Health insurance plans.
With you in mind.

There isn’t one number, and anyone who quotes you one before asking questions is guessing. Your monthly premium depends on your age, ZIP code, household size, tobacco use and the plan tier you pick. A lower premium usually comes with a higher deductible, so it pays to look at both. Income can also bring the price down if you qualify for marketplace savings. The fastest way to see your real number is a free quote with a licensed agent, and we’ll line up a few plans side by side.

For marketplace plans, open enrollment usually begins on November 1. The end date differs by state and has shifted in recent years, so we’ll confirm the deadline for where you live. Employer plans run on their own schedule, and Medicare has a separate window (October 15 to December 7). If you miss open enrollment, you may still have options through a special enrollment period or a private plan.

In most cases, any time of year. Private plans sold outside the marketplace usually aren’t tied to open enrollment. The catch is that many are medically underwritten, which means the insurer can ask health questions and may decline you, charge more or exclude certain conditions. So signing up while you’re healthy is much easier than waiting until you need care. Start dates vary by carrier, and we can walk you through how to enroll in health insurance when you’re ready.

It’s a window to enroll outside open enrollment after a qualifying life event. Common ones include losing other coverage, getting married, having or adopting a baby, and moving to a new coverage area. You usually have about 60 days from the event, and you may need documents to prove it. Not everything counts: choosing to drop your coverage or missing premium payments typically doesn’t qualify. If timing is unclear, ask a licensed agent how to enroll in health insurance for your situation.

Emergency care is covered anywhere in the U.S. Routine or non-emergency care is where it gets tricky: PPO plans often include out-of-network benefits, while HMO and EPO plans may cover emergencies only. If you travel often or split time between states, tell us and we’ll look for a plan with a wider network. For trips abroad, travel insurance is worth comparing too.

Not at the federal level. The federal penalty was reduced to $0 in 2019. A few states and Washington, D.C. have their own coverage requirements with penalties, though, so it depends on where you live. Even where it’s optional, one hospital stay can cost far more than a year of premiums. A licensed agent can explain the rules where you live.

ACA plans cover a standard set of essential benefits and can’t turn you down for a pre-existing condition. Short-term health insurance is built for a gap, like the time between jobs, so it’s usually cheaper but more limited. It may exclude pre-existing conditions, skip some benefits and run for a limited period. Rules for short-term plans differ by state, which is why we walk through how to choose a health insurance plan for the gap you’re covering before you sign.

Have these handy: everyone’s names and dates of birth, Social Security numbers (or document numbers for eligible immigrants), your estimated household income for the year, and details of any current coverage. If you want to keep your doctors or prescriptions, bring those too. Missing something? Start anyway—we can sort out how to enroll in health insurance on the call.