Cigna Is Leaving the ACA Marketplace in 2027: What Self-Employed Policyholders Should Do Now

If you’re self-employed and have a Cigna individual plan, it ends this year and you need a plan from another insurer for 2027. Cigna says its medical plans stay available through the remainder of 2026 and that it will no longer offer individual and family medical plans for 2027 (Cigna). Open enrollment for 2027 opened on November 1, 2026. In states that use HealthCare.gov, December 15 is the last day to choose a plan that starts January 1, and enrollment runs to January 15 for a February 1 start (HealthCare.gov). The four states that run their own Marketplace handle Cigna customers differently, so check the state table below.

Cigna announced the exit on April 30, 2026, during its first-quarter earnings call (STAT). STAT puts the number of Cigna ACA members at 369,000 across 11 states. KFF lists those states as Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia, says the exit covers plans sold both on the Marketplace and directly, off-exchange, and reports first-quarter on-exchange enrollment of over 350,000 (KFF). The 369,000 is STAT’s count of ACA members and the 350,000 is KFF’s count of on-exchange enrollees, so the two aren’t the same measure. KFF’s insurer data is as of July 2, 2026. Only Cigna’s individual and family medical plans are affected: Cigna’s page says its dental plans continue for 2027 and beyond. Other insurers are leaving too, and our guide to the full 2027 list covers them.

Where you enroll, and what happens if you do nothing

Seven of Cigna’s states use HealthCare.gov. The other four run their own Marketplace, according to healthinsurance.org’s list of state-run exchanges, and each one handles Cigna customers differently:

State	Marketplace	Last day for a January 1 start	Open enrollment ends	If you do nothing
Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas	HealthCare.gov	December 15	January 15	Re-enrolled in a comparable plan from another insurer
Colorado	Connect for Health Colorado	Check the Marketplace	January 15	Cigna customers need to select a new plan. Special enrollment period until March 1, 2027
Georgia	Georgia Access	December 15	January 15	You need to select a new plan
Illinois	Get Covered Illinois	Check the Marketplace	January 15	Its FAQ says: "If your insurer is no longer available, Get Covered Illinois will enroll you in a comparable plan." The FAQ isn't specific to 2027; read your renewal notice
Virginia	Virginia's Insurance Marketplace	December 31	January 29	Not confirmed for 2027; read your renewal notice

• Arizona, Florida, Indiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas

  Marketplace

  HealthCare.gov

  Last day for a January 1 start

  December 15

  Open enrollment ends

  January 15

  If you do nothing

  Re-enrolled in a comparable plan from another insurer

• Colorado

  Marketplace

  Connect for Health Colorado

  Last day for a January 1 start

  Check the Marketplace

  Open enrollment ends

  January 15

  If you do nothing

  Cigna customers need to select a new plan. Special enrollment period until March 1, 2027

• Georgia

  Marketplace

  Georgia Access

  Last day for a January 1 start

  December 15

  Open enrollment ends

  January 15

  If you do nothing

  You need to select a new plan

• Illinois

  Marketplace

  Get Covered Illinois

  Last day for a January 1 start

  Check the Marketplace

  Open enrollment ends

  January 15

  If you do nothing

  Its FAQ says: "If your insurer is no longer available, Get Covered Illinois will enroll you in a comparable plan." The FAQ isn't specific to 2027; read your renewal notice

• Virginia

  Marketplace

  Virginia's Insurance Marketplace

  Last day for a January 1 start

  December 31

  Open enrollment ends

  January 29

  If you do nothing

  Not confirmed for 2027; read your renewal notice

Sources: HealthCare.gov (dates and automatic re-enrollment), Connect for Health Colorado (August 31, 2026 update and its Cigna FAQ), Georgia Access, Get Covered Illinois FAQ (re-enrollment wording), Virginia's Insurance Marketplace. Which states run their own Marketplace, the end dates for Colorado and Georgia, and Virginia's December 31 date for a January 1 start: healthinsurance.org (updated October 28, 2026). Virginia's Marketplace gives November 1 to January 29 as its open enrollment, and Get Covered Illinois says this year's runs November 1 to January 15. Georgia Access lists December 15 as the last day for a January 1 start. Colorado and Illinois: check your Marketplace for the January 1 date.

On HealthCare.gov, if your insurer isn’t offering any similar plans next year, you’re re-enrolled in a comparable one from a different insurer (HealthCare.gov). That protects you from a gap in coverage, and you should still compare plans yourself. Two Cigna states work differently:

• In Georgia and Colorado it won’t happen. Connect for Health Colorado says Cigna customers have to select a new plan. Georgia Access says that if your 2026 insurance company isn’t offering plans in your area for 2027, you need to select a new plan, and KFF lists Cigna as leaving Georgia. Connect for Health Colorado adds that re-enrollment doesn’t guarantee premiums, financial help, networks or other details stay the same.

If you bought your Cigna plan directly from Cigna rather than through the Marketplace, the Marketplace’s automatic re-enrollment, which covers people with Marketplace coverage, doesn’t reach you. You’ll need to pick a 2027 plan yourself, and if you want the premium tax credit, buy it through your state’s Marketplace.

Is January 15 still the last day?

Yes, for 2027 coverage. A 2025 federal rule would have ended HealthCare.gov open enrollment on December 15. A judge vacated that change in June 2026 and HHS appealed, with arguments scheduled for late October. In the meantime, healthinsurance.org reports, the federal government confirmed that open enrollment in HealthCare.gov states runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and the appeal could change the schedule only from the fall of 2027 on (healthinsurance.org, updated October 28, 2026). HealthCare.gov lists the same dates.

For a Cigna member the date that matters is still December 15: the last day to choose a plan and have it start January 1 in HealthCare.gov states. A plan chosen from December 16 on starts February 1, and Cigna’s plan is gone on January 1, so aim for the earlier date.

Step by step for a self-employed Cigna member

1. Right now: find out which kind of plan you have. Look for the notice from Cigna or your Marketplace, if you got one. Then log in to your Marketplace account. If your Cigna plan shows up there, you bought it on the Marketplace. If it doesn’t, you bought it directly and you’ll need to apply for 2027 coverage on your state’s Marketplace if you want the premium tax credit.
2. Now: collect what you need. List your doctors, hospitals, pharmacies and prescriptions. Keep any notice or proof that the plan was discontinued: if you miss open enrollment, a special enrollment period asks for documents about the loss.
3. Now: estimate your 2027 net profit. That’s revenue minus the business expenses you can deduct on Schedule C. HealthCare.gov says to do your best to estimate it accurately, because your savings are based on your estimated net income for the year you’re covered (HealthCare.gov). The Freelance Tax Calculator helps with the number. If you’re near the line described below, the retirement contribution calculator shows how much a deposit lowers it.
4. Then: update your application and compare plans. Enter your doctors and drugs so each plan shows whether it covers them in network, then weigh premium against deductible (more in the plan-choice section).
5. By December 15: pick a plan and pay the first premium. Coverage on a new plan only starts once you pay.
6. January 1: check that you’re covered. Make sure you have the new insurer’s ID card, then, once your final 2026 Cigna premium is paid, stop any automatic payments to Cigna.
7. If you slip past December 15: you can still enroll until January 15, 2027 in ten of the 11 states (January 29 in Virginia), with coverage starting February 1. After that you’d need a special enrollment period. HealthCare.gov lists a discontinued individual or Marketplace plan as a qualifying event and asks for documents about the loss (HealthCare.gov). Connect for Health Colorado gives affected Cigna customers a special enrollment period until March 1, 2027.

If you were re-enrolled automatically and your coverage already started, you can still switch plans until January 15. Coverage on the plan you pick then starts February 1 (HealthCare.gov).

What changes for your subsidy

Switching insurers doesn’t change who qualifies for the premium tax credit. Under current law the credit stops at 400% of the federal poverty line for 2027 coverage. The IRS says the credit for a year is based on the poverty guidelines in effect on the first day of open enrollment, which for 2027 coverage are the 2026 guidelines; for one person in the 48 contiguous states and D.C. that’s $15,960 (HHS), so the cutoff is $63,840. Above it you get no credit. Since 2026 there’s also no limit on how much of an excess advance credit you repay, per the IRS 2026 Form 1040-ES.

That makes the income estimate in step 3 matter more than it used to. If you guess high, your monthly credit is smaller than it should be, and above $63,840 for one person it’s zero. If you guess low, you can owe the difference back on your 2027 return, with no cap. The 2027 subsidy cliff guide works through how Solo 401(k), SEP IRA and HSA contributions lower the income the credit is based on. For how the credit works in general, see the Marketplace guide for freelancers.

How to choose the new plan

Check your doctors and drugs first. When you compare plans on HealthCare.gov, you can enter your doctors, facilities and prescription drugs, and each plan shows whether it covers them in network. Every plan also links to its provider directory and list of covered drugs (HealthCare.gov). If a specialist matters to you, call the office and confirm they’ll be in network for 2027.

Compare total cost. HealthCare.gov’s own advice is to weigh the monthly premium against the deductible and other out-of-pocket costs. A cheap premium with a high deductible can cost more in a year you use a lot of care.

Decide between silver and an HSA-eligible bronze plan. Two things pull in different directions:

• If your income qualifies you for cost-sharing reductions, you only get them on a silver plan, as Get Covered Illinois explains in its FAQ.
• From 2026, bronze and catastrophic Marketplace plans count as HSA-eligible (Notice 2026-5), so a bronze plan bought through the Marketplace lets you open and fund an HSA. For 2027 the limit is $4,500 for self-only coverage and $9,000 for family coverage (Rev. Proc. 2026-24). The 2027 subsidy cliff guide shows how an HSA deposit affects the income your credit is based on, and the HSA guide covers the rules.

Deducting the premiums: Cigna’s and the new plan’s

Changing insurers doesn’t change the tax treatment. Premiums you paid Cigna in 2026 and premiums you pay for the 2027 plan can both go toward the self-employed health insurance deduction, each on the return for the year you paid them. It comes off your income before AGI, so you don’t need to itemize. The main rules, from the Form 7206 instructions and the form itself:

• For a sole proprietor, the policy can be in your own name or the business’s.
• The deduction is the smaller of your premiums or your net profit from the business, after subtracting the deductible half of self-employment tax and your SEP, SIMPLE or Solo 401(k) contribution for that business (Form 7206, 2025 version).
• It isn’t allowed for any month you or your spouse could join a subsidized employer plan.
• It lowers income tax, not self-employment tax.

With a Marketplace plan and the premium tax credit, the deduction and the credit affect each other: the deduction lowers your income, which can raise the credit, which changes what you paid. Publication 974 gives a simplified and an iterative method to work out both, and tax software usually handles it.