Blog · Open Enrollment 2026

ACA Marketplace opens October 15 — the health records that help you choose the right plan for your family

Every person gets one health story, and one private Family Stork email address every clinic already knows how to use. Tired of managing health records for yourself and everyone you love? Family Stork organizes them for you automatically.

In short: The ACA Health Insurance Marketplace opens October 15, 2026, with coverage starting January 1, 2027. Before you compare plans, pull three things for every family member: current medications with dosages, the names of every active specialist and doctor, and any upcoming treatments or procedures already scheduled. The plan that looks cheapest on paper can cost thousands more if it doesn't cover your family's current providers or prescriptions. Having your records organized — in one place, for every person — turns a guessing game into a decision you can actually make.

Most families choose a health plan by comparing premiums. That's one number. The numbers that actually determine what you'll spend next year are buried in your family's medical records: which medications each person takes, which doctors and specialists they see, and what procedures or therapies are already in progress.

The Marketplace gives you roughly three months to decide. Your current portal access might not last that long — especially if you're switching away from your current plan. Here's what to pull, person by person, before you start comparing.

Why your health records matter more than the premium

A plan's premium is what you pay to walk in the door. What you actually spend depends on your family's specific health care use — and that information lives in your records, not on the Marketplace website.

Provider networks change every year. Your pediatrician might be in-network on one plan and out-of-network on another. The only way to check is to know who your family currently sees — every doctor, every specialist, every therapist. That list lives in your records.

Formularies change every year. A medication that was covered last year might move to a higher tier — or disappear entirely. You need the exact medication name and dosage for every family member to compare formularies accurately. That information is in visit summaries and prescription records, not in your memory.

Deductible math depends on your actual use. A high-deductible plan saves money if your family is healthy. But if your child has an active specialist referral, or your parent needs regular imaging, or you're in the middle of physical therapy — a higher-premium, lower-deductible plan may cost less in total. You need the treatment history to run that math.

The records checklist — person by person

For your children

Current pediatrician and any specialists — names, practice names, and addresses. You'll need these to check network status on each Marketplace plan.
Current medications — name, dosage, and frequency. Include anything prescribed by a specialist (allergy meds, asthma inhalers, ADHD medication).
Immunization records — not for the Marketplace itself, but because switching plans often means switching pediatricians, and the new office will ask. Having them ready avoids delays. How to organize immunization records →
Upcoming well-child visits or procedures — any already-scheduled appointments that would fall in the new plan year (January onward).

For yourself

All active prescriptions with exact names and dosages. If you take a specialty medication, note the pharmacy and whether it requires prior authorization on your current plan.
Every doctor you've seen in the last 12 months — primary care, specialists, therapists, dentists (if your plan includes dental). This is your network-check list.
Recent lab work or imaging — especially if results are pending or follow-up is scheduled. Switching mid-workup means the new provider needs the full picture. How to organize your own records →

For an aging parent you help care for

The full provider list — every doctor, every hospital system. Aging parents often see five or more specialists across multiple health systems. Each one may be in a different network.
Current medications — the complete list, including over-the-counter medications their doctor has recommended. Some plans cover different generics.
Discharge papers from any recent hospitalization — if your parent was hospitalized in the last year, the discharge summary tells the new plan's doctors what happened, what was prescribed, and what follow-up is needed. What to keep from a discharge →
Medicare coordination details — if your parent has both Medicare and a supplemental or Advantage plan, note the coordination-of-benefits structure. The Marketplace doesn't replace Medicare, but if you're the family member managing all of this, it helps to have the full picture in one place. Caregivers hub →

For your spouse or partner

Same checklist as "for yourself." Don't assume they've gathered their own records. Ask now — October, not December.

How to actually use these records on the Marketplace

Once you have the records for every family member, the Marketplace comparison gets much simpler:

Step 1: Build the provider list. From your records, make one list of every doctor and specialist your family currently sees. On the Marketplace, each plan has a "find a provider" or "provider directory" tool. Run your list through it for your top two or three plan options. If a plan excludes your child's specialist or your own primary care doctor, that's a real cost — not just an inconvenience.

Step 2: Check the formulary. From your medication records, make one list of every prescription across the family. Each Marketplace plan publishes a formulary (the list of covered drugs and their tier). Search each medication. A drug on Tier 2 in one plan might be Tier 4 — or not covered — in another. Multiply the monthly copay difference by 12 months. That's the real cost difference between plans.

Step 3: Estimate real out-of-pocket costs. Look at last year's records to see how many visits, lab tests, and procedures each family member had. Use the plan's cost estimator (if available) or simply apply the plan's copay and coinsurance rates to that visit count. A plan with a $200/month premium and 20% coinsurance might cost more than a $350/month plan with $30 copays if your family uses specialists regularly.

The portal problem — and why it matters right now

Here's the part most enrollment guides skip: the records you need for this comparison are scattered across every patient portal your family uses. Your child's immunization records are in the pediatrician's portal. Your lab results are in the hospital system's portal. Your parent's cardiologist uses a completely different system.

If you switch plans and your doctor leaves your network, portal access often disappears within 30 to 90 days. The records don't delete — but getting them back requires formal records requests, fax machines, and weeks of waiting.

The time to pull those records is now. Not after you've chosen a plan. Not in January when coverage starts. Now — while every portal is still open.

Family Stork solves this permanently. Each person in your family gets their own private Family Stork email address — shown on their record. Give that address to any clinic, hospital, or lab. They send visit summaries, lab results, and discharge papers to it the same way they'd send any email. Records arrive and organize themselves into one timeline per person. No portal logins. No downloads. No expiration dates.

When open enrollment comes around next year — or the year after that — every record is already in one place. The comparison takes minutes, not days. $99 per year for the whole family, or about $10 a month.

Key dates for ACA Marketplace 2026 open enrollment

October 15, 2026: ACA Marketplace open enrollment begins for plan year 2027. Browse and compare plans at HealthCare.gov (or your state's marketplace).
December 15, 2026: Deadline to enroll or switch plans for coverage starting January 1, 2027.
January 15, 2027: Final deadline for Marketplace enrollment (coverage starts February 1 if enrolled after December 15).
Employer plans: Most employer open enrollment windows run October through November. Check with your HR department for exact dates.

Start pulling records now — before October 15 — so you're ready to compare as soon as the Marketplace opens.

FAQ

Do I need health records to enroll on the Marketplace?

You don't need records to enroll — the Marketplace only requires identity and income verification. But choosing the right plan requires knowing your family's current medications, doctors, and expected care needs. That information lives in your health records.

What happens to my patient portal if I switch plans?

It depends on the provider. If your doctor stays in your network, nothing changes. If you switch to a doctor outside your current system, you may lose portal access to old records within 30 to 90 days. Under federal law, you can always request your records — but the process takes time. Download what you need now.

Can I keep all my family's records in one place during the switch?

Yes. Family Stork gives each person their own private email address. Any clinic, lab, or hospital emails records to it, and they organize automatically into a single timeline per person. No portal dependency — records stay with your family no matter which plan or provider you choose. See how it works →

Is there a cost difference between choosing the wrong plan and the right one?

Easily hundreds to thousands of dollars over a plan year. A specialty medication on the wrong formulary tier can add $50–200 per month. An out-of-network specialist visit can cost 2–3× the in-network rate. The records you need to avoid these surprises take an afternoon to gather — and they pay for themselves immediately.

Should I gather records for my aging parent too?

If you're helping manage their care, absolutely. Their provider list is usually the longest, their medication list the most complex, and the cost of choosing the wrong supplemental plan can be significant. Start with the medication list and the provider inventory.

One record per person. Every plan change, already handled.

Start one record for each person in your family. Give each clinic the private email address. Records arrive automatically — this enrollment season and every one after it.

Start your family's record — free