2026 Open Enrollment

via MNsure, Minnesota's ACA exchange:

ST. PAUL, Minn. — Minnesotans have four days left to sign up for health insurance through MNsure for the rest of the calendar year. The final deadline to enroll is 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, January 15, for coverage that starts February 1, 2026. After January 15, most Minnesotans will need a major life change, such as moving, getting married, or having a baby, to enroll in health insurance through MNsure—which makes this deadline especially critical.

“Enrollment advice and financial help for Minnesota health care plans are available through the MNsure website,” said MNsure CEO Libby Caulum. “Minnesotans have a variety of plan options to choose from and can shop with confidence on the state’s official health insurance marketplace.”

Yesterday, the U.S. House of Representatives finally voted on a clean, 3-year extension of the enhanced ACA tax credits which had been in place for the prior five years, and which over 22 million Americans (myself included) were relying on to keep their health insurance premiums at affordable levels until they expired at the end of December 2025.

In the end, 17 House Republicans voted with all 213 House Democrats to extend the improved tax credit formula through the end of 2028. Thirteen of the seventeen GOP "Yea" votes represent swing districts (the remaining four were Maria Elvira Salazar in FL-27, Andrew Garbarino of NY-02, David Joyce of OH-14 and Monica DeLa Cruz of TX-15).

Washington HealthPlan Finder

via the Washington HealthBenefit Exchange:

Apply by Jan. 15 for health and dental insurance with state and federal savings for those who qualify

OLYMPIA, Wash. – Amid federal uncertainty, including the loss of enhanced premium tax credits (ePTCs), more than 278,000 Washingtonians have signed up for health and dental insurance for 2026 through Washington Healthplanfinder. One week remains for Washington residents to visit wahealthplanfinder.org or work with a trusted resource in their community to find out what health and dental insurance options are available for this new year. The deadline for this year’s open enrollment is Jan. 15, for coverage that starts on Feb. 1.

*(I think New Mexico would disagree w/the headline, but whatever...)

This is a big deal. via the Massachusetts Health Connector:

Massachusetts is investing $600 million – the most in the country – to limit health care premium increases after President Trump and Congressional Republicans refused to extend ACA credits

BOSTON—Governor Maura Healey today detailed the strongest plan in the country* to protect Massachusetts residents from health care cost increases after President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans refused to extend Federal Enhanced Premium Tax Credits (EPTC) under the Affordable Care Act. 22 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents who get their health insurance through the Massachusetts Health Connector, have relied on these credits to afford their health insurance.

via Covered California's Open Enrollment Dashboard, as of January 3rd:

  • New enrollments: 163,023
  • Active renewals: 509.526
  • Passive Autorenewals: 1,252,350
  • Total: 1,924,899

As of the same point last year (actually 1 day more; the data from last year is as of 12/28), Covered CA was reporting:

  • New enrollments: 235,573
  • Active renewals: 425,700
  • Passive/Autorenewals: 1,241,745
  • Total: 1,903,018

Now that we're past the deadline for January coverage, I can start including auto-renewals as well. Overall...

Last week I issued a warning that once the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period ends in a few weeks, the Trump Regime is likely to crow about total enrollment "only" dropping by perhaps a million people compared to a year ago (while also blaming all of that loss on "fraudulent enrollees" etc etc) even though enrollment will actually likely drop by several times as many over the next few months.

As I explained, the reason for this is that around half of the ~22 million enrollees as of last fall likely allowed themselves to be passively auto-renewed into the same plans, meaning that they'll be counted as having "selected" a plan for 2026 even if many of them immediately cancel it as soon as they see the shocking rate hikes. Others will stick it out for a few months before not being able to afford their coverage any longer & dropping out of the market altogether.

A few weeks ago I reported that Access Health CT, Connecticut's ACA exchange, was planning on joining several other states including California, Colorado, Maryland, New Jersey & New Mexico in offering supplemental subsidies to partially (or, in the case of New Mexico, fully) backfill the lost federal tax credits for ACA enrollees.

Connecticut will spend $70 million to partly offset the looming loss of $295 million in enhanced federal tax credits that subsidize health insurance premiums for tens of thousands of residents under the Affordable Care Act, Gov. Ned Lamont said Thursday.

Using emergency authority granted him by the General Assembly in special session last month, the governor announced the commitment minutes after the U.S. Senate failed to advance either a Democratic proposal to extend the credits or a Republican alternative.

BeWell NM, New Mexico's ACA exchange, is the only state marketplace with ongoing daily enrollment data reports:

New Mexico Open Enrollment 2026 - Enrollment Summary

Last Refreshed On: December 31st, 2025

  • Active Re-enrollees: 17,287
  • New Enrollees: 8,443
  • Auto-Re-enrollees: 53,042
  • Total: 78,772

By comparison, at the same point last year, BeWell NM reported:

  • Active Re-enrollees: 19,216
  • New Enrollees: 6,644
  • Auto-Re-enrollees: 39,826
  • Total: 65,686

In other words, new enrollments are up 27% while active renewals are down about 10%; they pretty much cancel each other out compared to the same point last year.

via CoverME, Maine's ACA exchange:

The Maine Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Office of the Health Insurance Marketplace (OHIM) will release biweekly updates on plan selections through CoverME.gov, Maine’s Health Insurance Marketplace.  

Plan selections provide a snapshot of activity by new and returning consumers who have selected a plan for 2026. “Plan selections” become “enrollments” once consumers have paid their first monthly premium to begin coverage. These numbers are subject to change as consumers may modify or cancel plans after their initial selection.   

The deadline to select a plan for coverage beginning January 1, 2026 is December 15, 2025. Consumers who select a plan between December 16, 2025 and January 15, 2026 will have coverage beginning February 1, 2026. 

via the New Jersey Dept. of Banking & Insurance:

TRENTON — With a critical deadline approaching to enroll in 2026 health coverage through Get Covered New Jersey, Department of Banking and Insurance Commissioner Justin Zimmerman is encouraging residents in need of health insurance to enroll by December 31st for coverage that is effective on January 1st . 

Open Enrollment at Get Covered New Jersey, the state’s Official Health Insurance Marketplace, runs from November 1, 2025, through January 31, 2026, but consumers must enroll in a plan by December 31, 2025, for coverage beginning January 1, 2026. Those who enroll by January 31, 2026, will have coverage beginning on February 1, 2026.

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