Sticker Shock Season: 5 Things to Check Before You Pick a 2027 Health Plan
Open enrollment is back, and this year it matters more than usual. Premiums are climbing by double digits for the second year in a row, deductibles and savings-account limits are shifting, and millions of enrollees will need to shop harder to avoid overpaying. Whether you buy through an employer, the federal marketplace, or Medicare, here are the five checks to run before you sign up.
Federal Marketplace Opens Nov. 1, California Runs to Jan. 31
Open enrollment is the once-a-year window to sign up for, renew, change, or drop health coverage. In states using the federal ACA marketplace, the 2027 plan-year window runs Nov. 1, 2026, through Jan. 15, 2027. Enroll by Dec. 15, 2026, and pay the first premium, and coverage starts Jan. 1, 2027; enroll or switch between Dec. 16 and Jan. 15 and coverage starts Feb. 1. Covered California extends its deadline to Jan. 31. Medicare's fall open enrollment runs Oct. 15 through Dec. 7, and employer-plan windows vary by company, so check with HR now.
Officials Say Compare Total Costs, Not Just Premiums
The National Association of Insurance Commissioners advises shoppers to pull three things before choosing: the plan's annual notice of changes, their own record of doctor visits and prescriptions from the past year, and the total-cost math for each option, including deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and networks. For Medicare beneficiaries, Medicare.gov shows whether a Medicare Advantage plan will still be offered next year; plans that are closing were supposed to mail notices in the first week of October. Medicare Part B premiums for 2027 will rise by more than $6 a month on average.
Second Straight Double-Digit Hike Adds Up to 42% in Two Years
Expiring Subsidies and Shrinking Enrollment Hit Marketplace Shoppers
The people most affected are marketplace enrollees. About 19.2 million people held ACA marketplace coverage in February 2026, down 13% from 2025, after the enhanced premium tax credits lapsed at the end of 2025. At least seven insurers have said they will stop selling marketplace coverage in 2027, and some Medicare Advantage plans are closing in certain markets, forcing those members to switch. Workers on employer plans face the same math from the other side: a low-premium, high-deductible option looks cheap until a high-care year pushes out-of-pocket spending past the premium savings.
Run the Five-Point Checklist Before You Commit
Discussion
When you pick a health plan, do you prioritize a lower monthly premium or lower costs when you actually need care, and why?
