Enrolling In Affordable Care Act Certified Health Insurance
Understanding Federal & State Exchanges and Private Marketplaces
Last Updated November 1, 2023
About This Guide
Understanding your health insurance options can be frustrating. There are multiple exchanges and marketplaces to search for plans. You may also qualify for state and federal subsidies. In this guide, we explain where you should begin looking for health insurance based on the most common circumstances.
What State Do You Live In?
AK, AL, AZ, AR, DE , FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY
CA, CO, CT, DC, ID, KY, MA, ME, MD, MN, NV, NJ, NY, NM, PA, RI, VT, or WA
The Federal Health Care Marketplace
Persons living in AK, AL, AZ, AR, DE , FL, GA, HI, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NH, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, WV, WI, WY
Shop For An Affordable Care Act Certified Health Plan
Most people will shop at a private health insurance marketplace to look for Affordable Care Act health insurance.
Advantages of Private Health Insurance Marketplaces
- Same plans as the federal marketplace with the same prices
- Synchronizes with the federal marketplace to check for subsidies
- Fewer questions in the enrollment process
- Call licensed insurance agents for advice (free)
State Health Care Exchanges
Persons living in CA, CO, CT, DC, ID, KY, MA, ME, MD, MN, NV, NJ, NY, NM, PA, RI, VT, or WA
Individual State Health Exchanges
These states require individuals to enroll through their state exchange.
You’ll be able to check for subsidies including Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Marketplace insurance plans with premium tax credits are sometimes known as subsidized coverage too.
- In states that have expanded Medicaid coverage, your household income must be below 138% of the federal poverty level (FPL) to qualify.
- In all states, your household income must be between 100% and 400% FPL to qualify for a premium tax credit that can lower your insurance costs.
- If your income is above 400% FPL, you may still qualify for savings on a 2022 Marketplace health insurance plan.
Where To Look
California: Covered California
Colorado: Connect for Health Colorado
Connecticut: Access Health CT
District of Columbia: DC Health Link
Idaho: Your Health Idaho
Kentucky: Kynect Website
Maine: CoverME Website
Maryland: Maryland Health Connection
Massachusetts: Massachusetts Health Connector
Minnesota: MNsure Website
Nevada: Nevada Health Link
New Jersey: New Jersey Health Link
New Mexico: BeWellNM Website
New York: New York State of Health
Pennsylvania: Pennie Health Link
Rhode Island: HealthSource RI
Vermont: Vermont Health Connect
Washington: Washington Health Plan Finder
About SASid
SASid insurance development’s mission is to make health insurance simple to understand. Recognized by the Department of Health and Human Services, we’ve helped hundreds of thousands of people understand and access Affordable Care Act compliant insurance.
Licensed and Healthcare Certified Consultants
We’re here to help answer questions.
Hours of Operation:
M – F, 7:00 A.M. – 4:00 P.M. EST
If you have an issue with your enrollment, please email [email protected] with a screenshot of your issue.
