A TRUSTED INDEPENDENT HEALTH INSURANCE GUIDE SINCE 1999.
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What are the deadlines for the ACA’s open enrollment period?
A list of the open enrollment deadlines for enrollment in 2023 ACA-compliant health insurance in every state. Open enrollment ended on January 15, 2023 in most states.
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Applying for ACA Coverage?
Understanding how small differences in projected income can have a large impact on your health plan costs can be key to obtaining affordable coverage.

Find the affordable health insurance coverage you need.


Top three things you should know about buying affordable health insurance for 2023 and 2024

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Open enrollment is coming.

Open enrollment for affordable health insurance through Obamacare (ACA) runs November 1 – January 15 in most states. Are you ready?

Read our Open Enrollment Guide
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You might qualify for low or no premiums.

Most ACA Marketplace enrollees are eligible for premium subsidies through 2025, thanks to the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act.

Calculate your subsidy
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Millions of people are losing Medicaid.

Are you?
Learn why, how to check your eligibility, and how to avoid becoming uninsured in your state.

Read our Open Enrollment Guide

Explore our comprehensive guides to coverage

Navigating health insurance can be daunting, but with the right partner, it doesn’t have to be. Since 1994, healthinsurance.org has been the trusted online resource for affordable coverage. Learn from our policy experts, get quick quotes, and find the best insurance to protect yourself and your family.

Affordable Care Act coverage

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View our comprehensive guide to ACA coverage.
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Short-term limited duration coverage

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Read our guide to short-term health insurance.
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Dental coverage

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Learn about dental insurance.
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Medicare

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Learn more about Medicare.
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Supplemental insurance

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Read our guide to supplemental insurance options.
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Learn about health insurance options in your state

When it comes to health coverage, the state where you live impacts your options. Select your state to learn more about health insurance options in your area.


Individual health insurance: Is it right for you?

Right now, more Americans than ever are buying comprehensive Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant individual and family health insurance plans.2 The ACA created income-based subsidies to make these plans more affordable – or even zero-cost.3

And those subsidies are now more widely available as a result of the American Rescue Plan and Inflation Reduction Act.4 ACA-compliant individual and family plans may be a good fit for people who are …


Frequently asked questions about individual health insurance plans

Frequently asked questions about individual health insurance plans

What are individual health insurance plans?

Individual health insurance plans are purchased by people who don’t have major medical coverage through an employer-sponsored health plan or a government health plan such as Medicare, Medicaid, Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) or Tricare.

Since 2014, all ACA-compliant individual health insurance plans have been required to cover essential health benefits (outpatient care, emergency services, hospitalization, mental health and substance use disorder services, prescription drugs, rehab services, lab services, preventive and wellness services, pregnancy, maternity and newborn care, and pediatric services) without annual or lifetime benefit caps, and they cover pre-existing conditions.5

How much can I expect to pay for individual and family health insurance?

What you pay for coverage depends on your age, income, where you live and whether you use tobacco. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, your medical history will not affect your premiums, and neither will your gender.

Keep in mind that many people do qualify for income-based premium subsidies that offset a significant portion of their monthly costs.6 Across the more than 14 million people who received premium subsidies in 2023, the average after-subsidy premium was about $124/month.6

Can health insurance that costs me less still provide comprehensive coverage?

Yes! The key is to understand that it’s income-based subsidies that keep the monthly premiums less expensive. You’re still buying ACA-compliant health coverage, but people who qualify for the subsidies do not have to pay the full premiums that go along with those plans.

Instead, many Marketplace enrollees are eligible for subsidies that can cover a significant portion of the premium! Just know that even if your after-subsidy portion of the premium is less expensive, the coverage itself is still robust.

Do I qualify for ACA (Obamacare) subsidies?

Your eligibility for premium tax credits is based on the relationship between your household income and the federal poverty guidelines.7 So your age, location, and income will all factor into determining your eligibility. But many Marketplace applicants will qualify for premium subsidies, and many also qualify for financial assistance to reduce their out-of-pocket costs.6

You can use our premium subsidy calculator to understand more about your subsidy eligibility. It only takes a few minutes and all you have to provide is your zip code, age, household size, and income.

When can I enroll in an ACA plan during the year?

You can enroll in an ACA-compliant individual or family health plan during open enrollment or during a special enrollment period. In most states, open enrollment runs from November 1 to January 15. Read our Guide to Open Enrollment.

Special enrollment periods can be available at any time of the year, and are generally linked to a specific qualifying life event, such as losing health coverage, having a baby, moving to a new area, or getting married. Read our Guide to Special Enrollment Periods.

But some people will find that they are eligible for enrollment year-round, simply due to their circumstances.

Do I qualify for Medicaid in my state?

Medicaid benefits and eligibility is different in every state. Click on your state on this map to learn more about eligibility rules where you live.

Learn more about the federal poverty level and how it’s used to determine your eligibility for Medicaid. Use our federal poverty level calculator.

Federal poverty level calculator

Would ACA subsidies lower your health insurance premiums?

Use our 2024 subsidy calculator to see if you’re eligible for ACA premium subsidies – and your potential savings if you qualify.
* This tool provides ACA premium subsidy estimates based on your household income. healthinsurance.org does not collect or store any personal information from individuals using our subsidy calculator.

Obamacare subsidy calculator *

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Add ages of other family members to be insured.

Include yourself, your spouse, and children claimed as dependents on your taxes.

Modified Adjusted Gross Income (MAGI)

For most taxpayers, your MAGI is close to AGI (Line 11 of your Form 1040).

Estimated annual subsidy

Provide information above to get an estimate


When it comes to health insurance, we’re the voice of experience.

Talking about health insurance since 1999.

We’ve been helping people understand and navigate the individual health insurance market since 1999. More than 2.6 million readers turned to our pages for help in 2022.

Tools for health insurance shoppers.

Millions of users have utilized our Obamacare Subsidy Calculator and other resources.

Partnerships with leading members of the health insurance industry.

We vet our business partners carefully, so our readers can feel confident when using our free health insurance quote tool to compare plans that range from individual and family, to dental and Medicare.


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Discuss your coverage needs with our agency partners.

Call 866-553-3223

Footnotes

  1. “Medicare Monthly Enrollment" CMS.gov, April 2023. 
  2. Biden-Harris Administration Announces Record-Breaking 16.3 Million People Signed Up for Health Care Coverage in ACA Marketplaces During 2022-2023 Open Enrollment Season” HHS.gov, Jan. 25, 2023 
  3. Access to Marketplace Plans with Low Premiums on the Federal Platform” ASPE / HHS.gov, March 29, 2021 
  4. Fact Sheet: What happens to premiums if the extra help from the American Rescue Plan expires?” HHS.gov, June 22,2022 
  5. Health insurance rights & protections” HealthCare.gov, Accessed August 2023 
  6. Effectuated Enrollment: Early 2023 Snapshot and Full Year 2022 Average” CMS.gov, March 15, 2023   
  7. Subsidized coverage” HealthCare.gov, Accessed August, 2023