Every kind of health insurance, compared in one place
Marketplace, private, short-term, group, COBRA and Medicaid. We work with all of them, so we can show you what to keep in mind on each one and the supplementals that close the gaps.
Which sounds like you?
Pick one. You will see what to weigh before you choose a plan.
What to weigh
Marketplace help is based on your estimate for the whole year. Earn more than you said and you may pay some back at tax time; earn less and you may get more back. Estimate from the last 12 months, not your best month.
Marketplace plans cover pre-existing conditions with no health questions. Private plans can ask about your health and decline you or exclude a condition.
Physical work means injuries. A low premium usually means a high deductible you pay first.
Networks differ between plans, even from the same insurer. Check your doctors before you choose.
Self-employed people can often deduct health premiums. Ask your tax preparer what applies to you.
What to weigh
Help is based on your total household income and how many people are in your tax household.
Children can qualify for Medicaid or CHIP at higher incomes than adults. Limits are set by each state.
If one of you can get coverage through work, that can change who in the family qualifies for Marketplace help.
Make sure your pediatrician and family doctor are in the network.
Health plans often leave out adult dental and vision. Kids’ coverage varies by plan.
What to weigh
Losing job-based coverage usually gives you 60 days to enroll in a Marketplace plan. Do not wait for open enrollment.
A few months until a new job’s plan starts is a different problem from a year on your own.
A lower income this year can mean more help with a Marketplace plan.
Short-term plans usually do not cover pre-existing conditions. Marketplace plans and COBRA do.
COBRA keeps your exact plan and doctors, but you pay the full cost yourself.
What to weigh
A group plan usually needs at least one enrolled employee besides the owner.
You choose how much of the premium the business pays. Group premiums are a business expense.
An owner with no employees can use a Marketplace plan, with help based on household income.
Small group plans cover pre-existing conditions with no health questions.
Doctor networks and worksite supplementals matter for keeping good people.
Obamacare Hotline and/or Medicare Po Polsku are private companies not affiliated with any local, state, or federal government agency.
Which plans fit you?
Tap everything that’s true for you. Plans that don’t fit fade out, and we tell you why.
Not sure about income? For 2027 the tax credit stops above $63,840 a year for one person, or $132,000 for a family of four. How the tax credit works
All 6 plan types. Tap what’s true for you to narrow them down.
Marketplace (ACA)Most people, especially with a tax credit.Learn more 
Private planHealthy people who earn too much for a tax credit.Learn more 
Short-term planA gap of a few months.Learn more 
Group planBusiness owners with employees.Learn more 
COBRAKeeping your old job’s plan and doctors.Learn more 
Medicaid and CHIPLower incomes, and kids at higher incomes.Learn more A first look, not advice for your situation. Rules vary by plan and state; we go through yours in a free consultation.
How the tax credit works
A tax credit, which you may hear called a subsidy, is help from the federal government that lowers your monthly premium. Not everyone gets it. It depends on your household’s yearly income and how many people are in it.
To decide, the Marketplace measures your income against the federal poverty line: a dollar amount the government sets each year for each household size. In 2027, the credit stops completely once you earn more than 4 times that line.
| 1 person | $63,840 |
| 2 people | $86,560 |
| 3 people | $109,280 |
| 4 people | $132,000 |
On a very low income, under about $22,025 for one person, many states, including Illinois, cover adults through Medicaid instead. And if a job offers you affordable coverage, you usually can’t get the credit.12
In 2027 they would be expected to pay about 7.2% of income, about $350 a month, toward the benchmark silver plan. The tax credit pays the rest of that plan's price.
An example, not a quote. Your credit depends on your income, household, county and the plan you choose, and is set when you enroll.
Try it with your numbersClose the gaps with supplementals
Supplementals work alongside your health plan and do not replace it. Hospital indemnity and critical illness policies are not health insurance coverage. Costs depend on your age and plan; we go through them in your free consultation.
See supplemental coverageKey dates
Guides to read next
Short, sourced answers to the questions people ask most.
Questions people ask
Is a short-term plan real health insurance?
Not in the way most people mean. Short-term plans are not ACA-compliant: they can ask health questions, usually do not cover pre-existing conditions, and do not have to cover every essential health benefit. They bridge a gap of a few months.
What is the 4× cliff, and does it affect me?
The extra tax credits ended with 2025, so the Marketplace tax credit now stops completely once household income goes above 4× the poverty line, and that continues for 2027 coverage. If you are close to that line, a careful income estimate matters, and a private plan may be worth comparing.
Do I have to report income changes during the year?
You should. Your credit is based on your estimate for the year. Report changes on your Marketplace account as they happen. If you earn more than you estimated, you may pay some or all of the extra credit back when you file taxes; if you earn less, you may get more back.
What is the difference between a deductible and an out-of-pocket maximum?
The deductible is what you pay for covered care before the plan starts sharing the cost. The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you pay in a year for covered in-network care, counting the deductible, copays and coinsurance. Once you reach it, the plan pays for covered in-network care for the rest of the year. Premiums do not count toward it.
Can I keep my doctor?
It depends on the plan’s network. Before you choose, we check that your doctors, hospitals and prescriptions are in network. Networks differ between plans, even from the same insurer.
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Within 24 hours. - 3We go through every option
With what to keep in mind on each one. It costs you nothing.
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