2027 Health Insurance Open Enrollment Starts Nov. 1

Boone, Howard, Cooper and Callaway county residents can enroll in 2027 health plans starting Nov. 1; sign up by Dec. 15 for Jan. 1 coverage.

The Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI) released final 2027 rates for the individual and small-group markets on Oct. 30. The release gave no percentages. It said rates are increasing and networks are changing for many plans.

Dates to know

Nov. 1, 2026: open enrollment begins.
Dec. 15, 2026: last day to enroll or change plans for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2027.
Jan. 15, 2027: final deadline, but coverage then starts Feb. 1.

What it means in our four counties

DCI says every Missouri county, which includes Boone, Howard, Cooper and Callaway, will have at least two carriers selling individual plans, and most counties have four or more. We could not confirm the exact carrier count for each county. To see who sells in your county, use DCI’s online health insurance market map.

Before you pick a plan

Compare total costs, not just the premium: deductibles, co-pays and co-insurance too.
Check your network. Confirm your doctors, pediatrician, clinic and hospital are still in the plan, even if you keep the same carrier.
Check the drug list. Look up your prescriptions in the plan’s formulary.
Consider a health savings account. DCI says all ACA Bronze and Catastrophic plans can be paired with one.

DCI also noted it has no authority over the network contracts between hospitals and insurers, and that Marketplace network rules are enforced at the federal level. It said this in response to public concern over Children’s Mercy Hospital’s network status.

Where to get help

Free local help with enrolling: FindLocalHelp.CoverMissouri.org or 1-800-466-3213.
DCI Insurance Consumer Hotline: 800-726-7390, or insurance.mo.gov/consumers.
Rate information: insurance.mo.gov/health-insurance.

On Medicare? Its enrollment window is different and closes Dec. 7. See our story on free Medicare counseling. For background on state coverage changes, see how federal changes affect Missouri Medicaid.