketplace (or your state's marketplace) or change your plan if you already have coverage.
Outside of open enrollment, you can only apply for health insurance if you have a qualifying life event: job loss, marriage, birth of a child, relocation, or loss of previous coverage. Open enrollment is the one time per year anyone can change plans without a qualifying event.
During open enrollment, you can: - Apply for health insurance if uninsured - Compare plans and switch to a different plan - Change coverage levels (bronze, silver, gold, platinum) - Update household income to adjust subsidies - Add or remove dependents
Health insurance subsidies (tax credits and cost-sharing reductions) are available to those with incomes between 100–400% of the federal poverty level. If your household income changes during the year, you can request a mid-year adjustment to your subsidies.
Coverage selected during open enrollment typically begins January 1 of the following year, so the January 15 deadline is critical for ensuring 2025 coverage. If you enroll by December 15, coverage begins January 1; if you enroll between December 16–January 15, coverage begins February 1.
Missing the open enrollment deadline:
- Remain uninsured without a qualifying exemption (penalty possible, though currently waived)
- Cannot change plans until next year's open enrollment
- Locked into current plan even if rates increase or coverage is inadequate
- Unable to add newly born children or dependents until next year
- No opportunity to adjust subsidies if income changed
Add this deadline to your phone, calendar, or reminder app 2–3 weeks in advance to avoid last-minute stress.