How do I renew or change my Marketplace plan?

Doing nothing renews you automatically, and that is rarely the right outcome. Here is what to check every November before the deadline.

Updated September 3, 2026 · 3 min read · by Gerino Alejos

Key points

If you do nothing during open enrollment, the Marketplace generally re enrolls you, and your costs and doctors can change on January 1.
Your discount is tied to the second lowest cost silver plan near you, so your monthly bill can rise even when your income did not change.
Update your income estimate and compare plans by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1.

To change your plan, log in during open enrollment and pick a different one. That is the yearly window when you can switch. If you do nothing in it, the Marketplace, the government site where you shop, generally re enrolls you automatically.

Letting that happen is usually the wrong outcome. Three things change every January, and automatic renewal accounts for none of them.

What changes underneath you

Your premium, the monthly bill for the plan, is set again for the new year. So are your deductible, what you pay before the plan starts paying, and your out of pocket maximum, the most you pay in a year.
The benchmark plan near you, the second lowest cost silver plan in your area, can change. That moves your premium tax credit, the discount the government pays toward your premium, even if your income stayed flat.
Networks and drug lists are redrawn. A network is the doctors and hospitals under contract, and the formulary is the plan's list of covered drugs. Your doctor can drop out, and your medicine can move to a different price tier.

The benchmark change catches the most people. If a lower priced silver plan enters the market, the benchmark drops, your credit drops, and your monthly payment goes up even though you changed nothing.

What to do every November

Open the notice from your health plan and the one from the Marketplace. Both come in the fall, and both matter.
Update your income estimate for the coming year. People skip this step, and it causes tax surprises.
Report changes in your household, such as marriage, divorce, a birth, a child aging off, or someone picking up coverage at work.
Shop again. Compare your renewed plan against everything else offered, with your doctors and medicines typed in.
Check whether you now qualify for cost sharing reductions, a break that lowers your deductible and your copay, the flat amount you pay at a visit. If so, a silver plan is usually right.
Enroll by the deadline. December 15 is typically the cutoff for coverage that starts January 1, and open enrollment runs through January 15 for later start dates.

Changing plans mid year

Outside open enrollment you need a qualifying life event, a change that opens a special enrollment period, a short window to sign up after the yearly one closes. Moving, marriage, a birth, losing other coverage, or an income change that affects what you qualify for all count. See the full list.

Not liking your plan is not a qualifying event. That is why the November review matters.

If your plan is discontinued

You will get a notice. The Marketplace will usually move you to a similar plan from the same company. Similar does not mean the same plan.

Treat the notice as a reason to shop, not a decision made for you.

Keep the paperwork

Form 1095-A comes in January. You need it to file your taxes and to square the credit you were paid against the income you really had. If you changed plans mid year, you may get two.

See how that works and the application process.

Watch for the two notices this fall, compare your renewal against the other plans, and enroll by December 15. If you want help with that comparison, call our McAllen office at (956) 687 3334, or enter your ZIP code in the box on this page.

Common follow-up questions

What happens if I do nothing?

You are generally re enrolled automatically. Your costs can change a lot, and your doctors may no longer be in the network.

Why did my premium go up when my income did not change?

Usually the benchmark plan in your area changed, which changes your credit. It is the most common cause, and it has nothing to do with you.

When is the deadline?

Open enrollment runs November 1 to January 15. Enroll by roughly December 15 for coverage that starts January 1.

Want this looked at properly?

We are an independent agency in McAllen serving Hidalgo, Cameron and Starr counties. There is no obligation to talk it through.

Call (956) 687 3334

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