When will my health plan start? Deadlines for on- and off-exchange plans

Individual health plans always start on the 1st of a month. Which 1st depends on when you pick your plan and where you buy it. Buy too late and your coverage starts a month later.

The quick version

Example: you live in a HealthCare.gov state and pick a plan on March 28. Coverage starts April 1. In a state with a 15th-of-the-month cutoff, picking a plan on March 20 means coverage starts May 1.

Our recommendation: finish a week early

The cutoffs above are the latest you can enroll, not the safest. Enrollments finished late in the month sometimes hit snags, even on HealthCare.gov: an application that needs more information, a first payment that doesn't go through, or a processing delay. When that happens, your start date can slip to the following month, and getting it moved back is slow and not always possible.

That's why we recommend completing your enrollment at least a week before the date you want your coverage to start. It gives you, and our team, time to fix any problems before the 1st.

On-exchange plans (HealthCare.gov or a state marketplace)

• HealthCare.gov states: the deadline is the last day of the month for coverage on the 1st of the next month. To be safe, aim to finish about a week before that.
• States with their own marketplace often need you to enroll by the 15th of the month before. A few use different dates. See the Open Enrollment 2027 State FAQ for your state's cutoff.

Off-exchange plans (directly from an insurer)

When you buy directly from an insurer, the insurer sets its own application cutoff and first-payment deadline. Many insurers need your application around mid-month to start coverage on the 1st of the next month. Check the start date shown at checkout, or ask the insurer, before you submit.

Enrolling because you got the StretchDollar benefit

Getting an ICHRA from your employer gives you a special enrollment period, so you can buy a plan outside Open Enrollment. You don't need to have health coverage already.

• You can usually enroll up to 60 days before your benefit starts, so your plan can start the same day as your benefit. You also have 60 days after your benefit becomes available.
• Waiting until the end of that window pushes your start date later, and the months before your plan starts aren't reimbursed.

Don't forget your first payment

Your coverage isn't active until you pay your first premium (sometimes called a binder payment). See How do I make my first payment (binder payment)?

Why this matters for your reimbursement

When you set up auto-reimbursement, you'll choose your plan's start month. Your first month is reimbursed once your admin approves. See When will I get my auto-reimbursement?

Not sure which deadline applies to you? Check the start date shown before you finish enrolling, or contact [email protected].