Shopping for an ACA plan this year? Here’s what you need to know.

October 23, 2026 / 5:00 AM EDT / KFF Health News

Consumers who buy Affordable Care Act health insurance are going to see changes both big and small as open enrollment for 2027 coverage kicks off. These include premium increases, possible additional identity checks, potential delays in working with a broker, and new limits on which immigrants can get subsidies.

Open enrollment starts Nov. 1 in most states. Idaho, Connecticut, and Massachusetts start earlier, and some states are already allowing "window shopping" to check premium rates.

A continued decline in overall enrollment is expected, mainly because of the expiration of enhanced subsidies at the end of 2025. Policy experts say the end of those subsidies led millions to drop or lose coverage through the first few months of this year.

But the Trump administration sees victory in the falling enrollment, crediting its various efforts to reduce fraud, including the August cancellation of policies covering 760,000 enrollees suspected to be improperly signed up. A small number of those enrollees have regained coverage.

One of the biggest changes will be increased scrutiny of both consumers and agents via requirements aimed at thwarting fraud or improper enrollments. For consumers, it could slow the…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/healthwatch/