Review financial help, deductibles, prescriptions and provider networks before choosing next year’s coverage.
Saving $80 a month on health insurance means $960 more for other expenses over a year. But higher charges for prescriptions, specialist visits or hospital care could use up that saving when someone needs treatment.
Before renewing Covered California for 2027, check what you’ll pay each month, what you’ll owe when you get care and whether the plan covers your doctors and medicines.
Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026, through January 31, 2027. Enroll by December 31 for coverage starting January 1. Enrollment during January starts coverage February 1. Current members can review options now and should follow the deadline in their renewal notice.
These dates apply to Covered California individual and family plans. Employer insurance, Medicare and Medi-Cal follow separate enrollment rules.
Start with your financial help
The enhanced federal premium tax credits expired December 31, 2025. Other financial assistance remains available, but last year’s subsidy amount may no longer match your household’s circumstances.
Update your expected 2027 income, tax-household information and access to other coverage before comparing prices. Use the premium after financial assistance, not simply the plan’s full price.
California’s final 2027 premium subsidy program provides additional help to qualifying tax households with incomes from 100% through 200% of the federal poverty level. Applicants must also meet federal premium tax credit eligibility requirements. Income alone does not qualify someone.
Also ask about help with the costs of receiving care. Premium assistance lowers the monthly bill. Cost-sharing reductions lower deductibles, copays and other eligible expenses through Enhanced Silver plans. Check whether you qualify before choosing a Bronze plan based on its premium.
Some lawfully present immigrants face another change. Covered California says refugees, people granted asylum, Temporary Protected Status holders and certain other groups will lose eligibility for financial help in 2027 while remaining eligible to enroll.
Green-card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants remain among the immigrant groups eligible for assistance if they meet other requirements. Confirm your own category with a certified enroller. Eligibility to buy insurance and eligibility for financial help are separate questions.
Families also reviewing Medi-Cal can consult Parriva’s guide to that program’s 2027 changes, which follow separate rules and timelines.
Compare what happens when you need care
Open each plan’s 2027 Summary of Benefits and Coverage. Look beyond the premium to four costs:
- Deductible: The amount you pay for services subject to it before the plan begins sharing those costs. Medical care and prescriptions may have separate deductibles.
- Copay: A fixed charge for a covered visit, medicine or service.
- Coinsurance: A percentage of the covered cost that you pay.
- Out-of-pocket maximum: The limit on qualifying expenses for covered in-network care during the plan year. It does not include premiums, uncovered services or every other possible charge.
A deductible does not necessarily apply to every service. Covered California’s official 2027 benefit designs identify exceptions and specify individual and family limits. Check the terms for the exact plan you’re considering.
Make a short list of care your household regularly uses: prescriptions, therapy, specialist appointments and laboratory tests. Compare the charges for those services under each plan.
Return to that hypothetical $80 monthly saving. Would higher prescription and appointment charges consume the $960 saved over a year? The answer depends on your care needs and the plans’ terms. This is a comparison method, not an actual quote or a prediction of medical bills.
For a year with substantial care, compare annual premiums plus each plan’s in-network out-of-pocket maximum. That total is not a ceiling on all expenses. Don’t add the deductible again when it already counts toward the maximum.
Check your doctors, medicines and next steps
Use Covered California’s renewal and comparison tools to review doctors, hospitals and prescriptions. Confirm the exact 2027 network with the insurer and provider’s office. For each medicine, check coverage, your charge and any approval requirements.
Molina marketplace members in northeast Los Angeles County and Orange County should pay particular attention. Covered California says Molina will not offer marketplace plans in those regions in 2027. This does not describe every Molina insurance program.
For free, confidential enrollment help, visit Covered California’s assistance page or call 800-300-1506 in English or 800-300-0213 in Spanish. Have your renewal notice, income estimate, medicine list and doctors’ names ready.
Before finishing, confirm your plan selection, coverage start date and any required payment to the insurer. You should leave knowing what you’ll pay each month, what your regular care will cost and where you can receive it.
