Obamacare Sign-Up Is Open and Premiums Are Up Again. Don't Wait on Washington.
Democrats promise a fast vote to restore bigger subsidies — but not before the Dec. 15 deadline. An Altas guide for Americans buying their own coverage in 2027.
By Clara Hughes
Open enrollment for 2027 Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage began Nov. 1 and runs through Jan. 15 in most states. If you buy your own health insurance — and millions of Americans in their 50s and early 60s do while they wait for Medicare — the next five weeks matter. The headline number: benchmark silver premiums are rising an average of 13% for 2027, according to KFF, the health policy research group. That follows a 26% jump from 2025 to 2026. Meanwhile, Democrats who just won Congress say restoring the larger pandemic-era subsidies is near the top of their list. Here’s the problem: the calendar doesn’t line up. Keep reading with Altas Premium. Below: the deadlines that matter, the “subsidy cliff” that hits pre-Medicare retirees hardest, why a Democratic vote can’t come in time, which insurers are leaving, what states are doing on their own, and a five-point