Open enrollment for 2025 ACA-compliant individual/family health and wellness protection is underway—beginning Nov. 1, 2024, and proceeding until Jan. 15, 2025, in most states.
Numerous Americans will sign up or renew their coverage for 2025 during open enrollment. Some have been purchasing their own health insurance for years, while others are relatively new to the process. Some are currently uninsured or have been covered by plans that aren’t ACA-compliant—such as a health care sharing ministry plan or short-term medical insurance.
This article provides an overview of what to expect during the open enrollment period. For more information about open enrollment, check out our comprehensive guide to open enrollment.
ACA open enrollment will look mostly familiar this fall
In general, this year’s open enrollment period will be quite similar to last year’s, but with some changes that we’ll detail below:
- Each state will continue to use the same health insurance marketplace system it used last year (HealthCare.gov in 33 states and a state-run platform in D.C. and the other 17 states). Most states will also continue using the same enrollment schedule as last year.
- The Inflation Reduction Act has extended the American Rescue Plan’s subsidy enhancements through 2025, so the subsidy rules in effect for 2024 will continue for 2025. (There’s no “subsidy cliff,” and the percentage of income that must be spent on the benchmark plan remains lower than before.)
- Because the subsidy enhancements have been extended, the record-high enrollment seen in 2024 is likely to continue, and the increased affordability introduced by the American Rescue Plan will also persist. However, this does not mean your premium will remain the same—more on this below.
- Brokers and Navigators will continue to provide assistance with enrollment. Navigator funding is higher than ever to enhance outreach and enrollment support.
- The insurers offering health plans through the exchanges (and outside the exchanges) will generally be the same insurers that provided plans for 2024. However, several insurers are joining the exchange or expanding their coverage area for 2025, while some insurers are shrinking their coverage areas or exiting the market altogether.
- The IRS has finalized a fix for the “family glitch,” making some families newly eligible for premium subsidies in the marketplace.
- Standardized plans are returning to HealthCare.gov. Standardized plans were optional for insurers in 2017 and 2018, but the federal government stopped creating standard plan templates in 2019. For 2025, standardized plans are once again available through HealthCare.gov (labeled with a green tag that says “easy pricing”). Insurers are required to offer them.
What are the open enrollment deadlines for 2025 plans?
By now, most people are accustomed to the fact that individual/family health insurance is no longer available for purchase year-round. Instead, it follows open enrollment and special enrollment periods, similar to employer-sponsored plans. The same open enrollment schedules apply to plans purchased through the exchange/marketplace and to plans purchased directly from insurers through private networks (i.e., “off-exchange”).
Open enrollment starts November 1, and in almost every state, it will continue through at least January 15. (Note that Idaho is an exception: Open enrollment in Idaho starts and ends earlier, running from October 15 to December 15. Idaho is the only state where open enrollment for 2025 coverage will end before the start of the year.)
In most states, the enrollment schedule follows the same timeframe as last year. Generally, you’ll need to enroll by December 15 for your coverage to take effect on January 1. Enrolling after December 15 will usually result in a February 1 effective date.
One exception to keep in mind: If your current health insurance plan ends at the end of 2024 and is not available for renewal, you can select a new plan as late as December 31 and still have it take effect on January 1.
Although open enrollment continues through at least mid-January in most states, it is in your best interest to finalize your plan selection in time for coverage to begin on January 1. In most states, this means you must enroll or make plan changes by December 15. While there’s no difference in your coverage’s effective date whether you enroll on November 1 or December 15, waiting until the last minute can be stressful, and assistance may be harder to find. Giving yourself a little extra time can be beneficial in case you encounter issues during enrollment or decide you need help.
Rest assured, however, that open enrollment continues until at least mid-January in most states. If you are unable to enroll earlier, you can still complete the process after the start of the year, with coverage effective from February 1.
Insurers entering and leaving individual and family markets
As always, there will be some changes in which insurers offer individual/family health coverage for 2025. Over the past several years, there has been a general trend toward increased insurer participation in the exchanges. This trend continues in 2025, with new insurers joining (or rejoining) the exchanges in multiple states. However, some insurers are also exiting the marketplace, which current enrollees should be aware of.
Several insurers are joining exchanges in the following states for 2025:
- Ambetter/Celtic (Alabama)
- Cigna (Texas, Indiana, and South Carolina)
- Ascension Personalized Care (Tennessee and Texas)
- Aetna (Delaware, California, Illinois, New Jersey)
- UnitedHealthcare (Kansas, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio)
- AmeriHealth (Delaware and Florida)
- Taro Health (Maine)
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Nebraska (Nebraska)
- Moda Health (Idaho)
- St. Luke’s Health Plan (Idaho)
- CareSource (North Carolina)
- Imperial Insurance Companies (Texas and Arizona)
- Select Health of South Carolina (South Carolina)
- Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Dakota (South Dakota)
However, some insurers are exiting the marketplaces in several states, including:
- Oscar Health (Exiting Arkansas and Colorado, but offering coverage in 19 other states)
- Bright HealthCare (Exiting the individual/family market in all 17 states where they currently offer these plans, affecting approximately a million exchange enrollees)
- WPS Health Insurance Inc. (Exiting the on-exchange market in Wisconsin but continuing to offer off-exchange plans)
- Friday Health Plans (Exiting the individual/family market in Texas and New Mexico but continuing to offer coverage in five other states)
ACA premiums for 2025
The only way to know for sure what your 2025 premium will be is to watch for communication from your insurer and exchange. They will inform you about changes to your plan for 2025, including the new premium (and subsidy amount if you’re subsidy-eligible; most people are).
Across most states, the overall weighted average rate change for 2025 is a 6.2% increase. This is slightly higher than the general average rate increases seen in recent years (3.5% for 2023, less than 1% for 2022, and a slight decrease for 2021). However, an overall average does not indicate how much your specific plan’s premium will change.
The key takeaway: Actively compare your available plan options rather than simply allowing your current plan to auto-renew. You may find a better plan for your needs or a more affordable option.
If you are currently uninsured or enrolled in non-ACA-compliant coverage, check out your plan options during open enrollment. Many enrollees pay significantly reduced premiums, with some paying less than $10 per month. This affordability level will continue in 2025.