# Health Insurance Open Enrollment Starts Sunday: Five Things to Check Before You Pick a Plan, and Why Premiums Are Expected to Rise Again

An insurance-industry trade group leader tells Fox Business to review last year's spending, the budget, doctor networks, out-of-pocket costs and whether a high-deductible plan with an HSA fits.

- Section: [Economy](https://rightnewsrightnow.com/economy/)
- Published: 2026-10-31
- By: RightNewsRightNow Staff
- Canonical page: https://rightnewsrightnow.com/articles/health-insurance-open-enrollment-nov-1-dec-15-five-things-review-nabip-winter-hsa-in-network-fox-business/

Marketplace open enrollment begins Sunday, Nov. 1, and Fox Business has a checklist from a benefits professional.

The dates. People buying coverage through their state exchange or Healthcare.gov have until Dec. 15 to enroll or change plans for coverage that starts Jan. 1, 2027. The standard window runs to Jan. 15, with coverage starting Feb. 1 for those who sign up after the first deadline. Medicare has its own enrollment period that overlaps, and many employer plans hold theirs in October and November.

The checklist, from Mychal Winter, president of the National Association of Benefits and Insurance Professionals:

1. Look back. Review what you spent on care over the past 12 months, then think about what you may need next year.
2. Check the budget. Winter says premiums are generally expected to rise this year because of inflation and provider and labor costs, so last year's rate "is probably not going to be the same." Test whether your old plan still fits.
3. Check your doctors. Providers and insurers sometimes have a "standoff" over rates, and a doctor can move out of network from one year to the next. A PPO lets you see a specialist without a referral but can cost more out of network.
4. Look at out-of-pocket costs. Add up copays and what a visit or hospital stay would really cost.
5. Weigh a high deductible. Winter says a high-deductible plan can keep premiums down, but "you've got to anticipate if you can afford that deductible." Some come with a health savings account, where contributions, growth and qualified withdrawals are tax-free, and balances roll over each year.

Winter also urged people to use an insurance professional, noting that open enrollment lands in the middle of a midterm campaign in which health costs are on voters' minds.

Note for readers: the advice comes from a trade group that represents insurance professionals. Rates and plans differ by state, so the expected increase is a general forecast, not a figure for any one plan.

## Source

Original reporting: [Fox Business](https://www.foxbusiness.com/economy/health-insurance-open-enrollment-5-things-review-before-choosing-plan)