Toolbox for Open Enrollment Season
The 2027 Marketplace Enrollment season is coming soon! The Open Enrollment period for the federal Marketplace will run from November 1, 2026 through December 15, 2026. The enrollment window has been shortened from past years. Since last year we’ve also seen the expiration of enhanced premium tax credits, and now the implementation of Work Requirements for people on Medicaid. Tools are available to help you keep up with these developments. The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities’ project, Health Reform: Beyond the Basics provides ongoing training and resources for enrollment assisters helping people get the right coverage. Make sure to bookmark their Yearly Income Guidelines and Thresholds chart as a tool for understanding which subsidies are available to different consumers. We also encourage you to sign up for their upcoming webinars to learn more about these critical coverage topics (All discussions are at 2pm ET/ 11am PT):
- September 22nd – Medicaid Work Requirements
- October 6th – Premium Tax Credits
- October 15th – Verifying Eligibility
- October 20th – Immigrant Eligibility for Health Coverage
You can also review some of their past webinars for information on topics like how to help someone compare plans and complete a re-enrollment process.
Health Insurance Changes in 2027
These are just a few of the changes to health insurance access coming this year:
- Cost Changes: ACA Marketplace plans will be more expensive for many consumers this year. The expiration of enhanced premium tax credits last year means that premium costs will be higher than they were before for many enrollees. Premium tax credits are still available for eligible consumers.
- Eligibility Changes: Immigrants with disabilities you support could be impacted by the Medicaid eligibility changes impacting some non-citizens. Asylum seekers, refugees, and some survivors of abuse or trafficking are among the people who no longer qualify for Medicaid coverage.
- Renewal Changes: Medicaid renewal will now be required every 6 months rather than annually. This requirement applies to people enrolled under Medicaid expansion.
- Work Requirements: Medicaid enrollees in expansion states will need to show 80-hours worth of work or approved community activities every month. Some people will be exempt from these requirements, but this will be a challenge for many people to prove. [The Center for Health Care Strategies has policy cheat sheet on Medicaid Work Requirements.
As you prepare for the 2027 enrollment season, be aware that disabled people are the most at risk of negative health outcomes when they lose access to coverage. The University of Pennsylvania Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics provided an overview of the risks of coverage loss for Medicare-Medicaid dually-eligible individuals, who lost coverage disproportionately after the Medicaid unwinding. As we look ahead to the implementation of the HR1 health insurance changes, be aware that dual-eligibles and other disabled individuals may need additional support and clarity on how to maintain their coverage.
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