Now that we're into January and there have been several more Open Enrollment deadline extensions, it's time for another updated rundown of the remaining deadlines are for every state and what your options are if you miss them.
This is basically a standalone version of the first section of my annual Open Enrollment Guide; I hope that separating it out will make it less overwhelming.
IDAHO: December 15th was the only deadline for 2026 coverage. If you missed it, you're out of luck unless you qualify for one of the following exceptions:
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.
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.
Since we're past the initial December 15th Open Enrollment Deadline for coverage starting January 1st in most states and since there's been several enrollment deadline extensions announced by various states (including two more today), I figured this would be a good time to post a completely updated rundown of just what the remaining deadlines are for every state as well as what your options are if you miss them.
This is basically a standalone version of the first section of my annual Open Enrollment Guide; I hope that separating it out will make it less overwhelming.
IDAHO: December 15th was the only deadline for 2026 coverage. If you missed it, you're pretty much out of luck unless you qualify for one of the following exceptions:
HARTFORD, Conn. (December 16, 2025) — Access Health CT (AHCT), Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace, experienced intermittent website outages on Monday, December 15, 2025 that impacted customers who wanted to enroll by that date to have coverage starting January 1, 2026. The website has been fully restored and is now available for eligible Connecticut residents to enroll in coverage.
We're now over the hump: The initial deadline for people to enroll in ACA healthcare coverage starting on January 1st has passed in most states.
HOWEVER, there's some important caveats to this, as well as some last-minute deadline extensions in a couple of states, so let's dig in...
If you live in IDAHO, last night was the one and only Open Enrollment Period deadline.
This means that if you didn't actively select a plan for 2026, current enrollees are stuck with whatever plan Your Health Idaho automatically renewed theme into, while uninsured residents who didn't sign up by the deadline are mostly out of luck.
The exceptions to this for both categories are a) if they're members of a federally-recognized Native American tribe (or are Alaska Natives); or b) if they are (or become) eligible for Medicaid or the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). All of these are eligible to enroll year-round.
HARTFORD, Conn. (Dec. 8, 2025) — Access Health CT (AHCT), Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace, today announced the deadline to enroll in health and dental coverage starting Jan. 1, 2026 is Dec. 15, 2025. Customers who enroll Dec. 16, 2025 through Jan. 15, 2026 will have coverage beginning Feb. 1, 2026.
The Open Enrollment Period for Connecticut residents to shop, compare and enroll in health insurance or renew their coverage began Nov. 1, 2025 and runs through Jan. 15, 2026. Customers may enroll in health and dental coverage.
HARTFORD, Conn. (Oct. 30, 2025) — Access Health CT (AHCT), Connecticut’s official health insurance marketplace, today announced it will hold several enrollment fairs in November to help Connecticut residents shop, compare and enroll in health or dental coverage. They can also renew their coverage. Enrollment fairs are one-day events for customers to get in-person help from experts. The fairs will take place in Danbury, Manchester, Norwalk, Norwich, New London, Stratford and Willimantic. All help is free.
Open Enrollment begins Nov. 1, 2025 and ends Jan. 15, 2026.
When you enroll affects when your coverage starts. If customers enroll on or before Dec. 15, 2025, coverage will start Jan. 1, 2026. If they enroll between Dec. 16, 2025 and Jan. 15, 2026, coverage will begin Feb. 1, 2026.
I've already noted that 17 states have launched window shopping for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP), allowing residents of the following states to plug their household information into their states ACA exchange website to see just how much their net health insurance premiums are going to increase starting January 1st, 2026:
The Connecticut Insurance Department has posted the initial proposed health insurance rate filings for the 2026 individual and small group markets. There are 8 filings made by 7 health insurers for plans that currently cover approximately 224,000 people (158,000 individual and 66,000 small group).
Anthem has filed rates for both individual and small group plans that will be marketed through Access Health CT, the state-sponsored health insurance exchange. ConnectiCare Benefits Inc. (CBI) and ConnectiCare Insurance Company, Inc. have filed rates for the individual market on the exchange.
Before I continue, note that yes, I'm aware the 17.8% average shown below doesn't match the 22.9% average in the headline above. There's a reason for this which should be obvious if you read on:
The 2026 rate proposals for the individual and small group market are on average higher than last year:
Connecticut has around ~151,000 residents enrolled in ACA exchange plans, 88% of whom are currently subsidized. I estimate they also have another ~7,000 unsubsidized off-exchange enrollees.
