when does open enrollment start
Open enrollment for 2026 health insurance coverage generally starts on November 1, 2025, in most U.S. states, with some state-specific variations and employer plans having their own dates.
Key dates for 2026 open enrollment
- For most states using the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace, open enrollment for 2026 coverage runs from November 1, 2025, to January 15, 2026.
- To have coverage start January 1, 2026 , you usually must enroll by December 15, 2025 ; enrollments after that and before January 15 typically begin February 1.
State variations to know
Some states extend or slightly shift open enrollment around that national window:
- Examples of different windows include states that go later into January, such as through January 23 or January 31, 2026 , or start a bit earlier in mid‑October.
- States running their own exchanges set these specific dates individually, but they still cluster around the Nov 1–Jan 15 national framework.
Employer and other plan timelines
Open enrollment for job‑based coverage does not have a single national start date:
- Many employers schedule open enrollment in October or November for plans that renew January 1, but the exact window is set by each employer.
- COBRA and some specialized arrangements (like ICHRA) still tend to align decisions around the general marketplace window, but again, specifics depend on the plan sponsor.
How to get your exact start date
To precisely answer “when does open enrollment start” for your situation:
- Check your state’s ACA marketplace or HealthCare.gov for individual/family plans.
- Check HR or your benefits portal for employer plans, since companies publish their own open enrollment calendars.
Bottom line: for individual ACA coverage for 2026, expect open enrollment to start November 1, 2025 in most places, with some states and employers using slightly different windows.
Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.