Michigan Health Insurance Consumer Guide

You may be eligible to participate in the individual Marketplace if you meet these criteria:

• You must not have access to an affordable employer health plan. Use our employer health plan affordability calculator to see if you may be eligible to enroll in an individual Marketplace plan.
• You must be a resident of Michigan and lawfully present in the U.S.
• You must not have Medicare coverage or be eligible for Medicaid.
• You must not be incarcerated.

In Michigan, the open enrollment period for individual and family insurance runs from November 1 to January 15.³

Enrollments completed by December 15 will take effect on January 1, while enrollments completed between December 16 and January 15 will take effect on February 1. Outside of open enrollment, you can enroll in new coverage or make changes to your existing coverage during a special enrollment period if you’ve experienced a qualifying life event. Learn more about qualifying events.

Michigan residents use HealthCare.gov to enroll in individual and family health plans. You can also sign up with a licensed agent or through an independent website authorized by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.

In Michigan, consumers may find affordable health insurance by enrolling through the ACA Marketplace (HealthCare.gov). Nearly nine out of ten eligible enrollees save money on premium payments amounting to an average savings of $412/month.⁴ Subsidy-eligible enrollees pay an average net premium of $121/month after subsidies.⁵

The Affordable Care Act provides income-based advance premium tax credits (subsidies) that offset your premium payments to help keep your expenses down. People with household incomes below 250%of the federal poverty level also qualify for cost-sharing reductions (CSR) that may reduce your deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses when you buy a Silver plan. Between the premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions, you may find that an ACA plan is the cheapest health insurance option for you.

Source: CMS.gov⁶

For 2023 coverage, there are ten insurers that offer exchange plans in Michigan.⁷ In most of Michigan, at least four insurers are offering plans, although there are just two participating insurers in upper Michigan⁸

For 2023, the insurers offering coverage in Michigan (including two that only offer coverage outside the exchange) have implemented an overall average rate increase of 5.5%⁹ The increase you see on your premium may also be impacted by increases in your age and changes that impact the amount of subsidy you receive.

So it’s important to looks at your renewal rates. If your current plan’s premium is increasing, you may be able to find a less expensive plan by reviewing plans available in the Marketplace with similar benefits.

The following table highlights the statewide rate changes for each insurer. Rate changes can vary by region within a state.

Source: State of Michigan DIFS⁹

More than 322,000 people enrolled in private health coverage through the Michigan exchange during the open enrollment period for 2023 coverage.⁵ This was the highest enrollment through Michigan’s exchange since 2017.

Source: 2014,¹⁰ 2015,¹¹ 2016,¹² 2017,¹³ 2018,¹⁴ 2019,¹⁵ 2020,¹⁶ 2021,¹⁷ 2022,¹⁸ 2023,⁵ 2024¹⁹

• Michigan health insurance Marketplace – HealthCare.gov (800) 318-2596
• Michigan Health Insurance Consumer Assistance Program (HICAP) – (877) 999-6442
• Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services – Serves as a resource for Michigan residents with questions or complaints related to health insurance.
• Arab Community Center for Economic & Social Services (ACCESS) – A federally funded Navigator organization that provides outreach and enrollment assistance to Michigan residents who need help obtaining health insurance.
• Michigan Medicare/Medicaid Assistance Program (MMAP) – A local service that provides health benefits counseling and assistance to Medicare beneficiaries, including those who are eligible for both Medicaid and Medicare.
• Medicare Rights Center – A nationwide service (website and call center) that can provide a wide variety of assistance to Medicare beneficiaries who have questions about enrollment, eligibility, benefits, and claims.