Questions people ask us

Yes — same thing. The Health Insurance Marketplace is the federal program (officially the Affordable Care Act) that lets people without insurance through a job buy a private plan, with the government paying part of the monthly cost based on income. The plans come from regular insurance companies like Ambetter, Anthem, Oscar, and UnitedHealthcare. Most people just call it Obamacare.

Most people who don't get insurance through work and earn somewhere between roughly $15,000 and $60,000 a year qualify for meaningful savings — more for bigger families. The fastest way to know is the price tool on our homepage: it uses your real income and ZIP and takes about 30 seconds.

It's based on your household income, your household size, and what plans cost where you live. The idea is to cap what you pay for a mid-level plan at a percentage of your income — the less you earn, the smaller your share. For 2026, savings are available for incomes up to 400% of the federal poverty level. Above that line, there's no monthly discount (people call this the 'cliff'). Our price tool shows exactly where you land.

It's how costs are split between you and the insurance company. Bronze has the lowest monthly price but you pay more when you get care. Gold and Platinum cost more each month but cover more. Silver is in the middle — and it's special: if your income qualifies, Silver plans come with extra savings that lower your deductible and copays.

It's real. The Marketplace has been the official program for individual health insurance since 2014. When a plan shows up at $0 a month, it's because a federal tax credit covers the full cost of the lowest-priced plans in your area — common for lower-income households. The credit goes straight to the insurance company. We're an independent, licensed insurance agency that helps you find and enroll in a plan. We're not the insurance company and we're not the government.

No. EasyEnroll Health is a self-service website. You enter your ZIP, ages, and income, see every Marketplace plan in your area with your savings already applied, and enroll yourself online. Nobody calls you, and nobody picks the plan for you. If you want help, you can message us — but it's never required.

No. We don't sell your information and we don't run a call center. Checking your price doesn't even ask for a phone number or email. The only calls or emails you'll get are from the insurance company you enroll with, about your plan.

Different website, same plans and same prices. We show the official Marketplace plans and savings for your area, and the application itself is submitted through HealthSherpa, a federally certified enrollment platform. Your coverage, your monthly price, and your tax credit are identical to what you'd get on Healthcare.gov or your state's marketplace.

Nothing. We're paid a commission by the insurance company when you enroll — the same way any agent is — and that never changes your price. The plan costs exactly what it would cost on Healthcare.gov.

Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs from November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. During this window anyone can sign up for a new plan or switch plans — no special reason needed. Enroll by December 15 and your coverage starts January 1. Enroll between December 16 and January 15 and it starts February 1.

You can still enroll within 60 days of a big life change — losing other coverage, getting married, having a baby, or moving. That's called a Special Enrollment Period. Medicaid and CHIP have no deadline at all; if your income is low enough, you can apply any time of year.

Absolutely — the Marketplace was built for people without insurance through a job: self-employed, freelancers, contractors, gig workers, and small-business owners. You'll just estimate your income for the year, and you can update it any time.

You can, but if your employer's plan counts as 'affordable' under the federal rules (for 2026, your share of self-only coverage is no more than 9.96% of household income), you usually won't get savings on a Marketplace plan. If their plan is too expensive or doesn't meet the minimum standards, you can shop here with savings.

Medicaid is a separate program for people with lower incomes. If you qualify for Medicaid, you can't also get a discounted Marketplace plan — it's one or the other. If your income rises above the Medicaid limit, you'd move to a Marketplace plan with savings.

Pregnancy itself doesn't open a special enrollment window, but your baby's birth does. Many pregnant women qualify for Medicaid or CHIP during pregnancy even at higher incomes. When you fill out the application, mark that you're pregnant and it will point you to the right options.

Every plan has its own network of doctors and hospitals. On each plan card, use 'Find my doctor' to search by name and see whether they're in that plan's network. You can also check the drug list for your medications.

A little. You'll get a form (1095-A) showing the savings you received. If your real income for the year was different from your estimate, you may get an extra credit (if you earned less) or owe some back (if you earned more). Just tell your tax preparer you had a Marketplace plan.