If you look up the health insurance deadline online, most sites will tell you January 15. That is correct for about 40 states. It is wrong for California.
California runs its own marketplace, so it sets its own calendar. You get until January 31. And if you already have a Covered California plan, you can start switching on October 1, a full month before anyone else can sign up.
Two extra weeks sounds small. It is the difference between having coverage and going a year without it, and every year people miss it because they read a national article.
Your three dates
October 1, November 1, January 31. Two of the three are different from the rest of the country.
October 1, 2026. If you already have a Covered California plan, you can renew it or switch to a different one starting now. Covered California puts it plainly: current enrollees "can choose to renew or switch their plans beginning Oct. 1." You do not have to wait for November. Source: Covered California rate announcement, July 21, 2026.
November 1, 2026. Open enrollment starts. This is when anyone can sign up, whether or not you have coverage today.
January 31, 2027. Open enrollment ends. Most states close January 15. California does not.
There is one more date worth knowing. Pick a plan by December 31 and your coverage starts January 1. Pick one between January 1 and January 31 and it starts February 1. So the real question is whether you want to be covered on New Year's Day.
- Already have a plan: your window opens October 1
- Want coverage on January 1: choose by December 31
- Last call for any 2027 coverage: January 31
Rates are going up about 9.9%, but that is an average, not your bill
The statewide average is 9.9%. What you actually pay depends on your region, your carrier, and your income.
Covered California has proposed a weighted average increase of 9.9% for 2027. That is lower than the national median, which is running near 14%.
These are proposed rates, not final ones. California's Department of Managed Health Care reviews them and takes public comment first. Final rates take effect January 1, 2027. Source: Covered California rate announcement, July 21, 2026. Rates are subject to final review by the Department of Managed Health Care.
The average hides a lot. Here is what was proposed where we work:
- Sacramento, Placer, El Dorado and Yolo counties: 9.0%
- Fresno, Kings and Madera counties: 11.8%
- San Diego County: 13.1%
- Statewide: 9.9%
California pays its own subsidy, and more people qualify in 2027
The state put $300 million into premium help, up from $190 million, and raised the income limit.
Federal enhanced tax credits expired at the end of 2025. California responded with its own money.
For 2027 the state subsidy program grew to $300 million, up from $190 million. Californians earning up to 200% of the federal poverty level now qualify. That is about $31,920 for one person, or $66,000 for a family of four. Source: Covered California rate announcement, July 21, 2026.
Covered California projects more than 500,000 people will get state help in 2027, roughly 30% of everyone enrolled. About 200,000 of them can pick a Silver plan with a $0 premium.
Here is the part people miss: this is on top of the federal tax credit, and you do not apply for it separately. It shows up when you enter your income. Which means an income estimate that is off by a few thousand dollars can cost you real money.
- 60% of enrollees are projected to see no increase in their monthly premium
- 26% stay at a $0 premium without changing plans
- About 200,000 people become newly eligible for state help in 2027
Two carrier changes that force a decision
Molina is leaving two regions. CalOptima Health is entering Orange County.
Molina Healthcare will not offer marketplace plans in Region 15 (northeast Los Angeles County) or Region 18 (Orange County) in 2027. About 1,600 people are affected. If you are one of them you can pick a new plan, or you will be moved to the carrier with the lowest-cost plan in your current metal tier.
CalOptima Health is new to the marketplace in 2027, serving Orange County.
Being moved automatically is not the same as being matched to the right plan. The cheapest plan in your tier may not include your doctor. Source: Covered California rate announcement, July 21, 2026.
Statewide there are 12 carriers for 2027. Everyone has at least two to choose from, 92% have three or more, and nearly 75% have four or more.
What to do before November 1
Four things, and none of them take long.
Estimate next year's income honestly. Your subsidy is based on what you expect to earn in 2027, not what you earned last year. Guess too low and you repay it at tax time. Guess too high and you overpay all year.
Write down your doctors and your prescriptions. Networks and drug lists change every January, including on the plan you already have.
Open your mail from Covered California. Renewal notices go out in October and start a clock. If you do nothing, you get renewed into your current plan automatically, which is fine only if nothing about your situation changed.
Check your immigration status information if it applies to you. Starting in 2027 some lawfully present immigrants are no longer eligible for financial help. Covered California has been mailing notices about this since summer.
- Next year's income estimate
- Your doctors and your prescriptions
- Your Covered California mail from October
- Any change in household size
A note on short-term plans in California
If anyone offers you a short-term health plan in California, that is a warning sign.
In other states we help people compare short-term and private plans alongside marketplace coverage. Not here.
California banned short-term health insurance in 2019. Insurance Code section 10123.61 makes it illegal to issue, sell, renew, or even offer a short-term plan that lasts under 12 months. There is no version of it that is legal in California.
So if someone advertises one to you here, they are either not licensed in California or not following the rules. That tells you something about the rest of their advice.
What California does have instead is the state subsidy program, a three-month enrollment window, and a marketplace with 12 carriers. That is a better deal than a short-term plan was.