If you buy your own health insurance, a renewal letter is probably on its way. If you do nothing, you’ll likely be re-enrolled for 2027 automatically. But the Marketplace may be working from an income number that’s a year old, and there’s a new step this year if you use an agent.

Here’s how to renew individual health insurance the right way, before December 15th: what automatic renewal actually does, four things to check, the new authorization step, and a few rumors going around this year that aren’t true.

The BasicsWhat Auto Re-Enrollment Actually Does

If you have a Marketplace plan and don’t take any action, HealthCare.gov re-enrolls you for next year on its own. It may not be the same plan. It can be a different plan from the same insurance company, and if your company isn’t offering a similar plan, you can be moved to a comparable plan from a different company.

There are three dates to know. December 15th is the last day to pick a different plan and have it start January 1st. December 31st is the last day to stop an automatic re-enrollment from starting, if you don’t want it. And through January 15th, you can still switch plans, but the new plan starts February 1st.

Those are the HealthCare.gov dates. If your state runs its own Marketplace, your deadlines may be later, so check your state’s site.

Being re-enrolled doesn’t mean your information was updated. The plan carries over, but your income estimate is only as current as the last time you changed it, and that estimate matters more than it used to.

Step 1Read Your Renewal Letter

Your insurance company sends a renewal letter in the fall. Most people glance at the new premium and set it aside. Read the whole thing.

The letter tells you whether your plan is continuing, what it will cost before any tax credit, and whether anything about it is changing. It also tells you if you’re being moved to a different plan.

This year, that last part is more likely than usual. Several insurers are leaving the individual market for 2027. Cigna, for example, is leaving all 11 states where it sold individual plans. If your company is one of them, the Marketplace can move you to a plan from a different insurer, and that plan may use a different network of doctors and hospitals.

While you’re at it, make sure your phone number and email are current on your Marketplace account. If you work with an agent this year, that’s where your authorization code will be sent.

Step 2Update Your 2027 Income

This is the step that matters most, and it’s the one automatic renewal skips. When you’re re-enrolled, your tax credit is based on the income already on file. If your income has changed, or you’re planning a change for 2027, the credit can be wrong in either direction. And starting with the 2026 tax year, there’s no cap on what you pay back if it’s too high.

So log in and update your 2027 estimate. Count everything: wages, self-employment income, a pension, IRA and 401(k) withdrawals, Roth conversions, capital gains, and your full Social Security benefit if you’re collecting it.

If the Marketplace can’t match your number to its records, it may ask you for documents. You’ll have time to send them, and a court decision this summer restored an extra 60 days for income questions. And if your income changes during the year, report it when it happens.

Step 3Compare to the New Benchmark

Your credit is figured from the benchmark plan, which is the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your area. That benchmark is reset every year, and it can be a different plan than last year.

Say last year your plan was the benchmark at $1,000 a month, your share was $400, and your credit was $600. You paid $400. This year your same plan goes up to $1,100, but a cheaper Silver plan becomes the benchmark at $950. Your share is still $400, so your credit is $550. Now you pay $1,100 minus $550, which is $550 a month.

Nothing about your plan changed except the price, and you’re paying $150 more a month.

Those are example numbers, but the pattern is real. When you shop for individual health insurance, compare your plan against the new benchmark, not just against last year’s bill.

Step 4Doctors and Prescriptions

Before you settle on a plan, confirm that your doctors are in the network. Use the plan’s own directory, and then call the office and ask if they take that specific plan, not just that insurance company.

Check that your prescriptions are on the plan’s drug list, and what tier they’re on. The tier decides what you pay at the pharmacy.

Then look at the deductible and the out-of-pocket maximum. The deductible is what you pay before the plan starts paying. The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you’d pay in a year for covered care in network. For 2027, that limit can be as high as $12,000 for one person. A plan with a low premium and a high deductible can make sense if you’re healthy. It’s a different story if you see specialists regularly.

New in 2027The Agent Authorization Code

If you use an agent in a HealthCare.gov state, there’s a new step this year. When your agent starts your application, you’ll get a one-time code or link by text, email or an automated call. It works once and expires in 15 minutes. You confirm it, and that authorizes that specific agent to work on your application.

Some people will be asked to verify their identity first. That includes new applicants, anyone moving to a different state, anyone switching to a new agent, and anyone whose premium is $30 a month or less after the credit. If the identity check can’t be completed, you may need to apply directly on HealthCare.gov and upload your ID.

Agents who weren’t registered with the federal Marketplace in 2026 can’t help with 2027 enrollments until at least February. If you’re switching agents this year, ask whether they were registered for 2026. State-run Marketplaces have their own rules.

Important NoticeRumors vs. Rules

You may have heard there’s a $5 monthly charge if you’re automatically renewed into a $0 plan. A federal court blocked that rule, and it doesn’t apply for 2027.

You may have heard open enrollment ends December 15th. On HealthCare.gov it runs through January 15th. December 15th is the deadline for coverage that starts January 1st.

And you may have heard you’ll lose your credit if you didn’t reconcile it on last year’s tax return. For 2026 and 2027, Marketplaces were directed to stop removing credits for that reason. You should still file and reconcile, because the law requires it, but it isn’t costing people their coverage this year.

So read the letter, update your income, compare against the new benchmark, and check your doctors and drugs before December 15th. How it plays out for you depends on your income and where you live, and benefits vary by individual situation. If you haven’t read the first part of this series, here’s why 2027 plans cost more before 65.

Not connected with or endorsed by the United States government or the federal Medicare program.

We do not offer every plan available in your area. Any information we provide is limited to those plans we do offer in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program to get information on all of your options.

Sources: HealthCare.gov, automatic re-enrollment. HealthCare.gov, dates and deadlines. KFF, insurer participation changes for 2027. CMS agent authorization requirement (PSM Brokerage summary). CBS News, shopping for an ACA plan this year. Federal Register, temporary moratoria on agent and broker registration. ACHI, court blocks parts of the Marketplace rule. Groom Law Group, CMS guidance after the Columbus II stay. 2027 out-of-pocket maximums. IRS, premium tax credit repayment changes.