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Louisiana Health Insurance Consumer Guide
This guide was created to help make it easier to choose the right health insurance for yourself and your family. A plan from the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Marketplace may be a good choice for many people.
Louisiana uses the federal health insurance exchange to help people sign up for ACA plans. The exchange is also known as ACA Marketplace or Obamacare.
The federal government regulates the Marketplace website, HealthCare.gov, which lets you shop for health plans from private insurance companies. If you buy a plan from the Marketplace, the government may help pay your premiums through an advance premium tax credit (APTC).
Explore our other comprehensive guides to coverage in Louisiana
Dental coverage in Louisiana
Dental plans in Louisiana cost an average of $41 per month in 2022.1 Compare options to find the right dental plan.
Louisiana’s Medicaid program
In June 2016, Louisiana adopted the ACA Medicaid expansion.2 As of August 2023, Healthy Louisiana, the state’s Medicaid expansion program, covered about 771,000 low-income adults.3
Medicare coverage and enrollment in Louisiana
Use our guide to help you understand Medicare Parts A, B, C, and D, along with Medicare supplement (Medigap) plans. Learn more about Medicare regulations in the state.
Short-term coverage in Louisiana
In Louisiana, short-term health insurance plans can initially last up to 364 days and can be renewed for up to three years. However, a few insurers may have plans with even shorter timeframes and may not allow renewals.4
Frequently asked questions about health insurance in Louisiana
Who can buy Marketplace health insurance?
If these apply to you, you can buy individual and family health insurance from Louisiana’s Marketplace:
- You live in Louisiana.
- You are lawfully present in the U.S.
- You’re not enrolled in Medicare.
- You’re not incarcerated.
Many people, like early retirees not yet on Medicare, self-employed people, and those who work for small businesses without health benefits, buy health insurance on the Marketplace.
Eligibility for financial assistance, such as premium subsidies and cost-sharing reductions, is based on your income and how it compares with the cost of the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in your area. This cost depends on your age and location. In addition, you may qualify for financial assistance in the Marketplace if:
- You don’t have access to affordable health coverage through your employer. If your employer offers coverage, but you feel it’s too expensive, our Employer Health Plan Affordability Calculator can help you understand if you might qualify for premium subsidies.
- You’re not eligible for Medicaid or CHIP.
When can I enroll in an ACA-compliant plan in Louisiana?
You can sign up for ACA-compliant individual and family health plans in Louisiana between November 1 and January 15. This is known as open enrollment.5
- Coverage starts on January 1 if you enroll by December 15.
- Coverage starts February 1 if you enroll between December 16 and January 15.
After January 15, you can sign up for or make changes to an ACA Marketplace health through a special enrollment period (SEP). To qualify for a SEP, you’ll need a qualifying life event.
But there are instances where you don’t need a qualifying life event to apply outside of open enrollment. For example:
- If you’re eligible for premium tax credits and your income is not more than 150% of the poverty level, you can enroll anytime until at least 2025.6
- If you’re a Native American, you can enroll whenever necessary.7
- If you lose Medicaid or CHIP between March 31, 2023 and July 31, 2024, you can enroll through the extended SEP.8
How do I enroll in a Marketplace plan in Louisiana?
- Directly through HealthCare.gov, the ACA exchange website
- By phone at (800) 318-2596 (TTY: 1-855-889-4325). Talk to an agent 24 hours a day, seven days a week, except for holidays.
With the help of agents, navigators, or certified application counselors or an approved enhanced direct enrollment entity.9
How can I find affordable health insurance in Louisiana?
In Louisiana, people who can’t get health plans through an employer may find affordable coverage on the ACA Marketplace (HealthCare.gov). Under ACA, you may qualify for income-based subsidies called Advance Premium Tax Credits (APTC). These credits lower your premiums.
During the 2023 open enrollment period:
- 94% of Marketplace enrollees in Louisiana qualified for premium subsidies, saving on average about $680 monthly in premiums.10
- With subsidies, enrollees paid an average of just $94 per month for health coverage.10
Source: CMS.gov11
In addition to APTC, you may qualify for cost-sharing reductions (CSR), which help you pay for your deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. Your income must be less than 250% of the federal poverty level to be eligible for CSR.12
Another way to find affordable health insurance in Louisiana is through the state’s Medicaid program.
Short-term plans may be a low-cost alternative for those who are not eligible for employer coverage, Medicare, Medicaid, or subsidies. However, they generally offer less benefits and consumer protections.
How many insurers offer Marketplace coverage in Louisiana?
In 2023, six insurance companies provide plans through Louisiana’s exchange, including two recent additions: Ambetter from Louisiana Healthcare Connections and UnitedHealthcare.13
- Ambetter from Louisiana Healthcare Connections
- Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana
- Christus
- HMO Louisiana
- UnitedHealthcare
- Vantage Health Plan
Are Marketplace health insurance premiums increasing in Louisiana?
Louisiana’s individual market insurers have proposed the following rate increases for 2024:13
Louisiana’s ACA Marketplace Plan 2024 Proposed Rate Increases by Insurance Company |
|
---|---|
Issuer | Percent Increase |
Ambetter from Louisiana Healthcare Connections | 1.47% |
Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana | 5.2% |
CHRISTUS Health Plan Louisiana | 4.18% |
HMO Louisiana | 4.28% |
UnitedHealthcare | -6.83% |
Vantage Health Plan | 5.8% |
It’s important to note that rate increases apply to the full-price premiums. However, because most people using Louisiana’s exchange receive premium tax credits, they don’t have to pay the entire cost.14 If you qualify for these subsidies, your actual rate change depends on your plan’s cost and the subsidy amount you receive.
In 2021, the American Rescue Plan expanded the availability of premium subsidies. These changes have now been extended until 2025 by the Inflation Reduction Act.15
How many people are insured through Louisiana’s Marketplace?
What health insurance resources are available to Louisiana residents?
HealthCare.gov
The official website where residents of Louisiana can shop for and buy health insurance plans that meet their needs.
Department of Health & Hospitals
This is a governmental body responsible for health services and programs in Louisiana.
Louisiana Department of Insurance
The Louisiana Department of Insurance provides various resources related to health insurance, helping people understand their options and make informed choices.
Medicare Rights Center
A national organization that offers assistance and information about Medicare through its website and call center.
Louisiana Senior Health Insurance Information Program (SHIP)
Assists people on Medicare, providing information and guidance about their health insurance options.
Louisiana Department of Health – Medicaid
Oversees the state’s Medicaid program, which provides health coverage for eligible low-income individuals and families.
Louise Norris is an individual health insurance broker who has been writing about health insurance and health reform since 2006. She has written dozens of opinions and educational pieces about the Affordable Care Act for healthinsurance.org.
Footnotes
- "Louisiana dental insurance guide 2023” healthinsurance.org, Accessed September 2023 ⤶
- “Louisiana Health Insurance Survey” LA.gov, Accessed September 2023 ⤶
- “Healthy Louisiana Expansion Dashboard” LA.gov, Aug. 3, 2023 ⤶
- "Availability of short-term health insurance in Louisiana” healthinsurance.org, April 6, 2023 ⤶
- “When can you get health insurance?” HealthCare.gov, 2023 ⤶
- “An SEP if your income doesn’t exceed 150% of the federal poverty level” healthinsurance.org, Feb. 1, 2023 ⤶
- “Who doesn’t need a special enrollment period?“ healthinsurance.org, Accessed August 2023 ⤶
- “Temporary Special Enrollment Period (SEP) for Consumers Losing Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Coverage Due to Unwinding of the Medicaid Continuous Enrollment Condition– Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)” CMS.gov, Jan. 27, 2023 ⤶
- “Entities Approved to Use Enhanced Direct Enrollment” CMS.gov, April 28, 2023 ⤶
- “2023 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, March 2023 ⤶ ⤶ ⤶
- “2024 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, March 2024 ⤶
- “Federal Poverty Level (FPL)” HealthCare.gov, 2023 ⤶
- “Louisiana Rate Review Submissions” HealthCare.gov, 2023 ⤶ ⤶
- “Effectuated Enrollment: Early 2023 Snapshot and Full-Year 2022 Average” CMS.gov, March 15, 2023 ⤶
- “Fact Sheet: What happens to premiums if the extra help from the American Rescue Plan expires?” HHS.gov, June 22, 2022 ⤶
- “ASPE Issue Brief (2014)” ASPE, 2015 ⤶
- “Health Insurance Marketplaces 2015 Open Enrollment Period: March Enrollment Report”, HHS.gov, 2015 ⤶
- “HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACES 2016 OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD: FINAL ENROLLMENT REPORT” HHS.gov, 2016 ⤶
- “2017 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, 2017 ⤶
- “2018 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, 2018 ⤶
- “2019 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, 2019 ⤶
- “2020 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, 2020 ⤶
- “2021 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, 2021 ⤶
- “2022 Marketplace Open Enrollment Period Public Use Files” CMS.gov, 2022 ⤶
- “Health Insurance Marketplaces 2023 Open Enrollment Report” CMS.gov, 2023 ⤶
- “HEALTH INSURANCE MARKETPLACES 2024 OPEN ENROLLMENT REPORT” CMS.gov, 2024 ⤶