Open enrollment for 2027 Health Connector coverage runs from October 23, 2026 through January 23, 2027. That is earlier than the usual November 1 start, and it is longer than the federal government wanted it to be.
Three things are changing for the 2027 plan year, and one of them will end subsidies for roughly 35,000 people in Massachusetts.
The dates
The Connector has published a full ladder of deadlines rather than a single date, and several of them fall before open enrollment even opens.
- Mid-August through early September 2026: preliminary eligibility notices go out
- September 15, 2026: update your account information
- October 1, 2026: window shopping opens, so you can see 2027 plans and prices before committing
- Mid-October through early November: final eligibility notices
- October 23, 2026: open enrollment opens
- November 23, 2026: deadline for coverage starting December 1, for people with a qualifying life event
- December 23, 2026: deadline to enroll for coverage beginning January 1
- January 1, 2027: the plan year starts
- January 23, 2027: open enrollment closes
The December 23 date is the one most people need. Miss it and your coverage does not begin on January 1, even if you enroll later in the window.
Worth knowing why the window looks unusual: CMS finalized a rule shortening marketplace open enrollment nationally, and the Connector says recent court actions allowed Massachusetts to keep the longer period. That is a live legal situation rather than a settled one.
Change one: about 35,000 people lose subsidy eligibility
This is the biggest change and it has had almost no coverage.
Beginning January 1, 2027, federal advance premium tax credits and ConnectorCare eligibility end for most lawfully present noncitizens. Only three groups keep subsidy eligibility:
- Lawful permanent residents (green card holders)
- Cuban-Haitian Entrants
- COFA migrants (Compact of Free Association)
Everyone else lawfully present loses it. That includes asylees, refugees, people with Temporary Protected Status, and all non-immigrant visa holders, including student, work, and visitor categories. The Connector estimates roughly 35,000 current enrollees are affected, and parallel changes hit MassHealth.
These individuals can still buy a plan through the Connector. They will simply pay the unsubsidized price, which for many will be the difference between having insurance and not having it.
If you are in one of these categories, the eligibility notices arriving now are the ones to read carefully.
Change two: the ConnectorCare pilot expires
Massachusetts ran a pilot expanding ConnectorCare eligibility up to 500% of the federal poverty level, well above the program’s traditional ceiling. That pilot expires at the end of 2026.
The Connector’s own board materials from June 2026 cite the pilot’s expiration alongside the noncitizen subsidy change as drivers of an expected enrollment decline of roughly 6% in fiscal 2027. We reviewed the enacted fiscal 2027 state budget and found no extension.
Practically: households who qualified for ConnectorCare only because of the expanded threshold will need to look at unsubsidized plans or other coverage for 2027. Our guide to the federal poverty level explains how those percentage thresholds translate into actual income figures.
Change three: reconciliation rules
Changes to how advance premium tax credits are reconciled at tax time also take effect January 1, 2027. If you take a credit in advance based on projected income, the truing-up process at filing is changing, which makes an accurate income estimate more consequential than it has been.
What is not changing
The 2027 affordability schedule is unchanged. The Connector board voted in May 2026 to carry the 2026 standards into 2027, and received no public comment on the proposal.
One point of confusion worth clearing up: the enhanced federal premium tax credits that expanded subsidies during the pandemic already expired on December 31, 2025. The Connector files that under past federal actions, not among the 2027 changes. If your premium jumped this year, that is why, and it is separate from everything above.
The 2027 ConnectorCare premium figures had not been published as of late August. They are expected in the September 2026 board materials.
What to do now
Update your account information before September 15 so eligibility notices reach you. Read the notice when it arrives rather than filing it, particularly if you or a family member is not a green card holder. Use the window-shopping period starting October 1 to compare plans before the December 23 deadline for January 1 coverage.
If you are not sure whether you belong in MassHealth or the Connector, our comparison guide walks through how eligibility is determined. MassHealth members should also know about the 80-hour work requirement arriving by January 1, 2027.
Common questions
When does Health Connector open enrollment start for 2027?
October 23, 2026. It runs through January 23, 2027, which is earlier and longer than a typical year.
What is the deadline for coverage starting January 1?
December 23, 2026. Enrolling after that date means coverage begins later, even though open enrollment stays open until January 23.
Who loses ConnectorCare eligibility in 2027?
Most lawfully present noncitizens other than lawful permanent residents, Cuban-Haitian Entrants, and COFA migrants. That includes asylees, refugees, TPS holders, and non-immigrant visa holders. About 35,000 Massachusetts enrollees are affected.
Is ConnectorCare ending?
No. The program continues. What expires at the end of 2026 is the pilot that extended eligibility up to 500% of the federal poverty level.
Can I still buy insurance if I lose subsidy eligibility?
Yes. You can purchase a Connector plan at the unsubsidized price. You lose the tax credit, not the ability to enroll.
Dates and figures reflect Health Connector publications as of August 2026. The 2027 ConnectorCare premiums are expected in September board materials, and we will update this page.