I'm Julian Sanchez de la Rosa, an independent broker licensed in 31 states. This year is messier than usual — premiums jumped, a national carrier is walking away from the individual market entirely, and a lot of people who dropped coverage last year never looked again. Here are the dates, what actually changed, and what happens if you do nothing.
Most coverage on the page is about January 15. The date that actually costs people money is December 15.
| Date | What it is |
|---|---|
| November 1, 2026 | Open enrollment opens. You can shop, compare and enroll. |
| December 15, 2026 | The one that matters. Enroll by this date and coverage starts January 1. Miss it and your coverage starts February 1 — you're uninsured for January. |
| January 15, 2027 | Open enrollment closes in every state I'm licensed in except Virginia, which runs through January 29. |
A federal rule would have cut open enrollment short. A court struck it down in June 2026, and the appeal now being argued would only affect later years. For 2027 coverage the full window stands. If someone tells you that you have until mid-December and that's it, they're working from an outdated rule.
That's the single biggest reason your 2026 premium went up — often 20% to 35% before subsidies, depending on the state. Plenty of people looked at that number, decided coverage wasn't worth it, and walked. For 2027 the increases are milder, roughly 11% to 21% in the states I write in. If the 2026 number is why you dropped coverage, the 2027 number is a different conversation.
Not trimming a few counties — exiting all eleven states where it sells individual plans, affecting more than 350,000 people nationally. In my footprint that means Florida, Texas, Georgia, Illinois and Colorado. Other carriers are leaving individual states on top of that.
Verified against each state's own filings for 2027. States not listed had no carrier exit I could confirm — which isn't the same as a guarantee, so check your renewal letter either way.
| State | Leaving after 2026 | Joining for 2027 |
|---|---|---|
| Florida | Cigna, and Sunshine State Health Plan (members move to Ambetter) | — |
| Texas | Cigna and Baylor Scott & White | — |
| Georgia | Cigna | Antidote Health Plan |
| Illinois | Cigna and Molina | — |
| Colorado | Cigna | Colorado Access |
| Maryland | Nobody — all five carriers stay | — |
| Kentucky | Nobody — all three carriers stay | — |
It's called a crosswalk. If your plan disappears, the marketplace reassigns you to comparable coverage, possibly from a different insurance company, picked for lowest premium with a similar network. You won't have a gap. But "lowest premium with a similar network" is not the same as "the right plan for you" — your doctors may not be in it, your prescriptions may be covered differently, and your out-of-pocket maximum can change.
State-based marketplaces decide for themselves. Some crosswalk you; some just send a letter saying your coverage is ending and leave it to you to pick something. Of the states I'm licensed in, that applies to Colorado, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Nevada, Virginia and Georgia. If you ignore that letter, you can end up genuinely uninsured on January 1 without ever making a decision.
Either way, a letter from your carrier that starts "changes to your plan for 2027" is not junk mail. It's the one piece of paper this year that's worth opening the day it arrives.
Certain life events open a 60-day special enrollment period of your own, whatever the calendar says.
Some private plans are also available outside the standard window entirely. If you're reading this in March and think you're stuck, call me before you assume that — it's usually a shorter conversation than people expect.
Self-employed people, 1099 contractors, travel nurses and healthcare contractors, families, and small business owners — anyone without an HR department handing them a benefits packet.
30 seconds. I reach out. You decide — no pressure, no obligation.
Prefer to skip the form? Book a time on my calendar
Most of my clients don't have an HR department. They're buying coverage on their own — and the market is confusing if this isn't your full-time job. So I lay the plans out side by side in plain English: what each one actually covers, what it costs you when you use it, and where the real differences are. No jargon, no fine print buried at the bottom — just a clear comparison so you can see the trade-offs yourself and make the call with confidence.
1099, freelance, or your own LLC. You need real coverage without an employer footing the bill — and premiums may be tax-deductible.
Spouse, kids, or both. We'll look at what it actually costs to keep your pediatrician and your budget intact.
Laid off, quitting, aging off a parent's plan, or staring down a COBRA bill. Losing coverage opens a special enrollment window.
A handful of employees and no idea where to start. There are more options than you think, and some don't require a group plan.
I'm an independent broker. I shop the market, bring you what's actually available, and show you the trade-offs honestly — including when the answer is "stay where you are."
As an independent broker, I compare plans from different insurance companies side by side and walk you through how they actually differ.
Open Enrollment has a deadline, but life events — losing coverage, moving, marriage, a new baby — open a special enrollment window. Some private options are available year-round.
Self-employed people can often deduct health insurance premiums. I'll flag when it applies so you can raise it with your accountant.
The enrollment is the easy part. I'm still here when a claim gets denied, a card doesn't arrive, or your income changes mid-year.
Prefer to skip the form? Book a time on my calendar