Every fall, Get Covered New Jersey opens its doors to anyone who wants to buy or switch an individual health plan, with no qualifying life event required. This year's window runs November 1, 2026 through January 31, 2027, for coverage starting as early as January 1, 2027.
It's also a year with several changes landing at once, so what you paid last time, or what you saw on the screen, may not match what's there now. Here's what's different, what it means for your budget, and how a licensed local broker can help you sort through it at no cost to you.
Mark Your Calendar: November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027
Unlike the federal marketplace's shorter nine-week window, Get Covered New Jersey kept its full three-month enrollment period this year, after a court decision blocked a federal attempt to shorten it. That gives New Jersey residents more time than most other states get.
Even so, the deadline that matters most is December 15, 2026. Enroll by then and your coverage starts January 1, 2027. Enroll after that, up to January 31, and coverage begins February 1, 2027.
The Big Change: Enhanced Subsidies Are Gone
The enhanced federal premium tax credits that had lowered marketplace premiums since 2021 expired on December 31, 2025, and Congress has not renewed them. The effect showed up quickly. New Jersey's individual market premiums rose an average of 16.6% for 2026. Once the loss of the enhanced subsidy is factored in, some households saw their real costs jump by as much as 174%, an average of roughly $2,780 more per year, and about 60,000 Get Covered NJ enrollees lost federal financial help entirely. Filed rate increases for 2027 plans are trending higher again, averaging around 20.4% in the individual market before any subsidy is applied.
Enrollment reflects it. Get Covered NJ had about 434,700 people enrolled as of June 30, 2026, down nearly 74,500 from the close of the last enrollment period. Some of that drop is people who found coverage elsewhere, and some of it is people who went uninsured because the sticker price scared them off before they checked what they'd actually pay.
Base subsidies still exist for many households, so it's worth running your real numbers before assuming you don't qualify. Our page on the NJ Health Insurance Marketplace walks through how plans and subsidies work.
Other Changes to Know for 2027
New Rules for Some Non-Citizens
Starting January 1, 2027, certain non-citizens, including people on work visas, student visas, asylum status, refugee status, and Temporary Protected Status, will no longer qualify for federal financial assistance on marketplace plans. Lawful Permanent Residents (“green card” holders) and COFA migrants are not affected and keep their eligibility.
Losing NJ FamilyCare? There's a Bridge
If you lose NJ FamilyCare (Medicaid/CHIP) coverage after September 30, 2026, you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period to move into a marketplace plan, using “Loss of NJ FamilyCare” as your qualifying event. Coverage can start as early as October 1, 2026, and financial help is available for that coverage through the end of 2026. If you've recently lost coverage for any reason, see Lost Your Health Insurance in NJ? Here's What to Do Next.
Common Mistakes That Cost People Money This Year
- Assuming you make “too much” for a subsidy based on last year's numbers
- Letting a plan auto-renew without checking whether your premium tax credit changed
- Comparing sticker prices instead of your actual monthly cost after subsidies
- Waiting until the new year to start, then missing the December 15 deadline for January 1 coverage
- Not confirming that your doctors and prescriptions are still covered on a plan that changed its network or formulary for 2027
How We Can Help
With premiums up and subsidies down, this is the year it pays to compare plans rather than click “renew.” As a local medical insurance broker in NJ, DGS Benefits helps New Jersey residents run their real numbers against every plan on Get Covered NJ, at no cost to you.
If you'd like a second opinion before November 1, or you just found out your subsidy shrank, contact DGS Benefits for a free, no-obligation consultation. You can also read our client testimonials to see what working with us is like.