The dates that are still ahead
| Date | What happens | Page |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 15 – Dec 7, 2026 | Medicare annual enrollment | Medicare in New York |
| Nov 1, 2026 – Jan 31, 2027 | Marketplace open enrollment for 2027 coverage | Open enrollment |
| Dec 15, 2026 | Last day to enroll for a January 1 start | Renewal checklist |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Premium tax credits narrow for several lawfully present immigrant categories | Immigrants in 2027 |
| Jan 1, 2027 | Medicaid work and community engagement rules take effect, with six-month renewals | Work requirements |
| January 2027 | HHS publishes new poverty guidelines; every threshold on this site moves with them | Income limits |
What already changed
September 4, 2026: 2027 premiums approved. The state cut insurers’ requested individual-market increase from 20.6% to an approved average of 6.0%, and the small-group request from 23.7% to 8.0%. Your own change is on your renewal notice, not in the average. What changed for 2027.
July 1, 2026: the Essential Plan ceiling dropped to 200% of the federal poverty level. The federal funding for the 200% to 250% band ended, and roughly 450,000 people lost eligibility and were moved to marketplace plans. Below 200%, nothing changed. The Essential Plan now.
January 2026: the poverty guidelines rose to $15,960 for one person plus $5,680 per additional person, from $15,650 and $5,500. Every threshold on this site is a multiple of those two numbers. The full table.
January 1, 2026: lawfully present immigrants under 100% of the poverty level lost premium tax credit eligibility under the federal law enacted in July 2025. The second and larger step lands January 1, 2027. What ends and what stays open.
December 31, 2025: the enhanced premium tax credits expired. Credits still exist on the pre-2021 formula, generally ending at 400% of the poverty level, and the cap on repaying excess advance credit at tax time is gone. How the credit works now.
October 20, 2024: the hospital financial assistance law was rewritten, and this is the change most billing offices still describe wrongly. The ceiling moved from 300% to 400% of the poverty level, a new 20% tier was added for 301% to 400%, asset tests were banned, decisions must come within 30 days in writing, hospitals may not sue patients under 400%, and payment plans are capped at 5% of monthly income with 2% interest. The current law and every protection with its date.
December 13, 2023: New York barred hospitals, providers and ambulance services from reporting medical debt to credit bureaus. Federal court rulings in 2025 have made enforcement contested; the state law remains on the books. What that means in practice.
November 23, 2022: wage garnishment and home liens for medical debt were banned for hospitals and health care professionals in New York, effective immediately and not retroactively.
Entries
Longer write-ups of individual changes, in reverse order:
In this section
What Changes for New York Health Coverage in 2027: Five Dates to Know
Approved 2027 premiums, the tax credits that did not come back, the Essential Plan cutback, new immigrant eligibility limits from January 1, and Medicaid work rules. A short roundup with the source for each.
What Changed in New York Health Coverage This Summer
Four changes moved this year in New York health coverage — and one thing that did not. A short roundup with the source for each.
Sources
- NY State of Health (checked 2026-09-07)
- NYS Department of Financial Services — 2027 health insurance premium rates (checked 2026-09-07)
- New York State Attorney General — Hospital financial assistance (checked 2026-09-07)
This page explains how the system works. It is not medical advice. More.