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Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is the annual window when consumers can enroll in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan for the upcoming plan year. When technical issues occur on the final day of OEP, there is a process for requesting a deadline extension for applications that hit an error before submission is complete.
In this article we’ll cover:
Open Enrollment Period (OEP)
Open Enrollment Period (OEP) is the annual window when consumers can enroll in an Affordable Care Act (ACA) plan for the upcoming plan year.
For states that use the Federally-Facilitated Marketplace (FFM), OEP dates are:
Plan year 2026: November 1, 2025 - January, 15 2026
Plan year 2027: November 1, 2026 - December 15, 2026
State-Based Marketplaces (SBM) can have different Open Enrollment dates.
Outside of OEP, consumers can enroll in ACA coverage or change ACA plans as long as they qualify for a Special Enrollment Period (SEP).
Key submission deadlines
The deadline for consumers seeking ACA coverage effective January 1, 2026 ends on December 15, 2025 at midnight Hawaii time. Enrollment submissions must be completed by 5 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on December 16, 2025 to secure coverage effective January 1, 2026.
The deadline for consumers seeking ACA coverage effective February 1, 2026 ends on January 15, 2026 at midnight Hawaii time. Enrollment submissions must be completed by 5 a.m. ET on January 16, 2026 to secure coverage effective February 1, 2026.
Enrollment submissions made after these deadlines will receive effective dates specific to the consumer's SEP.
OEP deadline extensions
Technical issues may occur on December 15, 2025 or January 15, 2026. There is a process to request a deadline extension for applications that ran into an error before the enrollment submission is complete and before 5 a.m. Eastern Time (ET) on these dates.
Once a deadline extension is approved, the Marketplace grants an in-line SEP. An in-line SEP allows the consumer to complete an enrollment submission after the standard OEP deadline, as long as the enrollment submission is completed by the stated in-line SEP deadline.
Requesting a deadline extension
Requesting a deadline extension
Complete all steps below for each application that should be included in HealthSherpa’s deadline extension request.
Continue trying to finish the application. The consumer’s Marketplace Eligibility Notice may indicate the consumer is ineligible to enroll because there is no SEP (example from the Eligibility results page). This is expected and does not impact the consumer’s ability to enroll.
Use information from the consumer's Marketplace Eligibility Notice to complete a deadline extension form. Deadline extension forms must be submitted by:
Noon Pacific Time (PT) on December 16, 2025 for consumers seeking a January 1, 2026 effective date
Noon PT on January 16, 2026 for consumers seeking a February 1, 2026 effective date
After these deadlines, do not reopen or make changes to the application until HealthSherpa emails the agent.
Next steps
Next steps
HealthSherpa will email the agent no later than December 19, 2025 and January 19, 2026, respectively.
In-line SEP deadlines are:
11:59 p.m. ET on December 29, 2025 to finalize plan selection & submit the enrollment for coverage effective January 1, 2026.
11:59 p.m. ET on January 29, 2026 to finalize plan selection & submit the enrollment for coverage effective February 1, 2026.
These directions apply only to applications that encountered technical issues on December 15, 2025 or January 15, 2026.
If a CMS Invalid Action error appears on December 15, 2025 or January 15, 2026, the consumer can submit the changes using the resume link, or the agent can complete a 3-way call with the consumer and the Marketplace Call Center and ask the representative to update coverage.
The CMS Invalid Action error will not qualify the application for an in-line SEP on December 15, 2025 or January 15, 2026.
Additional resources
For help using HealthSherpa or for other assistance, contact Agent Support. Agent Support is available by phone at (888) 684-1373, by email at Agent_Support@HealthSherpa.com, or by chat directly from your account.