What to know as the annual sign-up window for health insurance arrives

FILE - Pages from the U.S. Affordable Care Act health insurance website healthcare.gov are seen on a computer screen in New York on Tuesday, Aug. 19, 2025. Photo by Patrick Sison /AP

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Higher prices, less help and a government shutdown all hang over health insurance markets as shoppers start looking for coverage this week.

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The annual enrollment window for millions of people to pick an individual plan opens Saturday in nearly all states, and a heavy dose of politics weighs on this year’s search.

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The federal government shut down earlier this month as Democrats in Congress demanded negotiations to extend enhanced tax credits that have helped people buy coverage the past few years. Republicans say they won’t negotiate until Democrats vote to reopen the government.

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Stuck in the middle are insurance customers, many of whom will be facing the biggest premium hikes they’ve seen in years and may be forced to consider changing plans.

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“It seems overwhelming, but it really is important to shop and consider your choices,” said Sara Collins, an insurance expert with the Commonwealth Fund.

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Here’s how shoppers can respond:

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The first deadline is in 6 weeks

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Shoppers will have until Jan. 15 in most states to find a plan for 2026, but have to make their choice by Dec. 15 if they want coverage starting New Year’s Day.

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This is the main chance people with individual coverage have every year to find a plan for the next year. More than 24 million people enrolled in individual plans for 2025, according to KFF, which studies health care issues.

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People can buy a new plan with help from income-based tax credits through insurance marketplaces set up in every state. Former President Joe Biden’s administration beefed up that help with enhanced tax credits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those are set to expire this year unless Congress works out an extension.

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Shoppers also can find options outside these marketplaces _ sometimes for a lower price — but they won’t get tax credit help.

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You may see price hikes

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KFF has said that premiums, or the cost of coverage, will jump around 20% next year on average. But the expiring tax credits could cause coverage costs to more than double for some.

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Insurance has become more expensive because care costs are rising, a big worry for Americans. Insurers also set prices assuming the extra tax credits would expire — and that healthy people who paid little for coverage in 2025 might not return because of that.

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The higher prices aim to make up for that lost revenue, said Karan Rustagi, a Wakely Consulting Group health actuary who works with insurers.

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The higher prices may not change even if Congress restores the enhanced tax credits before the enrollment window ends. It can take insurers weeks to complete rates with regulators and then update their systems and customer handbooks, Rustagi noted.

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Help may be harder to find

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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services in February cut funding by 90% for a federal program that provides navigators who help people find coverage.