Governor Maura Healey opened the Massachusetts Health Connector’s open enrollment period for 2027 on Friday, urging residents to compare plans and seek financial help, and announcing that the state will again spend hundreds of millions of dollars to keep coverage affordable after federal insurance subsidies expired at the end of last year.
The governor announced at an event in Roxbury, where she was joined by state and Boston public health officials, according to a statement from her office. She said Massachusetts would continue to provide additional state funding to offset the loss of the enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act, which the office said expired after President Trump and congressional Republicans declined to extend them.
Open enrollment begins October 23 and runs through January 23, 2027, the Health Connector said. Residents must enroll by December 23, 2026, for coverage that begins January 1, 2027; those who sign up by the January 23 deadline will have coverage start February 1.
“Last year, Massachusetts stepped up when President Trump turned his back on the millions of Americans who get their health insurance through the Affordable Care Act,” Healey said in the statement. “As a result, we protected access to care for nearly 300,000 of our residents. We’re doing the same this year — providing additional funding to help keep coverage affordable.”
She encouraged both new applicants and current members to act. “Whether you’re signing up for the first time or renewing your coverage, check out the Health Connector, explore your options and see what financial assistance is available,” Healey said. “We’re here to help you get covered at a price you can afford.”
The most practical part of the announcement is the free, in-person help the state is offering to walk people through the process. The Health Connector said personalized enrollment assistance is available from Navigators at 50 locations across Massachusetts, with support offered in 29 languages. Navigators can help residents understand their options, determine whether they qualify for financial assistance, and complete the enrollment itself.
Residents can explore coverage, find a Navigator, or enroll online at MAhealthconnector.org, or call 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765); TTY users can dial 711, the Health Connector said.
Dr. Bisola Ojikutu, Boston’s commissioner of public health, who appeared alongside the governor, pointed directly to residents who struggle to enroll because of language. “Access to health insurance is essential to building healthier communities,” Ojikutu said in the statement. “We want to make sure that everyone, particularly those who may face language or other barriers to enrollment, knows that help is available to understand their options and take the next step toward getting covered.”
Health Connector officials encouraged current members not to simply let their plans renew, but to review their 2027 options, compare costs, and update their household and income information so they receive the financial support they are entitled to.
The governor’s commitment is a response to a change in federal policy. The enhanced premium tax credits under the Affordable Care Act — which the statement said 22 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Massachusetts residents, had relied on to afford their insurance — were not extended for this year. To limit the effect on middle-class families, the state said it increased its investment in the ConnectorCare program by $250 million in 2026, bringing that year’s total to $600 million. For 2027, the statement said, the state’s total investment will rise to $620 million, drawn from the Commonwealth Care Trust Fund.
The administration described it as the largest state investment of its kind in the country. It said the funding means roughly 279,000 customers enrolled in ConnectorCare will continue to see little to no increase in their premiums in 2027, while keeping the program’s lower co-pays and absence of deductibles.
Audrey Morse Gasteier, the Health Connector’s executive director, framed the enrollment window as a chance for residents to protect themselves financially.
“Having quality health insurance is one of the most important ways Massachusetts residents can protect their health and financial security,” she said in the statement, encouraging residents to use the free assistance available through the Connector and its Navigator partners.
Health and Human Services Secretary Kiame Mahaniah said the state was committed to keeping residents “healthy and insured,” and credited the Health Connector, which has operated for more than two decades, with having “kept Massachusetts covered.”
The administration said Friday’s announcement builds on other steps Healey has taken on health costs, including capping insurance deductibles and co-pays, signing legislation that caps the price of some prescription drugs — including insulin at $25 — ending prior-authorization requirements for routine and essential care, and moving to keep medical debt off credit reports. The office said it also negotiated down proposed 2027 insurance rate increases, which it projected would save residents and businesses $72 million.
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