For individual health insurance, Massachusetts residents shop on the Massachusetts Health Connector. Open Enrollment for 2027 runs Oct 23, 2026 – Jan 23, 2027; enroll and pay by Dec 23 for a Jan 1 start. Massachusetts also has a state individual mandate: most adults who can afford coverage and go without it can owe a penalty on their state tax return.
Updated for the 2027 plan year (October 2026). Reviewed by a licensed agent.
- Massachusetts at a glance for 2027
- 2027 Open Enrollment dates
- The Massachusetts individual mandate and tax penalty
- ConnectorCare and federal tax credits
- MassHealth, CMSP and Health Safety Net
- 2027 insurers and service-area changes
- Immigrant families: 2027 changes
- College students and the SHIP rule
- Free help and consumer protection
- Massachusetts city guides
- Frequently asked questions
Health insurance Massachusetts at a glance for 2027
Massachusetts has the highest rate of health coverage in the country, a state-run exchange with its own subsidy program, and a coverage requirement enforced through state taxes. The table summarizes what matters for the 2027 plan year.
| Topic | Massachusetts for the 2027 plan year |
|---|---|
| Exchange | Massachusetts Health Connector |
| Open Enrollment | Oct 23, 2026 – Jan 23, 2027 |
| Deadline for Jan 1 start | Dec 23, 2026 (choose a plan and pay) |
| Individual mandate | Yes. State tax penalty for adults who could afford coverage |
| Medicaid expansion | Yes. Medicaid and CHIP are combined as MassHealth |
| State help programs | ConnectorCare (100%–400% FPL), Children’s Medical Security Plan, Health Safety Net |
| 2027 merged-market insurers | Blue Cross Blue Shield of MA, Fallon, Harvard Pilgrim, Health New England, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare, WellSense |
| Insurance regulator | Massachusetts Division of Insurance |
| Uninsured rate | 2.8%, lowest of any state (Census ACS, 2024) |
The 2.8% uninsured rate, against 8.2% nationally, comes from America’s Health Rankings using U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey data. The foundation is the state’s 2006 health reform law, Chapter 58, which turned 20 this year. To compare costs and subsidies, see our affordable health insurance in Massachusetts hub.
2027 Open Enrollment dates in Massachusetts
The Health Connector’s Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from October 23, 2026 to January 23, 2027. That is earlier and longer than the usual November 1 start. To have coverage on January 1, you must choose a plan and pay your first premium by December 23, according to the Connector’s 2027 updates page.
| If you enroll and pay… | Coverage starts |
|---|---|
| Oct 23 – Dec 23, 2026 | January 1, 2027 |
| Dec 24, 2026 – Jan 23, 2027 | February 1, 2027 |
| After Jan 23, 2027 | Only with a qualifying event, or when applying for MassHealth, CMSP, Health Safety Net or ConnectorCare |
The Connector notes that people applying for help paying for coverage, including ConnectorCare, can apply any time of year. Others need a qualifying life event and a Special Enrollment Period. These dates differ from HealthCare.gov states; our Open Enrollment 2027 guide covers the national calendar.
The Massachusetts individual mandate and tax penalty
Massachusetts is one of the few states with its own individual mandate. Most adults 18 and older must carry health insurance if it is affordable to them and it meets the state’s Minimum Creditable Coverage (MCC) standards. The Massachusetts Department of Revenue enforces it through the state income tax return, not the federal one.
Here is how it works, per the Health Connector’s individual mandate page and the Department of Revenue’s TIR 26-1 for tax year 2026:
- Proof of coverage. Insurers, MassHealth and the Connector send Form MA 1099-HC by January 31. You report coverage on Schedule HC with your state return.
- Short gaps are allowed. You can go up to three consecutive months without coverage with no penalty.
- Low incomes are exempt. People with income up to 150% of the federal poverty level are not penalized.
- Affordability matters. The Connector publishes an annual Affordability Schedule. If no affordable MCC plan was available to you, you are not penalized.
- The penalty scales with income and cannot exceed 50% of the minimum monthly premium for qualifying coverage. You can appeal.
Every Health Connector plan, ConnectorCare plan, MassHealth (except MassHealth Limited), Medicare and TRICARE automatically meets MCC. Some cheap or limited plans sold elsewhere do not, and a plan that fails MCC can leave you owing the penalty. Before buying any health insurance, Massachusetts residents should look for the MCC-compliance notice insurers must include.
Honesty.AI compares Connector, ACA, alternative and ancillary options and flags what counts for the mandate.
ConnectorCare and federal tax credits
ConnectorCare is Massachusetts’ own program on top of federal subsidies. It offers plans with low monthly premiums, low copays and no deductibles, with the state adding money to the federal premium tax credit. For 2027, people reporting income from 100% to 400% of the poverty level may qualify, per the Connector’s renewal information.
To qualify you must live in Massachusetts, be eligible for the federal tax credit, lack access to affordable job-based coverage, and not qualify for MassHealth or Medicare. Every ConnectorCare plan type has the same benefits and copays across insurers; your income sets your plan type. Carriers differ only in their doctor networks.
Above 400% of the poverty level there is no federal credit for 2027. The state’s two-year pilot that took ConnectorCare up to 500% ended when the enhanced federal credits expired. Read the details in our 2027 subsidies guide.
Estimate 2027 income carefully
Starting with tax year 2026, federal law removed the cap on paying back excess advance premium tax credits. If your income ends up higher than you estimated, you may owe back the full difference, and anyone whose final income tops 400% of the poverty level repays everything. The Connector lets you take less than the maximum credit each month to lower that risk. For self-employed buyers of health insurance, Massachusetts’ advice is simple: update your income whenever it changes during the year.
MassHealth, CMSP and Health Safety Net
MassHealth is the state’s combined Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. Massachusetts expanded Medicaid, so most adults with income up to 138% of the poverty level can qualify, per the KFF tracker. For 2027 that is about $22,025 for one person.
The Connector and MassHealth use one application. It also screens for the Children’s Medical Security Plan (CMSP), which covers children who do not qualify for MassHealth, and the Health Safety Net, which helps eligible low-income residents pay for care at community health centers and hospitals. Applications for these programs are accepted all year at MAhealthconnector.org or through MassHealth.
2027 insurers and service-area changes
Eight insurers sell 2027 merged-market plans: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Fallon Health, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Health New England, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and WellSense Health Plan. The Division of Insurance approved an average 10.4% increase, down from 12.9% requested, and rejected Fallon’s requested 25.7%, according to Becker’s Payer Issues.
Two footprint changes take effect for 2027, per the Connector. Tufts Health Plan will no longer sell to residents of Berkshire County. Fallon Health will no longer be offered in Berkshire, Bristol, Norfolk, Plymouth and Suffolk counties, or in parts of Hampden, Middlesex and Worcester counties. Affected members are moved automatically to the lowest-cost plan at the same level unless they choose another.
Automatic placement protects coverage, but it may not include your doctors. If Fallon or Tufts is your current carrier, check your doctors against every 2027 network using the Connector’s plan finder. Our guide on how to choose a health plan explains networks and tiers. The 2027 out-of-pocket maximum for Marketplace plans is $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family.
Immigrant families: what changes in 2027
Starting January 1, 2027, federal law limits the premium tax credit, and therefore ConnectorCare, to lawful permanent residents, Cuban and Haitian Entrants, and Compact of Free Association migrants. Other lawfully present residents, such as refugees, asylees and people with Temporary Protected Status, can still buy a Connector plan without help. The Connector estimates about 35,000 current enrollees may lose financial help.
The Connector advises Cuban and Haitian Entrants to select that category on the application, even if another status such as green card holder also applies. See HealthCare.gov’s immigrant coverage page for the federal rules.
College students and the SHIP rule
Massachusetts requires college students to be insured. Under state regulation 956 CMR 8.00, every college must offer a Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP), and students enrolled at 75% or more of a full-time load must enroll in it or waive it with comparable coverage, per the Connector’s student health page.
MassHealth, a ConnectorCare plan or a parent’s plan that covers the school’s area can be used to waive SHIP. Compare before paying for both.
Free help and consumer protection
The Health Connector’s walk-in centers have closed, but certified Navigators and enrollment assisters work in communities across the state at no cost. Find one on the Connector’s in-person help page or call 1-877-MA-ENROLL (1-877-623-6765).
For a complaint about an insurer, a denied claim or a confusing bill from your health insurance, Massachusetts residents can contact the Division of Insurance. Navigators and assisters will never ask you to pay for their help.
Massachusetts city guides
Shopping for health insurance, Massachusetts residents find that networks and local help differ by region. Start with our two most-searched city pages:
- Health insurance in Boston, MA: academic hospital networks, Boston Public Health Commission navigators, neighborhood health centers, and Fallon’s 2027 exit from Suffolk County.
- Health insurance in Worcester, MA: UMass Memorial, Family Health Center of Worcester and Kennedy Community Health Center, and what Fallon’s partial Worcester County exit means.
How Honesty helps Massachusetts residents
Honesty.AI is the world’s first patented, licensed AI insurance agent. It works for you, not the carriers. It explains ConnectorCare, applies federal and state savings, checks whether a plan meets MCC, and compares ACA, alternative and ancillary options side by side.
Honesty® Insurance Services, LLC (NPN 21094885) is licensed in Massachusetts and 48 other states plus DC. There is no local office; Honesty answers 24/7 by chat, voice or text.
Compare 2027 Massachusetts plans the honest way
See every Health Connector plan for your ZIP code with your savings applied, and stay on the right side of the mandate. Honesty Is Your Best Policy®.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a penalty for not having health insurance in Massachusetts?
Yes. Massachusetts has a state individual mandate. Adults 18 and older who could afford coverage meeting Minimum Creditable Coverage standards but go without it for more than three consecutive months can owe a penalty on their state tax return. People with income up to 150% of the poverty level are exempt.
When is open enrollment for 2027 in Massachusetts?
The Health Connector’s Open Enrollment runs October 23, 2026 to January 23, 2027. Choose a plan and pay by December 23, 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027; later enrollments start February 1.
Who qualifies for ConnectorCare in 2027?
Massachusetts residents with income from 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level who qualify for the federal premium tax credit, lack affordable job-based coverage, and are not eligible for MassHealth or Medicare may qualify. ConnectorCare plans have no deductibles.
Which insurers sell 2027 plans in Massachusetts?
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Fallon Health, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Health New England, Mass General Brigham Health Plan, Tufts Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare and WellSense Health Plan. Fallon and Tufts are leaving some counties for 2027, so check what is offered in your area.
What is MassHealth?
MassHealth is Massachusetts’ combined Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program. Massachusetts expanded Medicaid, so most adults with income up to 138% of the poverty level can qualify, and you can apply any time of year.
Do college students in Massachusetts need health insurance?
Yes. Students enrolled at 75% or more of a full-time load must enroll in their school’s Student Health Insurance Program or waive it with comparable coverage, such as MassHealth, ConnectorCare or a parent’s plan.
Keep learning: compare costs in our affordable health insurance Massachusetts hub, read the city guides for Boston and Worcester, see the 2027 subsidy tables, or learn how the health insurance Marketplace works.
