Florida has two open enrollment windows this fall, and they are not the same. Medicare’s window is open right now and closes December 7. The Marketplace window on HealthCare.gov (often called Obamacare) opens November 1. Pick a Marketplace plan by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1, and January 15 is the last day.
If everyone in your home is on the same program, you only need one of these calendars. If one person has Medicare and someone else uses the Marketplace, you need both. This page puts them side by side so nobody in the house misses a date. The dates are the same everywhere in Florida, from Gainesville and Tallahassee to Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, and Miami.
This article is educational. Instant Health Help is a licensed health insurance agency, and our agent, Lobsang Rivas, is licensed in Florida. We are not HealthCare.gov, Medicare, or Social Security.
When is open enrollment for HealthCare.gov?
Florida uses HealthCare.gov for Marketplace plans. HealthCare.gov lists these dates for coverage next year:
- November 1: Open Enrollment starts. It is the first day you can enroll, renew, or change plans for next year.
- December 15: Last day to enroll or change plans for coverage that starts January 1.
- January 15: Open Enrollment ends. If you enroll or change plans from December 16 to January 15, coverage starts February 1.
In every case, coverage starts only after you pay your first premium. After January 15, you can enroll or change plans only if you have a qualifying life change. See the HealthCare.gov dates and deadlines page.
When is Medicare open enrollment?
Medicare Open Enrollment (also called Annual Enrollment) runs October 15 to December 7, so it is open right now. Changes you make start January 1, and the plan must get your request by December 7. During this window you can:
- Join, switch, or drop a Medicare Advantage plan
- Move from Original Medicare to Medicare Advantage, or back
- Join, switch, or drop a Medicare drug plan if you have Original Medicare
If you are happy with your plan and it is staying, CMS says you generally do not need to re-enroll. It is still smart to read your plan’s Annual Notice of Change and check your drugs and doctors for next year. These windows are listed on Medicare.gov’s joining a plan page.
Medicare vs Marketplace open enrollment, side by side
| Medicare | Marketplace (HealthCare.gov) | |
|---|---|---|
| Who it is for | People with Medicare (usually 65 and older, or under 65 with a qualifying disability) | People without Medicare who need their own or family coverage (savings depend on income and any job offer) |
| Window opens | October 15 (open now) | November 1 |
| Deadline for a January 1 start | December 7 | December 15 |
| Last day of the window | December 7 | January 15 (coverage starts February 1) |
| What you can change | Medicare Advantage plans, drug plans, or a move between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage | Enroll in, renew, or change a Marketplace health plan |
| Where you compare | Medicare Plan Finder, 1-800-MEDICARE, or a licensed agent | HealthCare.gov, 1-800-318-2596, or a licensed agent |
| If you miss it | If you already have Medicare Advantage, January 1 to March 31 gives one more chance to switch. Otherwise you need a special situation, like a move. | You need a qualifying life change, like losing other coverage or moving |
| Help with costs | Extra Help and Medicare Savings Programs | Tax credits based on what you expect to earn next year |
One rule ties the two together: HealthCare.gov says it is against the law for someone who knows you have Medicare to sell you a Marketplace plan, even if you have only Part A or only Part B. So each person in the house lives on one calendar or the other, not both.
Your November 1 countdown
Medicare shoppers can act today. Marketplace shoppers can get ready now so November 1 takes minutes, not hours:
- Find your HealthCare.gov login. Reset your password now if you need to. Never share your login with anyone. A licensed agent does not need it.
- Check your application for every Social Security number or immigration document. Having them on file helps your renewal and your agent stay connected.
- Estimate next year’s income, not last year’s. Your savings are based on what you expect to earn next year. Our federal poverty level chart shows where your household may land.
- List your doctors, prescriptions, and pharmacy so you can check them against next year’s plans.
- Read any renewal letter from your plan. If you plan to let your plan renew on its own, read what auto re-enrollment does and does not do first.
- Mark December 15 on the calendar. That is the date that keeps your coverage from January 1 with no gap.
Prefer Spanish? Our Spanish guide covers the documents to have ready.
One house, two calendars
These are the household setups we see most often in Florida.
One spouse has Medicare, the other is under 65
The spouse with Medicare reviews their plan by December 7. The younger spouse shops the Marketplace by December 15 for a January 1 start. The Medicare spouse cannot be on the Marketplace plan, so the younger spouse’s application covers only the people who do not have Medicare. Each person with Medicare has their own Medicare card and makes their own plan choice. Book one sitting for both: a quick Medicare review first, then the Marketplace plan once HealthCare.gov opens.
Someone in the house turns 65 next year
Turning 65 gives you your own Medicare sign-up window, separate from both open enrollment windows. Your Marketplace plan also does not end by itself when Medicare starts. HealthCare.gov says you can report a Medicare start date on your Marketplace application up to 3 months before Medicare begins, and then confirm the plan for anyone in the household who stays on the Marketplace. Our turning 65 countdown and keeping Marketplace after 65 guide walk through the timing.
Parents on Medicare, kids or grandkids on the Marketplace
Children and young adults are on the Marketplace calendar. A young adult on a parent’s Marketplace plan can stay on it through December 31 of the year they turn 26, according to HealthCare.gov. If a child may qualify for Medicaid or CHIP (children’s coverage), you can apply any time of year, not just during open enrollment.
Missed a deadline? What is left
- Medicare Advantage members: From January 1 to March 31 you can switch to another Medicare Advantage plan, or drop it and return to Original Medicare and join a drug plan. This is only for people already in a Medicare Advantage plan.
- Other Medicare situations: Special Enrollment Periods exist for things like moving, losing other coverage, getting Medicaid, or getting Extra Help. Our Medicare AEP vs OEP guide explains the difference.
- Marketplace: After January 15 you generally need a life change, such as losing other coverage, moving, or a change in your household, and you usually have 60 days to act. Details are on the HealthCare.gov Special Enrollment Period page.
- Medicaid and CHIP: You can apply any time of year.
Frequently asked questions
When is open enrollment for HealthCare.gov?
It starts November 1 and ends January 15. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. Enroll from December 16 to January 15 and coverage starts February 1.
When is Medicare open enrollment?
October 15 to December 7. It is open now. Changes start January 1, and the plan must get your request by December 7.
Is Medicare open enrollment the same as Obamacare open enrollment?
No. They are two different programs with two different windows. Medicare’s ends December 7. The Marketplace window opens November 1 and runs to January 15, with December 15 as the date for a January 1 start.
Can my spouse who has Medicare stay on my Marketplace plan?
No. It is against the law for someone who knows a person has Medicare to sell them a Marketplace plan. The spouse with Medicare uses Medicare’s calendar, and the rest of the household can keep or choose a Marketplace plan.
What if I turn 65 next year while I have a Marketplace plan?
Your Marketplace plan does not end on its own. Report your Medicare start date on your application, up to 3 months before Medicare begins, and make sure anyone else in the house who keeps Marketplace coverage stays enrolled.
Can I apply for Medicaid outside open enrollment?
Yes. HealthCare.gov says you can apply for Medicaid and CHIP any time of year.
How we help
We help households across Florida, from Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Jacksonville to Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Naples, and Miami, by phone and online in English or Spanish. We can review the Medicare side now, before December 7, and line up the Marketplace side for November 1, so both calendars are handled in one plan. We look at your doctors, prescriptions, income estimate, and ZIP code, and you make the decision. Learn more about our Florida Medicare agent services.
Two calendars, one call
Bring your Medicare card, your HealthCare.gov login (you keep it, we never ask for it), your income estimate, and your drug list. We will map every date in your house.
Call (321) 315-0054 | agent@inshh.com
You may qualify after tax credits. Eligibility varies.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 10 organizations which offer 489 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov or 1-800-MEDICARE to get information on all of your options.
1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227; TTY 1-877-486-2048) is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, except some federal holidays. HealthCare.gov: 1-800-318-2596 (TTY 1-855-889-4325). Instant Health Help is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, HealthCare.gov, or the federal Medicare program.
Serving Gainesville, Tallahassee, Jacksonville, Tampa, Orlando, Fort Myers, Naples, West Palm Beach, Miami, and communities across Florida.