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What NYers can expect as open enrollment for health insurance begins
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
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Will Waldron/Albany Times Union via Getty Images
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 26, 2026 at 6:00 a.m. ET
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Many New Yorkers will face higher health insurance costs for the coming year as open enrollment gets underway.
New Yorkers not covered by employer-based insurance can shop for health insurance for 2027 on the state marketplace starting on Nov. 1.
Many will likely feel the continued effects of federal spending cuts pushed through by President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans, who slashed healthcare programs to largely fund tax cuts.
Earlier this year, New York reduced eligibility for the low-cost, public insurance program known as the Essential Plan due to federal cuts. That could leave more New Yorkers searching for private plans on the state marketplace, which can come with hefty monthly premiums.
At the same time, there’s less financial assistance available for those private plans than there once was after Congress allowed enhanced federal insurance subsidies to expire at the end of last year.
Consumers on the state insurance marketplace aren’t the only ones who might face higher costs. Insurance analysts project healthcare spending will rise sharply for employer-based health plans in 2027, which also typically have open enrollment around this time. One factor is the rising popularity of costly GLP-1 weight-loss drugs. And some of those costs could ultimately be passed on to consumers.
State officials have made an effort to prevent sticker shock on the Affordable Care Act marketplace by limiting how much insurance companies can raise their rates. But that doesn’t apply to employer-based plans.
The new enrollment period comes as more families find themselves steeped in medical debt. More than 1 in 4 adults in the United States (27%) reported that they or a member of their family had medical debt in December 2025, including 26% of adults with health insurance, according to a recent Robert Wood Johnson Foundation report.
“The study suggests this issue could worsen in coming years, as healthcare costs are expected to continue rising and many people are expected to lose health coverage due to federal Medicaid and Marketplace policy changes,” according to the report.
Here’s what New Yorkers need to know as they prepare to shop for health insurance this open enrollment season.
When can I sign up for coverage?
While employers determine their own enrollment windows, open enrollment on the state’s Affordable Care Act marketplace takes place between Nov. 1 and Jan. 31. New Yorkers can sign up for private health plans, Medicaid or the Essential Plan, depending on their income.
What is going on with insurance subsidies?
Enrollment in private health plans on the marketplace dipped during last year’s enrollment period as consumers faced higher costs.
Whereas the majority of New Yorkers enrolled in private plans received financial assistance in 2025, that figure fell to 43% in 2026. Even those who continued to receive subsidies saw their premiums rise by $104 a month on average, according to state data.
Many New Yorkers, however, still qualify for some amount of assistance based on their incomes. You can find out how much assistance you qualify for by entering your income and other household information on the state marketplace’s cost estimator.
What else is affecting enrollment trends?
Enrollment in private plans has gone up again in recent months, even with less financial assistance available than in the past.
The Essential Plan restricted eligibility in July as a result of federal cuts, with the income limit for an individual falling to $32,000 from $40,000.
About 60,000 New Yorkers affected by the cuts turned to private plans on the state marketplace during a special enrollment period this summer as a result, according to a state report.
More than 150,000 New Yorkers who lost Essential Plan coverage did not sign up for insurance through the marketplace, however, suggesting some may have been deterred by the cost.
How much will insurance costs go up in 2027?
Without subsidies, health plans on New York’s insurance marketplace can cost hundreds of dollars a month.
Those monthly premiums will go up 6%, on average, in 2027. That’s far less than the 20% average increase health insurance companies requested. And some plans have been blocked from increasing their rates at all.
Tagged
Health and Science
health insurance
new york state
Caroline Lewis
Caroline Lewis is on the health care beat for WNYC and Gothamist. She has covered COVID, a nurses' strike, the overdose crisis and New York’s marijuana legalization effort, and spent a year investigating patients' medical bills. She always wants to hear about how everyday New Yorkers experience the health system. Got a tip? Email [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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