Louis Barajas — Finances Con Corazón
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Money Basics

Open Enrollment 2026: How to Choose Health Insurance and Benefits for Your Familia

open enrollment 2026 how to choose health insurance and benefits for your familia

A calm, simple way to review your options before the deadline.

Take a Breath Before You Click

Right about now, an email shows up from work. Or a letter in the mail. Or a friend mentions that open enrollment started November 1.

Many of us feel a small knot in the stomach. The words are confusing. The deadline feels close. The choices seem to have been written for somebody else.

I want you to know something first. Taking the time to look at this is one of the most loving things you can do for your familia.

I am the son of immigrants. My dad was born in Tepatitlán, Jalisco, and my mom in Nogales, Sonora. I grew up in Boyle Heights, in East LA. Families like mine were rarely handed a guide for how any of this works. We were never taught how money works. That ends now.

So let's slow it down and walk through it together.

First, Know Which Window You Are In

Open enrollment is the time of year when you can sign up for, or change, your health insurance. There is more than one window, and that is where the confusion starts.

Here is what the official sources say:

  • Marketplace plans (HealthCare.gov): open enrollment runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. If you want coverage to start January 1, choose your plan by December 15. Some states run their own marketplace, and their dates can be different.
  • Medicare: open enrollment runs from October 15 to December 7.
  • Through your job: the dates are set by your employer. Many companies hold theirs in the fall, so ask your HR department or check your work email for the exact deadline.

Write your date on the calendar today. A deadline you can see is a deadline you can meet.

One more thing. Please be careful who you share your information with. Go straight to HealthCare.gov or to your employer's own benefits site. If someone calls or texts promising free insurance or cash to sign up, that is a good moment to hang up and check first.

Look at the Whole Cost, Not Just the Monthly Number

The monthly premium is the number everyone sees first. It is only one piece.

Here are the pieces I would put on the kitchen table:

  • Premium. What you pay every month to have the plan.
  • Deductible. What you pay yourself before the plan starts to help.
  • Copays and coinsurance. What you pay each time you see a doctor or fill a prescription.
  • Out-of-pocket maximum. The most you could pay in a year for covered care.

Let me show you why this matters. This is only an example, so use your own numbers.

Say Plan A costs $250 a month and Plan B costs $350 a month. Plan B costs $1,200 more over the year. Now ask yourself, does Plan B give my familia something worth $1,200? Maybe it has a lower deductible, and you know you will see doctors often. Maybe it covers the clinic your kids already go to. Or maybe you rarely need care, and Plan A is the better fit.

There is no single right answer. The right answer is the one that fits your familia's life.

A few questions that help:

  • Are my doctors and my pharmacy covered by this plan?
  • What will I pay for the medicines we take every month?
  • Do I have enough set aside to cover the deductible if something happens?

If your work offers a flexible spending account, read the rules closely. Generally, money left in it at the end of the plan year is lost, though some employers allow a short grace period or a small carryover. Ask your HR department what yours allows before you decide how much to put in.

Plan for Next Year, Not Just This Year

Costs have been going up. KFF, a health policy research group, reports that benchmark marketplace premiums for 2027 are rising about 13 percent on average. The extra tax credits that helped many families expired in 2026, so the price you remember from last year may look different now.

I am not sharing that to worry you. I am sharing it so nothing surprises you. When you know what is coming, you can make a calm plan.

If you buy a marketplace plan, the help you get is based on your income. Be honest and careful with your estimate, and update it if your income changes during the year. If your familia has members with different immigration situations, the rules can be different for each person. It is worth talking with a trusted, free enrollment counselor, and you can find one through HealthCare.gov.

And please do not skip the step of checking what you already have. Some employers offer help beyond health insurance, such as life insurance or disability coverage. I will say this in general terms, because every family is different. Protection for the people you love belongs in the plan. Planning is an act of love.

One Small Step This Week

You do not have to figure out everything tonight. Direction matters more than speed.

Pick one step. Find your deadline. Gather last year's plan information. Write down your familia's doctors and medicines. Change requires movement, and one small step counts.

You deserve to feel steady about your familia's health and your money. Let's build this together.

Where to go from here

If you want to talk it through with people who understand, join our free community in the Finances Con Corazón app. You can sign up at app.financesconcorazon.com, ask your questions, and learn alongside other familias who are on the same road.

And if you want the whole story of how I think about money, dignity, and legacy, my book, Finances Con Corazón: The Latino Journey To Financial Dignity, is available now. I wrote it for the families I grew up around. You can get your copy here: https://amzn.to/4gnzRHN

With commitment and corazón,
Louis

This post is for general education and is not insurance, tax, or legal advice. Check your own plan documents and official sources for your situation.