Washington State becomes 14th state to launch 2026 Open Enrollment Window Shopping

Wed, 10/22/2025 - 2:14pm
Washington HealthPlan Finder

Last week I noted that thirteen states have launched window shopping for the 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period (OEP), allowing residents of the following states to plug their household information into their states ACA exchange website to see just how much their net health insurance premiums are going to increase starting January 1st, 2026:

*Oregon is still hosted on the federal ACA exchange for 2026 but OregonHealthCare.Gov will let you window shop.

Last night, the Washington HealthPlan Finder announced that they're joining those states with 2026 ACA Open Enrollment Period window shopping:

Open enrollment for 2026 health and dental insurance begins Nov. 1

OLYMPIA, Wash. – The time for Washingtonians to sign up for health and dental insurance through Washington Healthplanfinder is almost here. Open enrollment runs from Nov. 1 to Jan. 15, during which time Washington residents can shop, compare and sign up for plans. 

Things to remember:

  • Open enrollment: Nov. 1, 2025 – Jan. 15, 2026 
  • Reminder: Enroll by Dec. 15, 2025, to begin coverage Jan. 1, 2026 

Visit: wahealthplanfinder.org to preview plans now through Oct. 30.

During open enrollment, all Washingtonians who do not get their health insurance through an employer, spouse or government program can visit Washington Healthplanfinder to shop, compare and purchase health and dental plans for next year. 

Starting today, Washington residents can preview plans they will be able to sign up for through Washington Healthplanfinder beginning Nov. 1. To finalize preparations for open enrollment, Washington Healthplanfinder’s website and Customer Support Center will be closed Oct. 31. 

“Due to federal changes, there is more confusion about health insurance this year. There are a lot of options for help and support through Washington Healthplanfinder, our customer support center and brokers, navigators and community partners,” Washington Health Benefit Exchange CEO Ingrid Ulrey said. “Customers should explore plans, shop around and seek help from trusted resources in their community to learn what federal and state premium assistance is available to them for 2026.     

“Some of our customers will see significant premium increases due to the scheduled expiration of the federal enhanced premium tax credits at the end of 2025. However, others might be surprised to learn they can retain their same coverage at similar or lower cost. If Congress takes action to extend the tax credits, we are committed to delivering that relief to our customers as quickly as possible.” 

2026 plan offerings 

Washingtonians are encouraged to visit wahealthplanfinder.org to preview plan offerings for 2026. Choices include 86 qualified health plans and nine qualified dental plans.  

Existing customers will be automatically renewed, and all customers are encouraged to shop and compare plans. Even with federal changes, most customers will still benefit from savings. This year, Cascade Care Vital Gold plans will provide the best value for many. 

Tips for customers

Navigating health insurance options can be complicated. In addition to online shopping at wahealthplanfinder.org, customers can call the Exchange Customer Support Center at 1-855-923-4633 (TTY: 1-855-627-9604) for remote support in multiple languages or connect with a trusted resource in their community by visiting Support in Your Area to find a nearby in-person assister.  

Washington Healthplanfinder’s Customer Support Center has extended hours during open enrollment. The center will be open and ready to help customers from 7:30 a.m.–7 p.m., Monday through Friday; closed on most weekends and holidays. The following adjustments were made to the center’s schedule; extended hours are in Pacific time and are subject to change:  

  • Friday, Oct. 31: Closed
  • Saturday, Nov. 1: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Veterans Day, Tuesday, Nov. 11: 7:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 26: 7:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Native American Heritage Day/Thanksgiving, Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27–28: Closed
  • Saturday, Dec. 13: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
  • Monday, Dec. 15: 7:30 a.m. to midnight
  • Wednesday, Dec. 24: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • Christmas Day, Wednesday, Dec. 25: Closed
  • Wednesday, Dec. 31: 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • New Year’s Day, Thursday, Jan. 1: Closed
  • Thursday, Jan. 15: 7:30 a.m. to midnight
  • Monday, Jan. 19: Closed 

I'll be posting an updated version of my annual ACA Open Enrollment Guide soon which will include a lot more detail about these and other states (and lord knows there's a lot of changes this year, most of them for the worse), but wanted to give residents of these states a heads up so they have time to plan.

REMEMBER: While the combination of expiring federal subsidies and the Trump regime's so-called "Affordability & Integrity Rule" changes are gonna be devastating for most enrollees, there are still ways of at least somewhat dampening the blow for most enrollees.

There are a handful of states (including CA, MD & NM) which are backfilling some or all lost federal tax credits for many/most enrollees; others, like Illinois, Washington and (believe it or not) Arkansas are newly-implementing "Premium Alignment" policies which will mitigate the damage for many people.

In most cases, the best you can hope for will be to shop around for a potentially better value (or at least a less-draconian rate hike).

I'll have a lot more to say about this.

Washington State
2026 Open Enrollment

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