Don't Let Auto-Renewal Lock In the Wrong Price
The Renewal Audit is my free annual October ritual: every year, before Marketplace auto-renewal, I sit down with your numbers — income, household, and plan fit — and make sure nothing rolls over wrong. This year's audit matters more than most.
The Auto-Renewal Trap, in Plain Language
Here's the part nobody explains clearly: auto-renewal renews your plan — it does not update your tax credit. If you got a new job, lost a job, had a raise, or your hours changed, the Marketplace doesn't know that. It carries your old income number forward and calculates your 2027 tax credit off of it.
That leads to two bad outcomes, and they're both real:
- You pay the wrong premium all year. If your income went down and the credit didn't catch up, your monthly bill can be higher than it should be — every month, for twelve months.
- You owe money at tax time. If your income went up and the credit paid out too high, the IRS reconciles it when you file. Under current rules there's no cap on how much extra credit you might have to pay back. A stale number on a renewal can turn into a real tax bill.
And here's the quiet part: if you ignore the renewal notice, it counts as your answer. Silence renews the plan and locks in whatever the old numbers produced. It's not the end of the world — it happens to good people every year — but it's avoidable. A ten-minute check in October beats a year of wrong prices.
What the Free Audit Checks
This is a checklist, not a sales call. Before November 1, I walk through these five things with you:
- Your income on file vs. your actual income. Did anything change in 2026 — new job, lost job, raise, hours, gig work? We make sure the number the credit is based on matches reality.
- Your household size. Married, divorced, new baby, kid aged off the plan? Every change shifts the math.
- Your address and ZIP code. Moved counties? Plans and prices are priced by area — your plan should be priced where you actually live.
- Your current plan's fit. Are your doctors and medications still covered? Has the deductible or max-out-of-pocket moved in a way that hurts you?
- Your documents status. Some renewals stall on pending income verification. We catch it now, not in January.
Takes about ten to fifteen minutes. Free. No obligation. If your numbers are already right, I'll tell you — that's a good audit.
Why This Year's Audit Matters More
On August 31, 2026, CMS canceled approximately 315,000 Marketplace enrollments — policies covering more than 760,000 people — after review by the agency and health insurers confirmed the enrollments were unauthorized (announced September 22, 2026). CMS cited unverified eligibility documentation and suspected improper broker enrollments, and says roughly $2.2 billion in associated advance tax credits will be returned.
I'm not going to turn that into fear. Here's the calm version: the Marketplace is tightening verification across the board. Enrollments that don't match the paperwork are getting a hard look. That makes this the wrong year to let stale information sit on your account.
My job in the Renewal Audit is simple: make sure what's on your account is true, current, and yours. When your renewal goes through, you want it to go through clean — on your real numbers, your real household, a plan you chose. That's it. That's the whole message.
How It Works
You pick whichever way is easiest. Whichever door you use, I'm still your agent of record, and I review every enrollment the same day.
1. Book a call
Thirty minutes, my calendar, zero pressure. We go through the checklist together and I handle the application updates. Book your free Renewal Audit call.
2. Text me
Text QUESTIONS to 954-787-9118 and I'll run your audit right from your texts — quick questions, quick answers, same thorough check.
3. Enroll yourself online
Prefer to drive? Use my self-enrollment link below. It makes me your agent of record from the first click, and I review every signup the same day — if anything needs fixing, I call you.
Start My Application →I'm Christopher Horne — a licensed health insurance broker working ACA/Marketplace coverage in Florida, Texas, Arizona, Ohio, Michigan, Iowa, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Missouri, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Virginia. Eligibility for any plan or tax credit depends on your individual situation.
Renewal Audit FAQ
Is the audit really free?
Yes. The Renewal Audit is free, every October, no strings. If your numbers are already right, you get a clean confirmation and that's the end of it.
Will checking my renewal affect my current coverage?
No. The audit is a review — looking at your numbers and your plan. Nothing changes on your account unless you decide to change something, and you'll know exactly what it is before it happens.
I'm happy with my plan. Do I still need an audit?
Keeping your plan is fine — the audit isn't about switching you. It's about the math underneath the plan: your income and household. You can love your plan and still be on the wrong tax credit. That's the part we verify.
Do I have to buy anything from you?
No. If you already have a plan and just need the check, that's what you get. If you decide you want help shopping or enrolling, I'm a licensed broker and I'm here — but the audit doesn't come with a sales pitch.