If you have Marketplace coverage now and do nothing by December 15, 2026, you will usually be re-enrolled automatically for January 1, 2027. Your coverage may continue. Your plan might not stay the same, though, and your financial help may be based on old information.
To avoid surprises, update your application with your expected 2027 income and household, compare the plans available to you, and choose one by December 15. Changes made from December 16 through January 15 start on February 1.
Where you renew depends on your state
Renew through the same marketplace you used for 2026:
- Georgia: Georgia Access. Our Georgia Obamacare page covers the Georgia renewal steps.
- Illinois: Get Covered Illinois.
- Florida, Kansas, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas: HealthCare.gov.
All three marketplaces list November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027 for 2027 coverage. Our Open Enrollment dates guide has the full deadline breakdown.
Read the two renewal letters
HealthCare.gov says you should get two letters by November 1: one from your current insurance company and one from the Marketplace. Together they tell you:
- Whether your current plan will be offered in 2027
- Which plan you are matched with if you do nothing by December 15
- What is changing in your coverage and financial help
- Whether the Marketplace needs documents from you, and how to send them
If you can't find a letter, call your insurer for theirs and the Marketplace for the other one. A document request has its own deadline, so read that part first.
What automatic re-enrollment actually does
On HealthCare.gov, you are re-enrolled automatically if you have Marketplace coverage in December and take no action by December 15. You may land in:
- The same plan you have now
- A different plan from the same insurance company
- A plan from a different insurance company, if yours is not offering plans next year
HealthCare.gov also says that in some cases you will not be re-enrolled automatically. In that case you need to choose a plan during Open Enrollment to stay covered. Either way, a plan does not start until the first premium is paid.
Illinois shows how much can change in a year. Get Covered Illinois says Cigna and Molina plans will not be offered on its marketplace starting January 1, 2027, and their customers must choose a new plan during Open Enrollment. Blue Cross Blue Shield discontinued its MyBlue Plus Bronze plan, and those enrollees in Cook, DuPage, Kane, Kankakee, St. Clair and Will counties will be moved to a Silver plan for 2027. A Silver plan has a different premium and different cost sharing than the Bronze plan those enrollees chose.
Update your income before you compare
Financial help for 2027 is based on the income you expect in 2027, not on last year's tax return. If you skip the update, HealthCare.gov says it estimates your tax credit from the most recent information it has, including your last application and IRS data.
That can go wrong in either direction. You might get less help than you qualify for. Or you might receive more than you qualify for and have to pay back the difference when you file your federal taxes.
If your letter says you won't get a premium tax credit next year, update the application anyway. HealthCare.gov lists several possible reasons, including that the extra pandemic-era savings ended on December 31, 2025, and that you may not have allowed the Marketplace to use updated tax information. Our premium tax credit guide explains how the income estimate works.
Compare plans, even if you like yours
Plans and prices change every year. Before December 15, check:
- The 2027 monthly premium after financial help
- The deductible and out-of-pocket maximum
- Whether your doctors and hospitals are in the 2027 network
- How your prescriptions are covered
- The metal level, in case your plan was replaced with a different one
If you want to switch or stop coverage
Choose a different plan by December 15 and it starts January 1. If your automatic plan has already started, you can still switch until January 15, and the new plan starts February 1. After January 15, you generally need a Special Enrollment Period to change plans.
If you will have other coverage in 2027, such as a job-based plan or Medicare, end your Marketplace coverage through your account or the Marketplace call center. Otherwise you may be re-enrolled automatically.
Get help with your renewal
A licensed Enroll America agent can review your renewal letters with you, update your income estimate, and compare 2027 plans with your doctors and prescriptions in mind, in English or Spanish. Call (877) 479-6279, or start your ACA application online.
Official sources
Sources reviewed November 4, 2026:
- HealthCare.gov: renew, change, update, or cancel your plan
- HealthCare.gov: dates and deadlines
- Georgia Access: renew or update coverage and 2027 dates
- Get Covered Illinois: Open Enrollment for 2027
- Get Covered Illinois: 2027 plan changes
Enroll America Inc is an independent licensed health insurance agency and is not affiliated with a government agency. Eligibility and financial help are determined by the Marketplace.
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