Open enrollment for 2027 Affordable Care Act coverage started November 1 with new federal identity checks and a ban on agents who were not registered last year.
Zoom in: Enrollment runs November 1 through January 15 in most states. Idaho, Connecticut and Massachusetts opened earlier, and several states have let shoppers window-shop rates already.
The big picture: The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services added anti-fraud steps that apply to the 29 states on the federal marketplace whenever a consumer uses an agent or broker. Every such shopper now needs a one-time code or link, sent by text, email or automated call, to authorize a specific agent to enroll them or change their plan.
- Shoppers CMS deems high-risk must verify their own identity first: first-time applicants, people whose application involves a change of state, anyone working with a new or different agent, and anyone whose monthly premium is $30 or less.
By the numbers: Pennsylvania agency owner Joshua Brooker expects up to 1 in 5 consumers to need extra identity proofing, and worries some will simply give up on coverage. High-risk shoppers verify through a CMS-approved third party such as Experian, or by uploading ID to a healthcare.gov account.
- A September CMS rule also blocks agents who were not registered with the federal marketplace in 2026 from helping with 2027 sign-ups until February at the earliest, after open enrollment ends. The National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals sued over the moratorium on October 15, saying it unfairly targets 19,000 agents.
Yes, but: Florida brokerage owner Jason Fine, who has repeatedly reported rogue agents switching his clients' plans, said the long-term logic makes sense while questioning the near-term chaos. The administration credits its cleanup for falling enrollment, including an August cancellation of 760,000 policies it flagged as improper sign-ups.
Why it matters: Enhanced subsidies expired at the end of 2025 and premiums are rising, so a shopper who waits until January risks hitting an identity check, a thinner pool of brokers and a higher bill at once. Update your contact details on the marketplace now, before you need that one-time code.
