Every fall, Get Covered New Jersey opens its doors for anyone who wants to buy or switch an individual health plan — 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 also happens to be a year with real changes landing all at once, so what you paid — or what you saw on the screen — last time around may not match what's there this year. Here's what's different, what it means for your wallet, and how a licensed local broker can help you sort through it at no cost to you.

Mark Your Calendar: November 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027

Unlike the federal marketplace's shortened 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 — giving New Jersey residents more time than most other states get. The deadline for a January 1, 2027 start date is December 15, 2026; 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 December 31, 2025, and Congress has not renewed them. The effect showed up fast: New Jersey's individual market premiums rose an average of 16.6% for 2026, and 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 — with about 60,000 Get Covered NJ enrollees losing 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 numbers reflect 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 finding coverage elsewhere; some of it is people going uninsured because the sticker price scared them off before they checked what they'd actually pay. Base subsidies still exist for many households, and it's worth running your real numbers before assuming you don't qualify.

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, with coverage starting as early as October 1, 2026. Financial help is available for that coverage through the end of 2026.

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 running your actual after-subsidy monthly cost
• Waiting until the new year to start, then missing the December 15 deadline for January 1 coverage
• Not confirming your doctors and prescriptions are still in-network on a plan that changed its formulary or network for 2027

How We Can Help

With premiums up and subsidies down, this is the year it actually pays to compare plans rather than click "renew." DGS Benefits helps New Jersey residents run their real numbers against every plan on Get Covered NJ, at no cost to you.

If you want a second opinion before November 1, or you just found out your subsidy shrank, contact DGS Benefits today for a free, no-obligation consultation.