Health Insurance Marketplace

Explore health insurance and prescription savings plans to find the right coverage for you.

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marketplace health
insurance plans

Plan category levels

Marketplace plans are available in four metal levels: Bronze, silver, gold and platinum (an expensive and less popular option). Below we explain the best options for most people.

Bronze

Average premium:* $526 per month

Average premium w/subsidy:* $125 per month

Coinsurance: Insurance company pays 60%, you pay 40%

Monthly premiums: Low

Out-of-pocket routine care costs: Highest

Deductibles (amount you pay before coverage starts): Highest

Best for: Those who don’t need a lot of medical services and want low-cost coverage for emergency medical needs.

Jacob

Meet Jacob. He lives alone and has a higher-paying, part-time job that doesn’t offer health insurance. Jacob is young and has no major health issues. Because his savings will cover any emergency medical expenses, he chose a Bronze plan to get the most cost-efficient coverage.

Silver

Average premium:* $623 per month

Average premium w/subsidy:* $77 per month

Coinsurance: Insurance company pays 70%, you pay 30%

Monthly premiums: Moderate

Out-of-pocket routine care costs: Moderate

Deductibles (amount you pay before coverage starts): Lower than bronze plans

Best for:Those who qualify for cost-sharing reductions to lower out-of-pocket expenses. Silver is the most popular plan.

Lauren

Meet Lauren. She and her husband, Daniel, have two young children, and both have jobs that don’t provide health insurance. Their income is low, so they qualify for premium subsidies that will reduce their out-of-pocket expenses. Even though they don’t have any serious medical conditions or expect any near-term issues, the extra subsidies available with Silver plans made this the best option for them.

Gold

Average premium:* $677 per month

Average premium w/subsidy:* $276 per month

Coinsurance: Insurance company pays 80%, you pay 20%

Monthly premiums: High

Out-of-pocket routine care costs: Low

Deductibles (amount you pay before coverage starts): Low

Best for: Those who don't mind paying a higher monthly premium in exchange for lower out-of-pocket expenses.

Gold plans make sense for people who regularly use healthcare services.

Chris

Meet Chris. He and his wife, Emily, don’t have children, but Chris has a chronic condition that requires ongoing care. Both Emily and Chris are high-income, independent contractors who want robust health coverage with low out-of-pocket costs. For this reason, they’ve selected a Gold plan.

*Average premiums based on 2022 open enrollment data from Healthcare.gov.

Premium amounts will vary based on plan selection, location, year and family size.

Deductibles are fixed dollar amounts you must pay out of pocket before coverage kicks in. Deductibles vary for each metal level, decreasing as premiums increase.

After you pay your premium and meet your deductible, you are still responsible for a percentage of medical expenses, called a “copay” or “coinsurance” amount.

Actual out-of-pocket costs and billed amounts may vary significantly from the estimate provided in the table above, depending on:

Your actual healthcare usage
Type(s) and location(s) of the care you receive
The accuracy of the information you provide

No matter which metal level you choose, the same set of essential health benefits will be covered:

Addiction treatment
Ambulatory patient services
Birth control and breastfeeding
Care for newborns and children
Emergency services
Hospitalization

Laboratory services
Maternity care
Mental health services
Occupational and physical therapy
Prescription drugs

Subsidies

A subsidy is financial assistance provided by the government. You may qualify for subsidy savings on premiums or out-of-pocket expenses (deductible and copay/coinsurance) based on your income. While many people may qualify for subsidies, which have been recently expanded, you can still enroll in a Marketplace plan and pay the full cost if you don’t qualify.

Premium subsidy

Premium subsidies are a form of tax credit that you receive upfront rather than when you file your tax return. This subsidy reduces your monthly premium. This type of subsidy is available no matter which metal level you select.

Cost sharing subsidy

Cost sharing subsidies are an additional form of assistance that will help you to pay your deductible, copays, and / or coinsurance (out-of-pocket costs). If you are eligible for this type of subsidy, you must select a silver plan to receive it.

Find out if you qualify for subsidies, which may lower your deductible.

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Ready to enroll?

Although enrollment usually occurs only once a year during the Open Enrollment Period, you may be eligible to enroll through a Special Enrollment Period if you have experienced a qualifying event, such as a birth, death, marriage, divorce or loss of coverage. For 2023 coverage, federal and state marketplaces have different enrollment deadlines, but the Open Enrollment Period is scheduled to begin November 1, 2022.

Enroll now*Average lowest-cost premium before tax credit for a 40 year old.