Your Insurance Detective › New Jersey › Open enrollment 2027
When Is GetCoveredNJ Open Enrollment for 2027? Dates, the December 31 Deadline, and What the Rate Filings Say
Written and reviewed by Dick Tracy, licensed health insurance broker (NPN 20414610) · Published September 24, 2026
Quick answer GetCoveredNJ open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. Enroll by December 31, 2026 and coverage starts January 1, 2027. Enroll in January and it starts February 1, with January uncovered. The number to watch this year is the rate filing. New Jersey carriers have asked for an average 20.4% increase on individual plans for 2027, from 15.4% at Horizon to 35.7% at UnitedHealthcare, and the state does not have the power to negotiate individual rates down the way New York does. Finals are expected in late October. NJ FamilyCare has no window at all, and neither do the group plans I use for healthy self-employed New Jerseyans. I educate, you decide.
I'm Dick Tracy, an independent health insurance broker licensed in New Jersey (NPN 20414610), one of 25 states, working with 80+ carriers. I came from the healthcare side of this business, billing codes and prior authorizations and the real price behind the "allowable" rate, so there's no gag clause on me. You get the tips, the tricks, and the traps. The trap on this page: New Jersey's deadline is December 31, later than almost every other state, and people treat the extra two weeks as a cushion instead of a cliff.
and runs through Jan. 31, 2027
for a Jan. 1, 2027 start
on 2027 individual plans (not final)
Sources: NJ Department of Banking and Insurance, August 10, 2026 (2027 window); GetCoveredNJ, frequently asked questions (December 31 rule, February 1 start); federal Rate Review database filings as compiled by ACA Signups, August 13, 2026 and healthinsurance.org, August 12, 2026 (requested 2027 rates). Last verified September 24, 2026.
What are the GetCoveredNJ open enrollment dates for 2027?
Every row comes from the state's own documents. The one row marked "expected" is the date the final 2027 rates post, which follows last year's pattern. Everything else is published.
| Date | What happens |
|---|---|
| Late October 2026 (expected) | The Department of Banking and Insurance posts the final 2027 individual market rates. Last year's finals posted October 27, 2025. |
| November 1, 2026 | Open enrollment begins for 2027 marketplace plans. Anyone can sign up or change plans. |
| December 31, 2026 | Enroll by this date for coverage that starts January 1, 2027. GetCoveredNJ's standing rule. |
| January 1, 2027 | New plan year begins. New deductible, new out-of-pocket maximum, new rates. |
| January 31, 2027 | Open enrollment ends. |
| February 1, 2027 | Coverage starts for anyone who enrolled in January. |
Sources: NJ Department of Banking and Insurance, August 10, 2026 ("November 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027"); GetCoveredNJ FAQ ("If you enroll by December 31, your coverage will start January 1. If you enroll in January, your coverage will start February 1"); DOBI, October 27, 2025 (last year's final rates date).
Miss December 31 and you are starting February 1. That is a full month with no coverage, right after the holidays, which is exactly when people find out they need it. And in New Jersey a gap is not free, because the state still has a penalty. Decide early. Then enjoy December.
How much are New Jersey health insurance rates going up in 2027?
Here is the honest state of play on September 24, 2026. The carriers have filed. The state has not posted finals. And unlike New York, where the Department of Financial Services cut a 20.6% request down to 6%, New Jersey law gives the Department of Banking and Insurance no prior approval power over individual market rates. The department said so itself on August 10: it reviews filings for compliance, and it cannot negotiate the number. So the requested figures below are worth reading as if they were close to real.
| Carrier (New Jersey individual market) | 2027 increase requested | 2026 increase, final |
|---|---|---|
| Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey | 15.4% | 18.1% |
| AmeriHealth Insurance Company of New Jersey | 17.0% | 15.5% |
| Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey | 20.8% | 17.1% |
| Oscar Garden State | 29.3% | 4.6% |
| UnitedHealthcare | 35.7% | 18.4% |
| Individual market, weighted average | 20.4% | 16.6% |
| Small employer market, weighted average | 18.3% | 16.5% |
Sources: 2027 requested figures from carrier filings in the federal Rate Review database, as compiled by ACA Signups, August 13, 2026 and healthinsurance.org, August 12, 2026; 2026 final figures from DOBI, average rate changes. Averages across each carrier's plans; your own plan's change is on your renewal notice. I will replace this table with the finals the day DOBI posts them.
Read that table like a detective. Oscar had the smallest increase for 2026 at 4.6% and is now asking for 29.3% on roughly 144,000 members. Horizon, which covers the most people at about 191,000, is asking for the least. If you are on an Oscar or UnitedHealthcare plan, the renewal letter coming in November is your cue to shop, not to sigh and pay it. I explain the "why" behind these letters in Why did my health insurance go up?
What else changed for 2027 on GetCoveredNJ?
| Change | What it means |
|---|---|
| Enhanced federal credits are gone | The bigger premium tax credits from 2021 expired December 31, 2025 and were not extended. The federal credit again stops cold at 400% of the federal poverty level: one dollar over and it is zero. That is the subsidy cliff, and it is back for 2027. |
| New Jersey's own subsidy stays | New Jersey Health Plan Savings continues for 2027 for households up to 600% of the poverty level, $93,900 for one person and $192,900 for a family of four. Between 400% and 600% it is a small amount, not a replacement for the federal credit. The full chart is on GetCoveredNJ income limits 2026. |
| Enrollment fell hard | 509,192 people signed up for 2026 during open enrollment. By June 30, 2026 it was 434,700, a net loss of 74,492 in five months, which the department blames on the federal credits expiring. Fewer healthy people in the pool is part of why the 2027 filings are what they are. |
| Carriers | The same five carriers that sold 2026 plans have filed for 2027: Horizon, AmeriHealth, Oscar, UnitedHealthcare, and Ambetter from WellCare. Aetna left after 2025. Check that your doctors are still in your plan's network anyway. Networks change more often than carriers do. |
| NJ FamilyCare work rules | Starting January 1, 2027, adults 19 to 64 who qualify on income alone must show 80 hours a month of work, school, or community service, or income of at least $580 a month, and renewals for that group move to every six months. Losing NJ FamilyCare is a qualifying event, so report it the month it happens. |
| The window itself | Unchanged. A federal rule that would have shortened marketplace windows for 2027 was vacated by a federal court on June 12, 2026 (City of Columbus v. Kennedy), and the appeal is set for argument October 30, 2026. New Jersey said on August 10 it is keeping the full three months either way. My advice stands either way: be done by December 31. |
Sources: DOBI, August 10, 2026 (enrollment loss, state subsidy, window); GetCoveredNJ, premiums and financial help (600% of poverty, $93,900 and $192,900); GetCoveredNJ 2026 final enrollment snapshot (509,192); healthinsurance.org, New Jersey marketplace guide (five carriers); NJ Department of Human Services, NJ FamilyCare work requirements; Georgetown Health Care Litigation Tracker (federal window case).
The cliff is the one to respect. Under 400% of the poverty level, guess your income low and the IRS takes the difference back at tax time. Over it, the federal credit is gone and New Jersey's own help is thin. Run the free 2026 subsidy cliff calculator and check the New Jersey income limits before you fall in love with a monthly number.
Which New Jersey programs have no open enrollment window?
One public program and one private door, and between them they cover a lot of the state. GetCoveredNJ says you can enroll in NJ FamilyCare, the state's free or low-cost coverage, any time of year. The November to January window only governs the private marketplace plans.
| Type of coverage | When you can start it |
|---|---|
| Marketplace plan (the regular GetCoveredNJ plan, or the same plan bought off the exchange) | November 1 to January 31, or within 60 days of a qualifying life event |
| NJ FamilyCare (adults up to 138% of poverty, children up to 355%) | Any time. Free or low cost. Work rules for some adults start January 1, 2027. |
| A pre-established ERISA group plan | Group plans are not tied to the individual open enrollment calendar |
Sources: GetCoveredNJ, When can I buy health insurance? ("You can enroll in NJ FamilyCare... any time of year"); NJ FamilyCare income guidelines.
What is the special enrollment period, and what counts?
Outside the window, a marketplace plan takes a qualifying life event: losing other coverage, marriage, a baby or adoption, a permanent move, and a handful of others. GetCoveredNJ gives you 60 days from the event (GetCoveredNJ, When can I buy health insurance?). New Jersey adds two triggers most states do not have. Pregnancy itself opens a special enrollment period, not just the birth. And the NJ Easy Enrollment checkbox on the state tax return lets an uninsured filer ask the marketplace to reach out. The most common event by far is still a layoff, and it starts two clocks at once: 60 days to pick a marketplace plan and 60 days to elect COBRA. Use the first week, not the eighth. The COBRA math and the cheaper doors are in the alternatives to COBRA, and the COBRA cost calculator gives you your number in a minute.
One trap: dropping a plan on purpose is not a qualifying event. Quitting COBRA early, or letting a plan lapse because you stopped paying, does not open a new window. Decide on purpose, not by default.
What should I actually do before November 1?
Here is the part the marketplace's own materials will never tell you, because it is not their job. The November to January calendar governs individual plans. It does not govern group coverage. And New Jersey is a state where that difference matters more than most, because the individual market here cannot price you on your health, in either direction. A healthy 40-year-old and a 40-year-old with three prescriptions pay the same rate. The healthy-person discount that exists in Florida or Ohio does not exist on GetCoveredNJ.
The pre-established ERISA group plan is the door I lead with for a healthy New Jerseyan who earns too much for a subsidy. ERISA is the 1974 federal law that governs employer benefit plans, and it overrides state rating rules. Group plans already exist under it, and a self-employed person, a 1099 contractor, or a small business's people can be merged into one. Group rates. A true PPO network, MagnaCare in New Jersey and New York plus PHCS and MultiPlan nationwide, instead of the narrow regional networks most marketplace plans carry. A policy you own and take with you to the next job. The business can be the payer. No employees required, and one simple compliance step I walk you through. It is not tied to the open enrollment calendar at all. Here is the ERISA cheat code, explained.
When that door does not fit, I customize the plan based on the situation. Often that is cost-effective, customized individual plans instead of a one-size-fits-all plan, layered with gap protection or accident coverage where the math says so. And sometimes the honest answer is a marketplace plan. I will tell you which, with the numbers next to each other.
Healthy, self-employed, income over the subsidy line
Price the pre-established ERISA group plan first, in any month. Then compare it against a marketplace plan at sticker plus your carrier's 2027 percentage. Your renewal letter is the tiebreaker. The New Jersey doors, in order, are here.
Income under the subsidy lines
A subsidized plan or NJ FamilyCare may be your best deal, and I will tell you so. The trade-offs: narrower networks, an income estimate you have to get right, and repayment at tax time if you guess low. Run the subsidy calculator, preset for New Jersey, then bring me the number.
Small business owner with a few employees
You have no window to wait for. The small employer filings for 2027 average an 18.3% increase. Three routes: traditional fully insured small group, the pre-established ERISA group merge, or no group plan at all. I customize the plan based on the situation, often cost-effective customized individual plans instead of a one-size-fits-all group plan.
Lost coverage in the middle of the year
The clock is 60 days. Call me in week one, not week eight, and we price COBRA against every other door before either clock runs out.
A serious diagnosis in the last five years
Guaranteed-issue coverage, for now. New Jersey marketplace plans cannot ask health questions. Take that protection, do not miss December 31, and we revisit the other doors later.
Common questions about GetCoveredNJ open enrollment 2027
When is GetCoveredNJ open enrollment for 2027?
GetCoveredNJ open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027. The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance confirmed the full three-month window on August 10, 2026, after a federal rule tried to shorten it. That window is for the private plans sold on the marketplace. New Jersey runs its own marketplace and sets its own dates, so the window is two weeks longer than the HealthCare.gov window used in most other states, which ends January 15.
What is the GetCoveredNJ deadline for coverage starting January 1, 2027?
December 31, 2026. GetCoveredNJ's standing rule is that if you enroll by December 31, your coverage starts January 1, and if you enroll in January, your coverage starts February 1. That is later than most states, which cut off around December 15. Do not use the extra two weeks. The last week of December is when call centers are slowest and mistakes are hardest to fix, and missing it means a January with no coverage, right after the holidays.
How much are New Jersey health insurance rates going up in 2027?
The final number is not out yet. As of September 24, 2026 the carriers' requested 2027 increases in the federal Rate Review database average 20.4% across the New Jersey individual market: Horizon 15.4%, AmeriHealth 17.0%, Ambetter from WellCare 20.8%, Oscar 29.3%, and UnitedHealthcare 35.7%. Small employer filings average 18.3%. New Jersey law does not give the Department of Banking and Insurance prior approval power over individual market rates, so it reviews filings for compliance rather than negotiating them down the way New York does. Last year the department posted the final 2026 rates on October 27, 2025, at 16.6%, so expect the 2027 finals in late October.
Does New Jersey still have a penalty for not having health insurance in 2027?
Yes. New Jersey has its own individual mandate, the Health Insurance Market Preservation Act, and it did not go away when the federal penalty did. If you go without qualifying coverage and have no exemption, you owe a Shared Responsibility Payment on your New Jersey return. For tax year 2025 the payment ran from $695 to $4,908 for a single person and from $2,443 to as much as $24,540 for a family of five depending on income, per the New Jersey Treasury, and it is capped at the statewide average Bronze premium. The Treasury has an estimator for 2026. Going without coverage in 2027 has a price even if you never see a doctor.
Can I enroll in NJ FamilyCare outside open enrollment?
Yes. NJ FamilyCare, New Jersey's Medicaid and CHIP program, takes applications any time of year, per GetCoveredNJ. The open enrollment window only applies to the private marketplace plans. Adults qualify up to 138% of the federal poverty level, about $1,836 a month for one person in 2026, and children are covered up to 355% with no premium. One change to watch: starting January 1, 2027, adults 19 to 64 who qualify on income alone must show 80 hours a month of work, school, or community service, or income of at least $580 a month, and their renewals move to every six months. Losing NJ FamilyCare is a qualifying event that opens a 60-day window on GetCoveredNJ.
What is the special enrollment period on GetCoveredNJ?
A special enrollment period lets you sign up for a marketplace plan outside the November 1 to January 31 window after a qualifying life event: losing other coverage, marriage, a baby or adoption, a permanent move, and a few others. GetCoveredNJ gives you 60 days from the event. New Jersey adds two triggers most states do not have: pregnancy opens a special enrollment period, and checking the NJ Easy Enrollment box on your state tax return lets the marketplace contact you about coverage. Losing a job-based plan is the most common trigger, and it starts the same 60-day clock that COBRA does, so price every door inside those 60 days, not after.
Do I have to wait for open enrollment to get health insurance in New Jersey?
Only for an individual marketplace plan. NJ FamilyCare enrolls year-round if you qualify. Group coverage is not tied to the individual calendar, and that includes the pre-established ERISA group plans I use for healthy self-employed New Jerseyans: group rates, a true PPO network on MagnaCare in New Jersey plus PHCS and MultiPlan nationwide, and a policy you own, started in any month. Losing coverage mid-year also opens a 60-day special enrollment period. An independent broker prices all of those side by side at no cost to you.
Thirty minutes on the phone or Zoom, no fee, no hard sell. Bring your renewal letter, a rough income number, your doctors, and how you use care. I put every New Jersey door that fits you side by side, including the ones with no enrollment window, before you lock anything in for 2027. I educate, you decide.
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Who you'll be talking to: me, Richard "Dick" Tracy. Real name, real job.
Independent health insurance broker · NPN 20414610 · Licensed in 25 states · 80+ carriers · Buffalo, NY
No call center, and no lead form that sells your name to ten agencies. The person who answers 716-503-1113 is the same person in this photo. I educate, you decide.
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