Keep or change your insurance plan

Automatic re-enrollment: You can still change plans and update your information through January 31

If you were automatically enrolled in a 2017 plan, you're covered starting January 1. You can keep this plan, or change plans until January 31. Either way, you should log in to your application to update your income and savings information.

How can I tell if I was automatically enrolled?
  • Log in and click "Start a new application or update an existing one." You'll see a blue box at the top of the next page if you've been automatically enrolled. You can see plan details under "My Plans & Programs."
  • If you've been automatically enrolled, you'll also get a notice. Log in and click "Messages" to see a copy.
  • If you see a 2017 application marked "Status: Complete" in your Marketplace account, you're enrolled for 2017.

If none of the above shows that you're enrolled, you're not enrolled for 2017. See how to enroll for 2017.

If you're having trouble finding out your 2017 enrollment status, contact the Marketplace Call Center.

IMPORTANT: Were you automatically enrolled, and do you want to cancel the plan?

  • To cancel without replacing: Follow these instructions.
  • To change 2017 plans: You can enroll in a different 2017 plan until January 31. The new plan will replace the one you were automatically enrolled in. Log in to get started.

Why to take action, even if you've been automatically enrolled and like your plan

If you've been automatically enrolled, you may think you're all set for 2017.

But we strongly recommend you log in to your Marketplace account, update your application with your expected 2017 income and household information, and compare the plan you've been enrolled in with other 2017 plans. You can do this any time until January 31.

This is the only way to make sure you're getting the right premium tax credit and other savings for 2017.

  • You can keep the plan you've been enrolled in or change to any other plan, even if you 2017 coverage has started.
  • After January 31, you can change plans for 2017 only if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.

TIP: Not sure if you should keep or change your plan? Take this quick quiz (PDF).

If you were automatically enrolled and want to cancel the plan without replacing it

If you were automatically enrolled and want to cancel the plan for everyone without replacing it, follow the directions to cancel here.

Key dates to know:

  • Cancel by December 31, 2016: Your 2017 coverage will not take effect.
  • Cancel after your 2017 coverage has started: Your coverage can end for everyone on the plan as soon as 14 days after you cancel (or a later date of your choice).

If you cancel and then decide you want a 2017 plan, you can enroll until January 31, 2017. After that you can enroll in a 2017 plan only if you've had certain life events that qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period.

Note: If you want to cancel for just certain people on your plan, or want to cancel because you've gotten other coverage or for another reason, the process you follow may be different. Visit our main cancellation page to learn more.

Before deciding to go without health insurance for 2017, there are important things to consider.

  • There are significant health and financial benefits of having health coverage — and risks if you don’t. Nobody expects to get sick or hurt. But medical care without insurance is very expensive, so it’s important to have protection if the unexpected happens. Health coverage also helps you get regular care, including free preventive services, to keep you healthy. Learn about the benefits of health coverage.
  • If you don't have qualifying health coverage in 2017, you may have to pay a fee. For 2017, the penalty is either 2.5% of your household income or $695 per adult ($347.50 per child), whichever is higher.

More answers: Automatic re-enrollment in health care

What if I don't like the plan I've been enrolled in, or the premium's too high?

Log into your HealthCare.gov account any time until January 31 to update your application and enroll in any available 2017 plan.

  • You can change plans even if the 2017 plan you've been enrolled in has started.
  • After January 31, you can't change plans for the rest of 2017 unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
Why was I enrolled in a similar health plan instead of the one I had in 2016?

If your insurance company isn't offering your 2016 plan or a similar one through the Marketplace in your area for 2017, you've probably been matched with an alternate plan.

  • To protect you from a gap in coverage, if you didn't choose a plan by December 15, 2016 and the Marketplace matched you with an alternate plan from another insurance company, we've enrolled you in that plan.
  • You're under no obligation to activate this new plan. (You activate when you pay your first monthly premium.)
  • We strongly encourage you to update your Marketplace application and review all available 2017 plans. This way you'll get the right amount of savings and see all of your plan options. You can update or change plans until January 31, even if your new coverage has started.
Log in to update your application and see all 2017 plan options.
Note: An insurance company can't move you to a different plan based on your health on how much care you use. It can move you only if it's no longer offering your plan to anyone in your area. Learn how insurance companies can price plans.
Why is my premium tax credit different from what I had in 2016?

Your premium tax credit is based on the most current information available about your income and household size. If you didn't return to HealthCare.gov and update your application before December 15, your tax credit may be based on information from your 2016 application or other sources, like the IRS.

But financial help is based on your expected income for 2017, not last year's income.
That's why you must update your income and household information for 2017 to get the right tax credit and other savings.
Plan premiums in your area may have changed too, and that can affect your premium tax credit.
Why was I enrolled without a premium tax credit?

There are several possible reasons. But even if you're told you don't qualify for financial assistance, you should update your application for 2017. You may find out you do qualify for savings. Log into your account now to update.

Possible reasons you've been told you may not qualify for a premium tax credit:
  • The most recent income information from the IRS may show you don't qualify for 2017.
  • You may need to send us information before you can qualify for a 2017 premium tax credit. You'll get a notice with details and deadlines.
  • We may not have a record showing you filed a 2015 federal income tax return to reconcile a premium tax credit you used in 2015. If you don't file a tax return for years you used a premium tax credit, we can't continue to offer you one.
  • When you filled out your 2016 Marketplace application, you didn't allow the Marketplace to use your updated tax information for future years. If you want the protection of automatic enrollment, you can update your application to let us use the information in the future.
What if I didn't update my income and household information before I was automatically enrolled in a health care plan?

Just log into your HealthCare.gov account as soon as possible and update your 2017 application.

When you update your expected income and household, you'll get updated eligibility results. Your premium tax credit and other savings may change. You could also qualify for different coverage. You can change plans any time until January 31, 2017, even if your 2017 coverage has started.
IMPORTANT: After you update your application, you must complete your enrollment — even if you want to stay with the plan you were automatically enrolled in.
After January 31, you can't change plans for the rest of 2017 unless you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period.
What if I want to cancel the plan I was enrolled in for 2017?

How you cancel depends on the reason you're cancelling and whether you're ending coverage for everyone on your application or just some people. See how to cancel your plan.

If you cancel by January 15, your 2017 coverage can end as soon as January 31, 2017.
What if I wasn't automatically enrolled?

Just log into your HealthCare.gov account, update your application, and check out the plans available for 2017. Learn more about your options if you weren't automatically enrolled.