How to Begin the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Enrollment Process

Key takeaways:

To enroll in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan, you must complete an application with information about the people in your household and your income. You will also need to choose a plan and pay any required premium. Free help is available for the enrollment process.
Four out of 5 people will be able to find an ACA plan for $10 or less per month thanks to continuing financial assistance for premiums for the 2025 coverage year.
Most people apply for ACA coverage during open enrollment each year. If you miss the deadline, you may be able to choose a plan during a special enrollment period.

The Affordable Care Act, known as the ACA or Obamacare, is the 2010 health-reform law enacted during President Barack Obama’s time in office. The ACA has three main goals:

Make affordable health insurance available to more people.
Expand the Medicaid program.
Support medical care delivery that reduces costs.

Here’s how to sign up for a plan and what types of plans are available.

Where do you enroll in an ACA health insurance plan?

ACA enrollment involves completing an application, choosing a plan, and paying your first premium, if needed.

The place to start is HealthCare.gov, the national health plan marketplace website. At the top, click “Get Coverage” to select your state. Most states use the national marketplace system for applications. But other states and Washington, D.C. run their own marketplaces. You will be directed to the appropriate site based on where you live.

People in U.S. territories can sign up only if they qualify as residents of one of the 50 states or Washington, D.C.

How do you prepare for the ACA enrollment process?

Here are some tools to help you get ready for enrollment and determine your eligibility for ACA coverage.

An explainer: To learn more about the marketplace, you can read these quick tips.
A savings estimator: Use this tool to determine if you qualify for premium subsidies. These can help you afford your premium payments. You may also learn that people in your household qualify for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).
Information about income: This tool can help you determine what counts as income on your application.

If you are eligible for ACA coverage, you will need to complete an application. You should have some information handy about yourself, the people in your household, and your income.

What about renewing your ACA plan?

You can renew your ACA coverage during open enrollment for 2025 plan year, which runs from November 1, 2024 to January 15, 2025 in most states. Enrollment extends beyond January 15, 2025 in certain states, which is discussed in detail later.

Outside of open enrollment, you can change or update your plan only if you qualify for a special enrollment period. You can also cancel your coverage at any time.

How do you contact an ACA navigator for help enrolling?

An ACA navigator is an individual or organization trained to walk you through marketplace eligibility and enrollment. These services are free. The Find Local Help tool on HealthCare.gov can help you locate in-person assistance in your area.

Other tools and resources available to help you select the ACA plan that is right for you and your family include:

Help in your community: Request help from an insurance agent or broker near you.
ACA marketplace income levels & savings tool: This tool shows exact plan prices and what you might save on premiums.
KFF health insurance marketplace calculator: This tool helps you estimate your potential premiums and subsidies.

If you still have questions, contact the Marketplace Call Center at 800-318-2596. This line is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week — excluding holidays.

How can you save money on ACA plans?

The ACA premium subsidies, which are based on income, will continue for the 2025 coverage year because of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022. Financial assistance with premiums means that 4 out of 5 people will be able to find a plan for $10 or less per month.

What types of health insurance plans can you enroll in through the ACA?

Generally, ACA plans are organized into “metal tiers,” which determine how you and your plan will split the cost of care. The metal tier categories are:

Bronze: This plan has the lowest monthly premium but the highest costs when you need care.
Silver: This plan is known as the “benchmark” plan, with moderate monthly premiums and moderate costs when you need care. You must choose a silver plan to qualify for cost-sharing reductions or “extra savings” on out-of-pocket expenses such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance.
Gold: This plan has a high monthly premium but low costs when you need care.
Platinum: This plan has the highest monthly premium and the lowest costs when you need care.

A KFF national analysis of marketplace plans for a 40-year-old person found that the average benchmark premium (without subsidies) for a silver plan in 2025 is $497 nationwide. The price ranges from $325 in New Hampshire to $1,277 in Vermont.

Catastrophic health plans

There are also catastrophic health plans for people under 30 and anyone 30 and older with a hardship or affordability exemption. You can join these plans during open enrollment or during a special enrollment period, if you qualify.

You can qualify for an affordability exemption if job-based insurance is too expensive for you (more than 9.02% of your household income).

Hardship exemptions include:

You were homeless.
You were evicted, faced eviction, or faced foreclosure.
You experienced domestic violence.
You experienced a natural or human-made disaster, such as fire and flood, that caused substantial damage to your property.
You received a shut-off notice from a utility company.
You experienced the death of a family member.
You filed for bankruptcy.

Catastrophic health plan premiums are very low. But deductibles — which you pay out of pocket first before your benefits begin — are extremely high. All ACA catastrophic health plans will have a deductible of $9,200 in 2025.

When is your state’s ACA open enrollment period?

Open enrollment for the 2025 coverage year runs from November 1, 2024 through January 15, 2025, in most states. However, the enrollment deadline depends on where you live in the U.S.

Some states have extended the open enrollment period. They are:

California: January 31, 2025
Washington, D.C.: January 31, 2025
Massachusetts: January 23, 2025
New Jersey: January 31, 2025
New York: January 31, 2025
Rhode Island: January 31, 2025

If you enroll after December 15, 2024, your coverage may not begin until February 1, 2025, or later.

One state has an earlier open enrollment window:

Idaho: October 15, 2024 to December 16, 2024 for coverage starting January 1, 2025

What happens if you miss the ACA open enrollment period?

If you miss your deadline for enrollment, you may have to wait until the next annual open enrollment period in late 2025 to apply for 2026 health insurance coverage.

However, you may be eligible for a special enrollment period if you have a qualifying life event, such as:

Losing health coverage
Moving to a new state
Getting married
Having a baby
Adopting a child

The bottom line

Be prepared when enrolling in an Affordable Care Act plan. The application will require details about you, your family members, and your income. Make your first premium payment, if any, to complete your enrollment and for coverage to begin. If you miss the open enrollment deadline for 2025 coverage where you live, you may be eligible for a special enrollment period.

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Written by:

Sana Khan MBA, MPH

Sana Khan, MBA, MPH, has over 10 years of experience in the healthcare and finance industry in different capacities. In the past, she's held roles as a consultant and analyst, acting as the latter for a large hospital system in Ohio.

Edited by:

Cindy George, MPH

Cindy George, MPH, is the senior personal finance editor at GoodRx. She is an endlessly curious health journalist and digital storyteller.

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