HealthCare.gov

HealthCare.gov is the federal Marketplace where you can buy individual health insurance for yourself and your family.

HealthCare.gov (opens in new tab) is the federal health care Marketplace (opens in new tab) where you can enroll in individual health insurance for yourself and your family under the Affordable Care Act (opens in new tab).

You can enroll in HealthCare.gov plans if you live in a state served by the federal Marketplace website. HealthCare.gov also offers a separate Marketplace for small businesses.

Many states have set up their own health care marketplaces with unique websites. If you live in one of these places, you should visit your state’s website to get a Marketplace plan:

How do I use HealthCare.gov?

Buying individual health insurance on HealthCare.gov is a relatively simple process once you know what to expect. Here are the basic steps for using HealthCare.gov:

Be sure you qualify to buy a health plan through the health insurance marketplace. HealthCare.gov is for people who don’t already receive insurance through a job, Medicaid (opens in new tab), or CHIP (opens in new tab). Want to switch from your employer’s plan to a marketplace plan? You can only use HealthCare.gov to do so if your employer’s plans are considered unaffordable, or if the premiums cost more than 9.78% of your household income for an individual plan.
Log on during Open Enrollment (opens in new tab), which typically runs from November 1 to January 15. Unless you have a special qualifying event (opens in new tab), you can only use HealthCare.gov to sign up for a marketplace plan during Open Enrollment. However, you can use HealthCare.gov to find out if you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP—and you can sign up for both of these programs at any time of the year.
Create an account. If this is your first time using HealthCare.gov, you’ll need to create an account with a username, password, and security questions. You'll need an email address to sign up.
Enter your personal information. To apply for an individual insurance plan through HealthCare.gov, you should prepare certain information you’ll need to have on hand, including:

Your household income
Social Security numbers and dates of birth for all family members requiring insurance
Immigration paperwork
Employer information
Tax returns

See if you qualify for subsidies. When you use HealthCare.gov, you’ll find out if your income qualifies you for subsidies that lower your cost of insurance. About eight in ten people who buy health insurance through HealthCare.gov qualify for financial assistance.
Choose your plan and enroll. HealthCare.gov offers various tiers (opens in new tab) of plans and allows you to compare the costs and benefits side by side. Whatever plan you choose, it will cover minimum essential health benefits.

How do I choose a plan that’s right for me?

Bronze and catastrophic plans (opens in new tab) tend to be best if you rarely visit the doctor and don’t take regular prescriptions. That’s because the premium you pay every month to keep the plan is the lowest. However, the deductible, which is how much you’ll pay for covered services before your insurance starts paying, is higher.

Gold and Platinum plans might be for you if you see your doctor more often (say, if you’re pregnant) and/or you have regular prescriptions, since the deductible is lower, but the premium is higher.

Silver plans are the only tier you can use to apply cost-sharing reductions, if you qualify. These extra savings lower your deductible, copayments, and coinsurance.

Once you’ve selected your plan and enrolled, you’re set!

When does my coverage start?

If you apply for insurance during Open Enrollment, you can start using your new health insurance plan on your effective date. If you sign up by December 15, your plan will start January 1. If you had a special qualifying life event (opens in new tab), you're granted a Special Enrollment (opens in new tab) period of 60 days to choose new health insurance coverage.

Do I need to sign up again if I bought a plan through HealthCare.gov last year?

If you already have a marketplace plan that you purchased last year through HealthCare.gov, you’ll still need to actively re-enroll during this year’s Open Enrollment. When you re-enroll, you’ll:

Review your current plan’s coverage and costs
Update your application with current personal information
Compare the health plans available in the upcoming year
Choose a plan and enroll