THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD at the state’s health insurance marketplace is about two weeks away, and officials are anticipating another wave of coverage losses tied to federal eligibility changes.
Last year’s open enrollment window was particularly bumpy, as state leaders unsuccessfully pleaded with Congress to extend federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. Gov. Maura Healey ultimately pumped an additional $250 million into heavily subsidized plans to prevent premium spikes.
This cycle will be “another unique open enrollment period,” predicted Massachusetts Health Connector Executive Director Audrey Morse Gasteier, as the state absorbs the ongoing effects of the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
People can sign up for coverage through the Connector, including heavily subsidized ConnectorCare plans for eligible Bay Staters, starting October 23, with open enrollment stretching through January 23, 2027. Residents must select a plan by December 23 to ensure their coverage starts Jan. 1, while coverage selected after that deadline will take effect February 1, said Erin Ryan, the Connector’s deputy chief for external affairs.
Nearly 350,000 Bay Staters are currently enrolled in individual Connector coverage. People will need to navigate double-digit premium hikes and some discontinued plans, particularly among Tufts Direct and Fallon Health enrollees.
“We are working with all of our members in our communications and our outreach to make sure people understand their options, be they the availability of ConnectorCare and other supports to help people absorb cost challenges and make sure that they’re in the right plan for them that fits their budget,” Morse Gasteier said during a media briefing Wednesday afternoon.
“There’s a lot of cost challenges and pressures that families across the commonwealth and the country are facing right now, so we understand how tough some of the decisions facing people around health coverage and plan choices can be, particularly when it comes to cost,” she added.
Under the state’s individual mandate, residents must have health insurance that meets certain standards or face a tax penalty.
Insurance regulators approved an average premium jump of 10.4 percent in the merged market where many individuals and small businesses get coverage, and residents enrolling in the Connector’s unsubsidized non-group plans will see an average premium increase of 12.4 percent.
About 30,000 to 35,000 lawfully present noncitizens are expected to lose their eligibility for federal subsidies on January 1, though they’ll be allowed to purchase Connector plans at full cost. Morse Gasteier said the Connector is “most worried” about those individuals, as she stressed other categories of immigrants like green card holders will remain eligible for federal subsidies.
Nearly 23,000 people terminated their Connector coverage for 2026, with about half of those enrollees affected by the expired federal tax credits. Meanwhile, more than 46,560 people newly enrolled in coverage for 2026. Morse Gasteier said she expects a similar dynamic this open enrollment cycle, with new enrollees offsetting coverage losses.
“There will be another tranche of individuals losing their subsidy eligibility because of federal policy, and we are going to be doing everything we can, working with those populations to help support them and deciding if they could afford to or want to remain in coverage,” Morse Gasteier said. She added, “But if many of them do end up leaving coverage, we are also going to be very hard at work trying to sign up other individuals and hopefully balance out any enrollment losses, so that we are keeping pace with our goals and keeping as many people in Massachusetts as possible covered.”
The Connector’s call center and more than 50 in-person “navigator” locations around the state are available for residents who need help selecting insurance plans, Ryan said. There are also 24 navigator organizations that provide personalized assistance in nearly 30 languages.
