Open enrollment for health insurance runs from Nov. 1, 2022, to Jan. 15, 2023.
This open enrollment period is for people who want to get health insurance coverage from the federal marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Not everyone gets health coverage from the Obamacare marketplace, though. Some get it from an employer. Others get it from Medicare or Medicaid.
This article will tell you everything you need to know about the 2023 health insurance open enrollment dates and details associated with Obamacare and employer coverage.
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When is open enrollment for health insurance 2023?
The 2023 open enrollment period for health insurance goes from Nov. 1, 2022, to Jan. 15, 2023, if you want Obamacare coverage.
Within this window, you can enroll in, re-enroll in or change a health insurance plan through the health insurance marketplace — or health exchange, as some call it.
You might have even longer to buy health insurance for 2023 if you live in:
- California
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- New York
- Rhode Island
- Washington, D.C.
These and some other states run their own health insurance exchanges or marketplaces. Because of that, they can expand their open enrollment windows.
For 2023, this means you can get health insurance between the following dates.
| State or district | 2023 open enrollment period |
|---|---|
| California | Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2023* |
| Massachusetts | Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 23, 2023 |
| New Jersey | Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2023 |
| New York | Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2023* |
| Rhode Island | Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2023* |
| Washington, D.C. | Nov. 1, 2022, through Jan. 31, 2023 |
| *These are the dates used for 2022 open enrollment. Dates for 2023 open enrollment have yet to be announced. | |
When is open enrollment if I get health insurance from an employer?
The open enrollment periods tied to employer-sponsored health insurance plans often happen between October and December.
We can’t give more specific dates because every employer sets its own health insurance open enrollment period.
So, if you get health insurance from an employer and you don’t know its open enrollment 2023 deadlines, check with human resources.
Is health insurance open enrollment only once a year?
Yes, health insurance open enrollment happens just once a year.
For example, unless you qualify for a special enrollment period, you can only get Obamacare coverage during the open enrollment period that starts at the end of the year. The same tends to be true of health coverage you get from an employer.
In other words, you usually can’t get health insurance any time you want.
When does 2023 health insurance coverage start?
Most 2023 health insurance plans start on Jan. 1.
If you want Obamacare coverage and you live in a state with expanded open enrollment, it may not take effect until later.
Most employer-sponsored health insurance plans also start on Jan. 1. This isn’t true of all employers, though, so check with yours if you don’t know when your 2023 coverage begins.
Do I have to wait for open enrollment to get health insurance for 2023?
You have to wait for open enrollment to get coverage for 2023 through the health insurance marketplace or an employer.
The only way you can get these kinds of health insurance plans outside open enrollment is to qualify for a special enrollment period.
Open enrollment impacts on uninsured rates
Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, QuoteWizard analysts have been tracking health insurance changes. And while the number of uninsured Americans has gone down by 14% since the beginning of 2021, health insurance coverage varies wildly by state.
Maine, for example, saw a 124% increase in their number of uninsured residents, while states like Minnesota had a 40% decrease in their uninsured rate.
| State | Uninsured January 2021 | Currently uninsured | % change in uninsured | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. average | 14% | 12% | -16% | |
| Alabama | 18% | 13% | -29% | |
| Alaska | 13% | 11% | -13% | |
| Arizona | 13% | 10% | -23% | |
| Arkansas | 11% | 10% | -10% | |
| California | 12% | 10% | -15% | |
| Colorado | 11% | 9% | -22% | |
| Connecticut | 8% | 5% | -41% | |
| Delaware | 9% | 7% | -26% | |
| Florida | 17% | 18% | 2% | |
| Georgia | 18% | 14% | -18% | |
| Hawaii | 10% | 4% | -55% | |
| Idaho | 13% | 12% | -10% | |
| Illinois | 8% | 11% | 28% | |
| Indiana | 10% | 8% | -17% | |
| Iowa | 7% | 4% | -46% | |
| Kansas | 13% | 11% | -15% | |
| Kentucky | 10% | 10% | 5% | |
| Louisiana | 11% | 12% | 11% | |
| Maine | 5% | 12% | 124% | |
| Maryland | 6% | 6% | 2% | |
| Massachusetts | 5% | 0% | 100% | |
| Michigan | 9% | 8% | -5% | |
| Minnesota | 7% | 4% | -40% | |
| Mississippi | 15% | 13% | -17% | |
| Missouri | 13% | 13% | -4% | |
| Montana | 9% | 10% | 13% | |
| Nebraska | 5% | 9% | 79% | |
| Nevada | 17% | 12% | -27% | |
| New Hampshire | 8% | 0% | -100% | |
| New Jersey | 9% | 7% | -14% | |
| New Mexico | 13% | 9% | -27% | |
| New York | 8% | 8% | -9% | |
| North Carolina | 14% | 12% | -11% | |
| North Dakota | 10% | 8% | -22% | |
| Ohio | 9% | 7% | -23% | |
| Oklahoma | 20% | 17% | -16% | |
| Oregon | 9% | 8% | -8% | |
| Pennsylvania | 7% | 7% | -5% | |
| Rhode Island | 6% | 0% | -100% | |
| South Carolina | 16% | 12% | -24% | |
| South Dakota | 13% | 8% | -44% | |
| Tennessee | 12% | 12% | -1% | |
| Texas | 26% | 21% | -21% | |
| Utah | 8% | 7% | -8% | |
| Vermont | 5% | 1% | -79% | |
| Virginia | 8% | 7% | -7% | |
| Washington | 10% | 8% | -20% | |
| West Virginia | 9% | 7% | -21% | |
| Wisconsin | 5% | 5% | -7% | |
| Wyoming | 19% | 15% | -21% | |
| QuoteWizard analysts tracked health insurance coverage by monitoring changes in the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC) Household Pulse Survey. | ||||
Can I get health insurance outside of open enrollment?
You can get health insurance from the Obamacare marketplace or an employer outside open enrollment if you qualify for a special enrollment period.
To qualify for a special enrollment period, you need to go through a life change or qualifying life event like:
- Getting married.
- Getting divorced or legally separated and losing health insurance.
- Having a baby, adopting a child or placing a child for foster care.
- Moving to a new ZIP code or county.
- Losing your job.
- Losing health coverage — including Medicare, Medicaid or CHIP — for some other reason.
Keep in mind that you usually need to have gone through one of these life events in the last 60 days to qualify for a special enrollment period.
How to get health insurance after open enrollment
You can get health insurance outside of open enrollment by:
- Qualifying for a special enrollment period.
- Getting a new or additional job that offers health insurance.
- Getting short-term health insurance.
- Qualifying for Medicaid or CHIP coverage.
When is the next open enrollment for health insurance?
Health insurance open enrollment for 2024 should go from Nov. 1, 2023, to Jan. 15, 2024, if you plan to get Obamacare coverage.
You may have longer if you live in a state with expanded open enrollment.
Is health insurance mandatory for 2023?
Health insurance is not mandatory for most Americans in 2023.
The Affordable Care Act used to require people to carry “qualifying health coverage.” Those who didn’t get qualifying health insurance had to pay a fee when they filed their federal taxes.
The federal government no longer penalizes people for not having health insurance. Some states do, though. If you live in one of them, you might pay a fee with your state taxes if you don’t have health coverage in 2023.
These states currently require health insurance:
- California
- Massachusetts
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- Vermont
Washington, D.C., also has a health insurance mandate.
How do I apply for Obamacare?
You can apply for 2023 Obamacare coverage over the phone, through the mail or online at healthcare.gov.
Does your state run its own exchange or marketplace? If so, you’ll need to contact it or use its website to get health insurance coverage for 2023.
Don’t worry if you have no idea if your state runs its own exchange. When you go to apply for Obamacare coverage at healthcare.gov, it will tell you.
Before you take any of the steps mentioned above, though, figure out which type of Obamacare plan is right for you.
What do I need to apply for Obamacare?
You need to have certain pieces of information and documents on hand when you apply for 2023 Obamacare health insurance coverage. They include:
- Your Social Security Number.
- The Social Security Numbers of anyone else who will be on your plan.
- The birth dates and addresses of anyone your plan will cover.
- W-2 statements or employer and income information for anyone your plan will cover.
- Information about your current health insurance coverage (if you currently have coverage).
- An estimate of your 2022 household income.
Is it too late to get health insurance for 2022?
It is too late to get 2022 health insurance coverage from the Obamacare marketplace or from an employer if you haven’t recently gone through a qualifying life event.
When was open enrollment for 2022?
Health insurance open enrollment for 2022 ran from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2021, in most states. Some states extended open enrollment beyond that date.
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