Open Enrollment Deadlines by State 2027: Every Date That Differs
Most states close 2027 open enrollment on January 15, 2027 — but not all of them. Idaho shuts the door December 15, Rhode Island December 31, and California, New York, New Jersey, and DC stay open until January 31. Here's every state that breaks from the federal calendar, and the coverage start date each deadline actually buys you.
Get My Free 2027 Quote ↓Open Enrollment Deadlines by State 2027: The Short Version
Open enrollment deadlines by state for 2027 come down to one rule and a short list of exceptions. The rule: in every HealthCare.gov state, the window runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027, and you must enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. The exceptions: a handful of state-run exchanges open earlier, close earlier, or give you extra time past January 15.
This page is the state-by-state reference. For the full season plan — what changed in the money and how to re-shop — see our 2027 open enrollment guide. Already past your deadline? Start with our Special Enrollment Period guide.
FreedInsure LLC (NPN: 20230457) is an independent brokerage licensed in 42 states. We track every state's dates, compare plans, and handle enrollment — 100% free, because carriers pay us, not you. Call (844) 788-3733.
Quick answer: Open enrollment deadlines by state 2027 mostly fall on January 15, 2027 — the close in every HealthCare.gov state, where you enroll by December 15, 2026 for a January 1 start. The exceptions: Idaho runs October 15 to December 15, 2026; Rhode Island closes December 31; Massachusetts January 23; Virginia January 29; and California, New York, New Jersey, and DC January 31, 2027.
Which States Have Different Open Enrollment Deadlines in 2027?
Eight states plus the District of Columbia break from the federal calendar. Two close early (Idaho and Rhode Island), six jurisdictions stay open past January 15 (Massachusetts, Virginia, California, New York, New Jersey, and DC), and Connecticut differs only by opening early. Everyone else follows the federal November 1 – January 15 window.
| State (Exchange) | Opens | Final Deadline | What's Different |
|---|---|---|---|
| Idaho (Your Health Idaho) | Oct 15, 2026 | Dec 15, 2026 | Opens first and closes first — no January enrollment at all |
| Connecticut (Access Health CT) | Oct 23, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | Opens 9 days early; standard federal close |
| Massachusetts (Health Connector) | Oct 23, 2026 | Jan 23, 2027 | Opens early and closes late; Jan 16–23 enrollments start Mar 1 |
| Rhode Island (HealthSource RI) | Nov 1, 2026 | Dec 31, 2026 | Closes 15 days before the federal deadline |
| Virginia (Virginia's Insurance Marketplace) | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 29, 2027 | Jan 16–29 enrollments start Mar 1 |
| California (Covered California) | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 16–31 enrollments start Mar 1 |
| New York (NY State of Health) | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 16–31 enrollments start Mar 1 |
| New Jersey (Get Covered New Jersey) | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 16–31 enrollments start Mar 1 |
| District of Columbia (DC Health Link) | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 31, 2027 | Jan 16–31 enrollments start Mar 1 |
| All other states (HealthCare.gov and remaining state exchanges) | Nov 1, 2026 | Jan 15, 2027 | On HealthCare.gov: by Dec 15 → Jan 1 start; Dec 16 – Jan 15 → Feb 1 start |
"Final Deadline" means the last day to enroll in 2027 coverage — not the last day to enroll for a January 1 start. Those are different dates almost everywhere.
A necessary caveat: state-run exchanges set their own calendars and can adjust them. These dates were verified in September 2026; if you live in one of the nine jurisdictions above, confirm them on your exchange's site before planning around a late deadline.
Which States Start 2027 Open Enrollment Early?
Three states open before November 1: Idaho on October 15, 2026, and Connecticut and Massachusetts on October 23, 2026. Opening early doesn't mean closing late — Idaho actually has the earliest final deadline of any state, December 15.
Idaho: early in, early out
Idaho's window runs October 15 through December 15, 2026 — roughly two months, with no January enrollment at all. Idahoans who plan around the "January 15" they hear in national coverage will miss 2027 open enrollment entirely. Treat December 15 as a hard wall and aim to finish in November.
Idaho's opening day is also the first day of Medicare Annual Enrollment (October 15 – December 7, 2026) — a separate system. If you're on Medicare, your official resources are medicare.gov and 1-800-MEDICARE; this page covers under-65 marketplace coverage only.
Connecticut and Massachusetts: a free head start
Both open October 23, 2026, about nine days ahead of the federal start. Connecticut then closes on the standard January 15, 2027; Massachusetts runs to January 23, 2027. Use the head start to check plans against your doctors and prescriptions before the holiday crunch.
The other early closer: Rhode Island
Rhode Island opens November 1 like most states but closes December 31, 2026 — 15 days before the federal deadline. The first half of January, which other states treat as a last chance, doesn't exist there.
Which States Give You Extra Time After January 15?
Six jurisdictions keep enrollment open past January 15: Massachusetts (January 23, 2027), Virginia (January 29), and California, New York, New Jersey, and the District of Columbia (January 31). Enroll in that extra stretch — January 16 through your state's deadline — and coverage starts March 1, 2027.
The January 31 group: California, New York, New Jersey, and DC
Covered California, NY State of Health, Get Covered New Jersey, and DC Health Link all run to January 31, 2027 — the latest deadline for 2027 coverage anywhere, about two weeks beyond HealthCare.gov. A "January 31 deadline" you see online belongs to one of these exchanges; it does not extend a HealthCare.gov window.
Virginia and Massachusetts
Virginia's Insurance Marketplace closes January 29, 2027, and the Massachusetts Health Connector closes January 23, 2027. Same rule for the late stretch: enrollments after January 15 start March 1.
What the extra weeks are actually for
Not for waiting. The enhanced premium tax credits of 2021–2025 are gone and not back for 2027 under current law, unless Congress acts, and the 400% FPL cliff is back. For 2027 coverage, credits apply from 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level: $15,960 to $63,840 for a single person, about $33,000 to $132,000 for a family of four. Earn $1 over the top and your credit is $0. Use extra weeks to get your income estimate right — see our 2027 ACA subsidy income limits guide.
Straight talk — a later deadline is not a later start you want: enroll in California on January 31 and coverage starts March 1, 2027 — two months after neighbors who enrolled in time for January 1, with any care in between on you. And doing nothing usually means auto-renewal at last year's assumptions, which with smaller credits can become this year's overpay. Re-shop, don't procrastinate. Ours is free: (844) 788-3733.
What Date Will My Coverage Start?
It depends on the day you enroll, not the day your state's window closes. On HealthCare.gov, enroll by December 15, 2026 for a January 1, 2027 start, or December 16 through January 15 for February 1. In the extension states, enrolling January 16 through the state deadline means March 1.
📅 By December 15, 2026
On HealthCare.gov, the cutoff for a January 1, 2027 start. In Idaho, it's also the final deadline.
⏰ December 16 – January 15
HealthCare.gov enrollments in this stretch start February 1, 2027 — a one-month gap versus December enrollees.
⏳ January 16 – 31
Extension states only (MA to Jan 23, VA to Jan 29; CA, NY, NJ, and DC to Jan 31). Coverage starts March 1, 2027.
🚫 After Your State's Deadline
The 2027 window is closed. Generally, only a qualifying life event opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period. How SEP works →
One wrinkle for state-exchange residents: state-run exchanges can set their own cutoffs for a January 1 or February 1 start, and they don't always match HealthCare.gov's. If your state is in the table, check its start-date cutoffs, not just its final deadline.
Why sweat a single month? A February 1 start leaves January uncovered; a March 1 start leaves January and February uncovered. If other coverage ends December 31, your enrollment date — not your state's final deadline — decides whether you have a gap.
What If My State Uses HealthCare.gov?
Then your dates are the federal ones, with no exceptions: November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027, with December 15, 2026 as the last day to enroll for a January 1 start. HealthCare.gov states don't get the late-January extensions, and there's no grace period after January 15.
The shortcut: you don't need to know which platform your state uses to know your deadline. If your state isn't one of the nine jurisdictions in the table above, your window is November 1 through January 15, whether you enroll on HealthCare.gov or through your state's own exchange. For the full federal calendar, see our 2027 open enrollment dates guide.
The deadline follows where you live — you enroll through your state of residence's exchange, so your employer's state or your carrier's home office doesn't change your date. Moved recently? That move may open a special window of its own; see the Special Enrollment Period rules. Either way, we compare the same ACA marketplace plans at the same prices as going direct and submit before your cutoff: (844) 788-3733.
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