Health Insurance
Your state-by-state guide to the 2020 Obamacare health insurance open enrollment period
Open enrollment is the time to buy health insurance on the Obamacare marketplace. Find out when your open enrollment is and whether premiums will be changing.
Federal open enrollment for Americans in need of a 2021 health care plan will run from Nov. 1, 2020, to Dec. 15, 2020. If you live in a state that has its own health insurance exchange, the deadline may be later. You can check out the guide below to find out the details in your state.
Obamacare open enrollment is for people who want to buy or make changes to their individual health plan. If your employer provides health insurance, ask your human resources department when open enrollment takes place; new employees should be able to purchase their company’s health insurance outside of open enrollment if doing so for the first time.
Premium rates remain mostly stable over last year, with most insurers posting only a small increase.
If you miss the healthcare open enrollment deadline, you can still purchase health insurance during a special enrollment period to buy coverage. Special enrollment is generally tied to a qualifying life event, like marriage, divorce, the birth or adoption of a child, a move across state lines, or the loss of health insurance.
If you’re eligible for Medicaid, you can apply for it at any time during the year. Read this state-by-state guide to Medicaid to see if you qualify. If you’re eligible for Medicare, then you may already be enrolled, although many people still need to apply for it, so be sure to check your enrollment status on Medicare.gov. Medicare is a public health insurance program for people over age 65 and people with severe disabilities.
Scroll down to see open enrollment dates, projected premiums, participating insurers and other important information regarding open enrollment 2020 in your state . Plans purchased through the health insurance marketplaces during the upcoming open enrollment period will begin January 1, 2021.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, premium rate changes are pending approval by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid.
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Alabama health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums are expected to increase by 5.07%, with a range of rate changes from -2.00% to 5.49%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama
Other stuff to know: Bright Health is no longer participating in the Obamacare marketplace.
Alaska health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Insurers have requested to either decrease premiums by 4.15% or increase them by 0.11%.
Participating insurers: Moda Assurance Company, Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alaska
Other stuff to know: Alaska once had the highest premium rates in the country, but it implemented a reinsurance program that has driven down rates every year.
Arizona health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Proposed premium changes range from a decrease of 6.75% to an increase of 9.33%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Arizona, Bright Health Company of Arizona, Cigna HealthCare of Arizona, Health Net of Arizona, Oscar Health Plan
Other stuff to know: A ballot measure that would end surprise billing received enough signatures to appear on the 2020 ballot, but an Arizona judge blocked it after ruling that some of the signatures were invalid and the language of the description was misleading.
Arkansas health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums are going up across the board, with increases ranging from 2.90% to 4.91%.
Participating insurers: Celtic Insurance Company, QCA Health Plan, QualChoice Life & Health Insurance Company, USAble Mutual Insurance Company
Other stuff to know: Health Advantage will begin offering individual health plans on January 1, 2021.
California health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: January 15, 2021
Marketplace: Covered California
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums are going up by an average of just 0.6%.
Participating insurers: Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Chinese Community Health Plan, Kaiser Permanente, LA Care Health Plan, Molina Healthcare, Oscar Health Plan of California, Sharp Health Plan, Valley Health Plan, Western Health Advantage
Other stuff to know: While California projected that health care costs would increase by 4% to 8% because of the COVID-19 pandemic, actual costs are expected to be about the same as pre-COVID-19 projections.
Colorado health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Jan. 1, 2021
Marketplace: Connect for Health Colorado
What’s happening to premiums: Proposed premiums increases will average 2.2% across Colorado.
Participating insurers: Anthem, Bright Health, Cigna, Denver Health Medical Plan, Friday Health Plans, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Colorado, Oscar Health Plan, Rocky Mountain Health Maintenance Organization
Other stuff to know: The number of counties with only one on-exchange insurer has decreased from 22 to 10 since 2019.
Connecticut health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Access Health CT
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums are barely budging at all, increasing on average by just 0.01%.
Participating insurers: Anthem Health Plans, CTCare Benefits
Delaware health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums are decreasing by 1% on average.
Participating insurers: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield Delaware
Other stuff to know: Delaware’s premiums decreased by an average of 19% for 2020 plans thanks to a federal reinsurance program it implemented. This resulted in an increase in Obamacare enrollment of 6.3%.
Florida health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums rates in Florida are increasing by an average of 3.1%, ranging from an increase of 4.8% to a decrease of 3.3%, depending on the insurer.
Participating insurers: AvMed, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Florida, Bright Health, Celtic Insurance Company, Cigna, Florida Health Care Plan, Health First Commercial Plans, Health Options, Molina Healthcare of Florida, Oscar Insurance Company
Other stuff to know: Bright Health and Cigna began offering plans in Florida in 2020.
Georgia health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Georgia’s six on-exchange insurers have requested a wide variety of rate changes, ranging from a decrease of 19.02% for one insurer to an increase of 18.34% for another.
Participating insurers: Alliant, Ambetter of Peach State, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, CareSource Georgia, Kaiser Foundation, Oscar Health Plan
Other stuff to know: CareSource and Oscar began offering plans in Georgia in 2020.
Hawaii health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Insurance companies in Hawaii have proposed decreasing rates by a small amount, from a 0.78% decrease to a 1.91% decrease depending on the company.
Participating insurers: Hawaii Medical Service Association, Kaiser Foundation
Idaho health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Your Health Idaho
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums for marketplace plans are increasing by an average of 1% across the state, although each insurer is offering different rate changes, ranging from an increase of 5% to a decrease of 7%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross of Idaho Health Service, Mountain Health Co-Op, PacificSource Health Plans, Regence BlueShield of Idaho, SelectHealth
Other stuff to know: Idaho’s Medicaid expansion took effect on January 1, 2020, and more than 87,000 people have enrolled in the program as of September 14, 2020.
Illinois health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Get Covered Illinois (in partnership with Healthcare.gov)
What’s happening to premiums: Insurers in Illinois have largely requested that premium rates for marketplace plans stay the same (four out of five proposals range from a decrease of 0.12% to an increase of 0.89%), although one insurer has requested a decrease of 10.05%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Celtic Insurance Company, Cigna, Health Alliance Medical Plans, Quartz Health Benefit Plans
Other stuff to know: Bright Health plans to start offering marketplace coverage in Chicago in 2021. Previously, the company had offered Medicare Advantage plans.
Indiana health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Insurers have requested a premium rate increase of 10.5% on average for marketplace plans, with proposals ranging from a 0.30% decrease to a 14.30% increase, depending on the insurer.
Participating insurers: Anthem, CareSource Indiana, Celtic Insurance Company
Other stuff to know: The Indiana Farm Bureau, a national organization of farmers and ranchers, will start offering health insurance plans to its members this year, for coverage effective January 1, 2021.
Iowa health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: The two insurers in Iowa that offer marketplace plans are proposing vastly different rate changes, with one requesting an increase of 2.45% and the other requesting a decrease of 42.04%.
Participating insurers: Medica Insurance Company, WellMark Health Plan of Iowa
Kansas health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Requested rate changes range from a 7.86% decrease to a 9.96% increase.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas, Cigna, Medica Insurance Company, Oscar Insurance Company, Sunflower State Health Plan
Kentucky health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums for marketplace plans are going up by either 5.7% or 4.0%, depending on the insurance company.
Participating insurers: Anthem Health Plans of Kentucky, CareSource Kentucky
Other stuff to know: Kentucky left its state-run Obamacare exchange, kynect, in 2016, to join the federal marketplace. But, in June, Kentucky’s new governor announced that the state would resume kynect in time for Open Enrollment 2021.
Louisiana health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Rate increases have been requested across the board in Louisiana, with proposals ranging from an increase of 2.64% to 9.50%.
Participating insurers: CHRISTUS Health Plan Louisiana, HMO Louisiana, Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company, Vantage Health Plan
Other stuff to know: Louisiana implemented the Obamacare Medicaid expansion in 2016. Since then, more than 550,000 people enrolled.
Maine health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What's happening to premiums : Rates will decrease an average of 13.1%.
Participating insurers : Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Maine Community Health Options
Other stuff to know : Maine is planning to transition to a state-run exchange; people can still apply through the federal marketplace site.
Maryland health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Maryland Health Connection
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums will decrease by an average of 11.9%, the third year in the row that premiums decreased by double digits in Maryland.
Participating insurers: CareFirst BlueChoice, CareFirst of Maryland, GHMSI, Kaiser Foundation, UnitedHealthcare (new)
Other stuff to know: Maryland’s COVID-19 special enrollment period, which began in March, will remain open until Dec. 15.
Massachusetts health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Jan. 23, 2021
Marketplace: Massachusetts Health Connector
What's happening to premiums: In general, premiums are going up. Requested changes range from an increase of 0.49% to 20.91%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Massachusetts HMO Blue, Fallon Community Health Plan, Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Health New England, Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Org, UnitedHealthcare
Michigan health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What's happening to premiums: Michigan’s insurance companies have proposed premium changes range from a 2.01% decrease to a 5.99% increase.
Participating insurers: Blue Care Network of Michigan, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, McLaren, Meridian Health Plan of Michigan, Molina Healthcare of Michigan, Oscar Insurance Company, Physicians Health Plan, Priority Health, Total Health Care USA
Minnesota health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 22
Marketplace: MNsure
What's happening to premiums: Proposed rate changes range from a 1.39% decrease to 7.12% increase.
Participating insurers: Blue Plus, Group Health (Health Partners), Medica Insurance Company, UCare
Mississippi health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What's happening to premiums: Ambetter has proposed a rate increase of 11.19% and Molina has proposed a decrease of 2.67%.
Participating insurers: Ambetter of Magnolia and Molina
Other stuff to know: Molina is expanding its coverage to all counties for 2021.
Missouri health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What's happening to premiums: Proposed rates changes range from a decrease of 2.79% to an increase of 13.98%. The average proposed rate change overall is an increase of 4.7%.
Participating insurers: Cigna, Celtic, Cox Health Systems, Healthy Alliance (Anthem), Medica Insurance Company, Oscar, SSM Health, Blue Cross Blue Shield Kansas City (new for 2021)
Other stuff to know: Medica and Healthy Alliance are expanding their coverage areas for 2021.
Montana health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What's happening to premiums: Rates will increase an average of 1.89% across all three health plans.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, Montana Health Co-op, PacificSource
Nebraska health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Proposed rate increase of 5.36% for Medica.
Participating insurers: Medica
Other stuff to know: Bright stated that it would offer Obamacare marketplace plans in Nebraska, but information on the plans is available is unavailable at press time.
Nevada health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Jan. 15, 2021 Marketplace: Nevada Health Link
What's happening to premiums: Existing insurers have proposed a rate increase of 4.31% to 10.44%.
Participating insurers: Health Plan of Nevada, HMO Nevada (HMO Colorado), SilverSummit HealthPlan
Other stuff to know : Two new insurers will offer exchange plans: Select Health will offer nationwide coverage and Friday Health Plans will be available in Clark and Nye counties.
New Hampshire health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What's happening to premiums: Existing insurers have proposed rate decreases of 4.50% to 15.37%.
Participating insurers: Celtic (Ambetter), Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Matthew Thornton Health Plan (Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield)
New Jersey health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Jan. 31, 2021
Marketplace: Get Covered New Jersey
What’s happening to premiums: Proposed rate changes range from a decrease of 1.43% to an increase of 11.22%.
Participating insurers: AmeriHealth, Horizon Healthcare (Blue Cross Blue Shield), Oscar
Other stuff to know: New Jersey has transitioned to a fully state-run exchange site. If you are looking to get coverage for 2021, you must use the new site and not healthcare.gov.
New Mexico health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Existing insurers have proposed decreases of 0.18% to 7.61%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Molina Healthcare, True Health
Other stuff to know: New Mexico Health Connections will close at the end of 2020 and two new insurers will join: Friday Health Plans and Western Sky Community Care (Ambetter)
New York health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Jan. 31, 2021
Marketplace: New York State of Health
What’s happening to premiums: The approved average rate increase for 2021 individual marketplace plans is 1.8% across all insurers. This is the smallest rate change in the last decade.
Participating insurers: CDPHP, Emblem, Empire (Health Plus), Excellus, Healthfirst, HealthNow New York, IHBC, MetroPlus, MVP Health, Fidelis (New York Quality Health Care), Oscar, UnitedHealthcare
Other stuff to know: New York’s exchange is one of the country’s most robust — 12 insurers are participating but coverage varies by area.
North Carolina health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Proposed rate changes range from a decrease of 14.32% to an increase of 4.13%.
Participating insurers: Ambetter, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Bright, Cigna
Other stuff to know: UnitedHealthcare will return to the marketplace and Oscar will join for the first time.
North Dakota health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Existing insurers have proposed a rate increase ranging from 4.42% to 20.33%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medica, Sanford
Ohio health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Ohio expects premiums to stay relatively stable, falling an average of 0.4% compared to last year. However, some insurers’ proposed rate changes range from a decrease of -4.99% to an increase of 9.20%.
Participating insurers: AultCare, Buckeye Community Health Plan (Ambetter), CareSource, Community Insurance Company (Anthem BCBS), Medical Health Insuring Corporation of Ohio, Molina Healthcare of Ohio, Oscar Buckeye State Insurance Corporation, Oscar Insurance Corporation of Ohio, Paramount Insurance Company, Summa Insurance Company
Other stuff to know: The same 10 insurance companies will sell 2021 exchange plans as sold plans last year. All Ohio counties will have at least two insurers.
Oklahoma health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Three out of the four participating insurers have proposed decreasing rates – by as much as -24.40% in one case — though one insurer has proposed a rate increase of 1.84%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma, Bright Health Insurance Company, CommunityCare HMO, Medica Insurance Company
Other stuff to know: Short-term health plans can legally be sold in Oklahoma, with a possible plan term of up to 364 days.
Oregon health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Most insurers will increase average premiums slightly, though BridgeSpan will increase average rates by 11.1% and Kaiser will decrease average rates by 3.5%.
Participating insurers: BridgeSpan Health Company, Kaiser Foundation Healthplan of the NW, Moda Health Plan, PacificSource Health Plans, Providence Health Plan, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon
Other stuff to know: Regence plans to join the Oregon marketplace for 2021 plans, and three of the six participating insurers will offer coverage state-wide (only one offered state-wide coverage last year).
Pennsylvania health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: January 15
Marketplace: Pennie
What’s happening to premiums: Most insurers plan to lower rates for 2021 marketplace plans — by as much as 12.41% in one case — but some insurers will increase rates by as much as 6.35%.
Participating insurers: Capital Advantage Assurance Company, Geisinger Health Plan, Geisinger Quality Options, Highmark Benefits Group, Highmark Coverage Advantage, Highmark, Inc., Independence Blue Cross (QCC Insurance Company), Keystone Health Plan East, Oscar Health, Pennsylvania Health & Wellness, UPMC Health Options
Other stuff to know: Starting in 2020 (for 2021 coverage) you can buy plans through the new Pennsylvania Insurance Exchange, called Pennie.
Rhode Island health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: HealthSource RI
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums will increase for both of Rhode Island’s participating insurers, with rates for Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island increasing by 3.3% and rates for Health Plan of Rhode Island increasing by 4.7%.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Rhode Island, Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island
Other stuff to know: As of 2020, Rhode Island has implemented a state-based individual mandate for health insurance coverage.
South Carolina health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Three of the four insurers in South Carolina have proposed slightly lower premiums than last year, though Absolute Total Care has proposed an average rate increase of 16.68%.
Participating insurers: Absolute Total Care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of South Carolina, Bright Health Company of South Carolina, Molina
Other stuff to know: Short-term health plans are available in South Carolina for terms of up to 11 months.
South Dakota health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Both of the state’s insurance providers have proposed rate increases for 2021 plans: a 4.29% increase for Avera and a 0.24% increase for Sanford.
Participating insurers: Avera, Sanford
Other stuff to know: Short-term health plans with terms of up to six months are available for purchase in South Dakota.
Tennessee health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: All five of last year’s participating insurers have proposed rate increases of between 2.5% and 9.9% for 2021.
Participating insurers: BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, Bright Health, Celtic/Ambetter, Cigna, Oscar Health, UnitedHealthcare
Other stuff to know: UnitedHealthcare is a new Obamacare marketplace insurer this year in Tennessee, with coverage available in some areas.
Texas health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: All insurers have proposed rate increases of between 2.81% and 11.69% for 2021 plans.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Celtic/Ambetter, CHRISTUS, Community Health Choice, Molina Healthcare of Texas, Oscar Health, Sendero, SHA/FirstCare
Other stuff to know: Texas had the third highest number of Affordable Care Act enrollees last year, but is currently leading an 18-state lawsuit that seeks to end the ACA.
Utah health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: The four insurers returning from last year will make modest changes to last year’s rates, with proposed rate changes falling between an increase of 3.00% and a decrease of 1.64%.
Participating insurers: Cigna, Molina, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah, SelectHealth, University of Utah Health Insurance Plans
Other stuff to know: Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah is joining the exchange for 2021 plans, and all four of last year’s insurers will again offer plans.
Vermont health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Vermont Health Connect
What’s happening to premiums: Vermont has approved an average premium increase of about 4.2% across plans from Blue Cross Blue Shield and an average increase of about 2.7% across MVP plans.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont, MVP Health Care
Other stuff to know: Starting in 2020, Vermont has an individual mandate that requires state residents to have minimum essential health insurance coverage, though there is currently no penalty for going without insurance.
Virginia health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Four of this year’s seven insurers have proposed rate decreases — two of which are more than 10% — and the other three insurers have proposed average rate increases of as much as 7.81%. Overall, the average proposed rates will be 6.9% lower than last year.
Participating insurers: CareFirst, Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Health Keepers, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic, Optima, Oscar Health, Piedmont Community Healthcare
Other stuff to know: Starting in 2020, Virginia will begin to transition from the federal exchange to its own state-run exchange, and the state exchange should be ready by 2023. (This does not affect the 2020 enrollment process.)
Washington health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Washington Healthplanfinder
What’s happening to premiums: Premiums for exchange plans will decrease by an average of 3.2% over last year. Average rates have now decreased by 3% or more for two straight years.
Participating insurers: Bridgespan, Community Health Network of Washington, Coordinated Care Corp., Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington, LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, Molina Healthcare of Washington, PacificSource Health Plans, Premera Blue Cross, Providence Health Plan, UnitedHealthcare of Oregon
Other stuff to know: Starting with 2021 plans, Washington will offer a public option plan called Cascade Care. Washington also offers standardized health plans, meaning all plans in the state must offer the same coverage details for certain plan aspects. (The federal government stopped offering standards for health plans after 2018.)
Washington D.C. (District of Columbia) health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: January 21, 2021
Marketplace: DC Health Link
What’s happening to premiums: Insurers have proposed to raise premiums for HMO plans by 14.7%, but they have requested to decrease premiums for PPO plans by between 0.6% and 2.0%. (Learn more about different types of health plans.)
Participating insurers: CareFirst BlueChoice, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan
West Virginia health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Both of West Virginia’s insurers have proposed increasing premiums: CareSource by an average of 6.26% across all plans and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield by 4.34%.
Participating insurers: Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield, CareSource
Wisconsin health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Nine of the 13 insurers with an exchange plan for 2021 have proposed a decrease in premiums, with two insurers proposing decreases of more than 12%. Of the four insurers who have proposed higher premiums, the highest is an increase of 5.87%, compared to last year’s rates.
Participating insurers: Aspirus Arise, Children’s Community Health Plan, Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative, Dean Health Plan, Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin, HealthPartners Insurance, Medica Health Plans of Wisconsin, MercyCare HMO, Molina, Network Health, Quartz Health Benefits, Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, WPS
Other stuff to know: Wisconsin instituted a reinsurance program that helped rates decrease for the 2019 and 2020 plan years, with 2021 premiums likely to have fallen as a result as well.
Wyoming health insurance marketplace
Enrollment deadline: Dec. 15
Marketplace: Healthcare.gov
What’s happening to premiums: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming has proposed a 9.99% decrease in the average cost of premiums.
Participating insurers: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming
Other stuff to know: Wyoming is one of 12 states that haven’t expanded Medicaid, which leaves several thousand people in the coverage gap — unable to access financial assistance with their health insurance.
Finding a health care plan for 2020
If your state health insurance marketplace has closed and you're not eligible for Medicaid or Medicare, the federal health insurance program for citizens and permanent residents at retirement age, you will need to qualify for a special enrollment period to buy an Obamacare plan.
You generally qualify for special enrollment after:
The loss other health coverage Marriage Divorce The birth of a baby The adoption a child Moving across state lines Gaining Citizenship or "lawful presence in the U.S." Leaving incarceration
If you qualify for special enrollment, check out our guide to shopping the health insurance exchanges.
Health insurance alternatives
If you don't qualify for special enrollment and need health insurance or can't find an affordable plan in your area, there are a few ways to get at least some level of coverage. These include:
COBRA or The Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act, which lets you keep a health care plan from an ex-employer for up to 36 months, at the full cost of the policy. Learn more about COBRA.
Short-term health insurance, which is cheaper, but much less comprehensive than traditional coverage. These plans don't have to cover pre-existing conditions or Obamacare's essential benefits.
Health care sharing ministries are faith-based alternatives to health insurance in which individuals and families pay a monthly “sharing amount” similar to a health insurance premium and use those funds to cover ministry-approved medical expenses.
Health insurance and life insurance work together to offer financial protection.
Health insurance can pay your medical expenses. Life insurance keeps your loved ones whole after you die.
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