ACA Open Enrollment 2027 Starts Today: Dual Deadlines, New ID Checks, DACA Subsidy Ban, Gold Plan Shift
Open enrollment for 2027 Affordable Care Act coverage began November 1. You have two deadlines: December 15 for coverage starting January 1, and January 15 for coverage starting February 1. Three mechanics changes from our prior coverage of 2027 premium increases will affect millions of subsidized enrollees: new identity verification through Experian, a subsidy ban for DACA and TPS holders, and a Gold-plan pricing shift that makes Gold cheaper than Silver on net cost in many states.
About 19 million Americans are eligible for marketplace plans in 2027. The national average premium increase is 13 to 15 percent, but ranges from a decrease to an 18 percent increase depending on your state. As we reported in our October 31 analysis, Gold plans now beat Silver on net cost in many states after cost-sharing reductions — a reversal from prior years. Thirty-seven states plus the District of Columbia have finalized rates. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services finalized the 2027 rule on May 15, 2026. The rule sets the enrollment windows, the verification requirements, and the eligibility exclusions.
Your 2027 premium may drop if you switch from Silver to Gold — but you must act by the deadline that matches your needed start date. New identity verification through Experian means you must upload documents before selecting a plan; prompt action is required to avoid delays. If your income crosses $63,840, you lose all subsidies instantly. The verification requirements have already caused application cancellations — a new friction that affects people who start the process but struggle to finish the paperwork.
Three Mechanics Changes That Will Affect 2027 Enrollment
The first change is identity verification. For 2027, Healthcare.gov requires Experian verification for consumers before you can browse plans. Agents and brokers use ID.me. You need a government-issued photo ID plus supporting documents. The system requires prompt completion. Applications that stall may not process in time for your chosen coverage start date.
The second change is an eligibility exclusion in the May 15 final rule. DACA recipients, Temporary Protected Status holders, asylum-seekers, and other non-qualified immigrants are barred from premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions starting in 2027. They can still buy plans at full price — which averages $450 to $600 monthly for a benchmark Silver plan. The rule cites section 155.305 of the Code of Federal Regulations. Legal challenges have been filed in several federal courts.
The third shift is the Gold-versus-Silver calculus. Cost-sharing reductions — the subsidies that lower deductibles and copays for Silver enrollees under 250 percent of the federal poverty level — now make Gold plans cheaper on net cost in many states. In those states, a Gold plan with a lower deductible can cost less per month than a Silver plan with a higher deductible after subsidies apply. Check your state’s finalized rate using the KFF Marketplace Calculator.
The dual-deadline structure plus the verification requirement plus the eligibility exclusion creates new friction for the households most likely to need help. The population most likely to struggle with document uploads — limited broadband, non-citizen households newly barred from subsidies — is also the population most likely to need the earlier deadline for January coverage.
When does 2027 ACA open enrollment end? December 15, 2026 for January 1 coverage; January 15, 2027 for February 1 coverage. Special enrollment periods remain for qualifying life events — job loss, marriage, birth, move.
State rate finalizations for remaining states will publish through November. CMS weekly enrollment snapshots drop November 8, 15, 22, December 1, 8, and 15. Check back for your state’s rates.
