Healthcare.gov Auto Re-Enrollment: What Happens If You Do Nothing This Open Enrollment
If you do nothing by December 15, HealthCare.gov re-enrolls you for 2027, in the same plan or a similar one, starting January 1. The price and your savings can change, so read the two letters you get first.
Healthcare.gov auto re-enrollment means that if you have Marketplace coverage and do nothing by December 15, 2026, you are re-enrolled for 2027 so you do not lose coverage. The new plan starts January 1, and it may be the same plan or a different one from your insurance company. What does not stay the same is the price: plans and premiums change every year, and your savings are recalculated. The two letters that arrive around November 1 tell you what you are being moved into. Reading them before December 15 is the whole job.
What auto re-enrollment does
HealthCare.gov's page on automatic re-enrollment sets out the rule. If you have Marketplace coverage in December and you do not pick a plan or stop your coverage by December 15, the Marketplace re-enrolls you in a plan for next year, so there is no gap.
Which plan you land in depends on your insurance company:
- If your plan is still offered, you are usually re-enrolled in the same plan.
- If your insurance company changes or ends the plan, you may be moved to a different plan from the same company.
- If your company offers no similar plan next year, you are re-enrolled in a comparable plan with a different company.
An insurance company cannot move you to a different plan based on your health or how much care you use. The new coverage starts January 1, as long as you pay the first premium.
That sounds safe, and it is, as far as staying covered goes. The catch is in the money.
The catch: the price and your savings
Two things can change without you lifting a finger.
The premium. Plans and prices change every year. Your plan may cost more in 2027, or the plan you are moved to may have a different price and different doctors.
Your savings. Marketplace savings, the premium tax credit and the discounts on your costs, are based on your estimated income for the year you are buying coverage for. If you do not update your application, HealthCare.gov says it estimates your tax credit from the most recent information it has, such as your last application and sources like the IRS. That can go two ways. You could qualify for more savings than you get now. Or you could get too much and have to pay back the difference when you file your federal taxes.
So doing nothing keeps you covered, at a price you have not checked, with savings based on old numbers.
The two letters to read before December 15
HealthCare.gov says that by November 1 you should get two letters:
- One from your current insurance company, about your plan for next year.
- One from the Marketplace.
Between them, per HealthCare.gov, they tell you which plan, if any, you are matched with and will be re-enrolled in if you do not act by December 15, and any changes in your coverage and cost savings.
If one of them has not arrived, contact your insurance company for theirs, and check your HealthCare.gov account for the Marketplace one. Put both side by side. The three numbers that matter are the new monthly premium, the savings applied to it, and what you will actually pay each month.
The dates, in order
The full calendar is in our guide to open enrollment 2026 deadlines. For auto re-enrollment, these are the ones that count, from HealthCare.gov's dates and deadlines page:
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| By Sun, Nov 1, 2026 | Two letters arrive; open enrollment starts |
| Tue, Dec 15 | Last day to update, change or stop for January 1 |
| From Wed, Dec 16 | Your account may show that you were re-enrolled |
| Thu, Dec 31 | Last day to stop an automatic enrollment from starting |
| Fri, Jan 1, 2027 | Coverage starts, if the first premium is paid |
| Fri, Jan 15, 2027 | Open enrollment ends; change for February 1 coverage |
After January 15 you can change plans only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period, for example after a move or a change in your household. If you are in a state that runs its own Marketplace website, its dates can be different. Check that site.
If you do not want Marketplace coverage next year
Auto re-enrollment happens unless you stop it. If you are moving to job-based coverage or Medicare, log into your account by December 15, open your current year's application (not next year's) and use the stop coverage button on the My Plans & Programs page. If you miss that and were already re-enrolled, HealthCare.gov says you can log in by December 31 to keep the coverage from starting.
Let Tracy hold the letter for you
The letters come in early November, when December 15 feels far away. Tracy, the assistant in dEssence, keeps them from getting lost. Take a photo of each letter or send the PDF from your insurer's site to her in Telegram, iMessage, Chrome or the web. She reads the plan name, the new monthly premium and the dates, and keeps them together.
Ask her to remind you in early December, and she does, with the numbers from the letter in the message. Ask her "what did my plan cost this year and what will it cost next year?" and she answers from the letters you sent, if both numbers are in them.
She does not log into HealthCare.gov or your insurer's account, and she does not change, renew or cancel plans. She is not a health insurance advisor either. You decide; she keeps the letter and the date in front of you.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I don't renew my Marketplace plan?
You are re-enrolled automatically. If you do nothing by December 15, 2026, HealthCare.gov re-enrolls you for 2027 in the same plan or a similar one, and coverage starts January 1 once you pay the first premium.
Will my premium stay the same if I'm auto re-enrolled?
Not necessarily. Plans and prices change each year, and your savings are recalculated. The letters you get by November 1 show the plan you are matched with and the changes to coverage and savings.
Can I change plans after I've been automatically re-enrolled?
Yes, until January 15, 2027. If you pick a new plan between December 16 and January 15, it starts February 1. After January 15 you need a Special Enrollment Period.
Do I need to update my income for auto re-enrollment?
You are not required to, but you should. Savings are based on your expected income for next year. Without an update, HealthCare.gov estimates it from older information, and you could get less help than you qualify for or have to pay some back at tax time.
How do I stop automatic re-enrollment?
Log into HealthCare.gov by December 15, open your current year's application and select stop coverage on the My Plans & Programs page. If you already were re-enrolled, log in by December 31 to stop the coverage from starting.