Minnesota Open Enrollment Dates
Every date below is checked against the agency or regulator that sets it, and the source is linked under each one. If a date here disagrees with something you have read elsewhere, the link is how you settle it — the 2027 marketplace window in particular changed recently and a lot of pages have not caught up.
MNsure — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- November 1, 2026 and January 15, 2027
- For coverage starting January 1:
- enroll by December 15, 2026
- Enroll after that:
- coverage starts February 1
This is the window for anyone buying their own health coverage — self-employed, between jobs, or not offered a plan at work. It is also the only place a premium tax credit exists, and it applies whether you buy through MNsure or directly from a carrier.
Medicare Annual Enrollment — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- October 15, 2026 and December 7, 2026
- Coverage starts:
- January 1
For choosing or changing a Medicare Advantage, Supplement or Part D plan. Not the window for signing up for Medicare in the first place — that one is built around your 65th birthday.
Medicare Advantage Open Enrollment — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- January 1, 2027 and March 31, 2027
- Coverage starts:
- the first of the following month
The one most people have never heard of. If you are on a Medicare Advantage plan and it turns out to be wrong for you, this is one free change — to a different Advantage plan or back to Original Medicare — without waiting a year.
Small group special open enrollment — 2027 coverage
- Enroll between:
- November 15, 2026 and December 15, 2026
- Coverage starts:
- January 1
For employers, not individuals. Small groups can start coverage January 1 without meeting the usual minimum participation and employer contribution requirements. If employees on a spouse's plan are what keeps you under the participation line the rest of the year, this is your month.
If you're outside the window
You need a qualifying life event, and you generally have 60 days from the date it happened. These windows are short and they do close, so if any of this has happened to you recently, call sooner rather than later.
- Losing health coverage you had through a job — yours or a family member's
- Moving to Minnesota, or moving somewhere your current plan doesn't reach
- Getting married, or divorced if it costs you coverage
- Having a baby, adopting, or taking in a foster child
- A change in income that makes you newly eligible for help paying premiums
- Turning 26 and coming off a parent's plan
- Becoming a citizen or lawfully present resident
Common questions
When does open enrollment start in Minnesota?
MNsure open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15, 2026 for coverage starting January 1; enroll after that and coverage starts February 1.
Didn't the open enrollment window get shortened?
A 2025 federal rule would have ended it on December 15 starting with the 2027 plan year. Court action stopped that rule, and MNsure restored the January 15 end date on August 7, 2026. Some pages still show the shorter window — the MNsure assister announcement is the authority.
When is Medicare open enrollment?
Medicare Annual Enrollment runs October 15, 2026 through December 7, 2026, for coverage beginning January 1. If you are already on a Medicare Advantage plan, there is a second window from January 1 to March 31 to make one change.
Can I buy health insurance outside of open enrollment?
Only with a qualifying life event — losing job-based coverage, moving, marriage, a birth, or a change in income that makes you newly eligible for help. You generally have 60 days from the event. Buying directly from a carrier instead of through MNsure does not get you around the calendar; the same annual window applies to the whole individual market.
What happens if I miss the deadline?
You wait for the next open enrollment unless you have a qualifying life event. That is the honest answer, and it is why the December 15 date is worth putting in your calendar now rather than in December.
Does my employer's group plan follow these dates?
No. Your enrollment period is set by your employer's plan year — a group renewing in July enrolls in June. There is one fixed window worth knowing: November 15 to December 15, small groups can start coverage January 1 without meeting the usual participation and contribution requirements.
Get it sorted before the deadline
There is no cost to work with us — we are paid by the carrier, not by you. Reviewing what you have against what is available for 2027 takes a phone call.
Dates last verified August 27, 2026. We check these each August, when MNsure publishes the coming year's window.