Health insurance for your family, or just for you
You are not self-employed, but you need a plan of your own, and the choices are confusing. I compare the Marketplace and private plans side by side, tell you which fits your household, and enroll you at no cost.
Free. Never a fee. 7 days a week, 8 a.m.–10 p.m. ET.
Six reasons people call me
One person or a whole household, the review is the same.
BETWEEN JOBS
Your employer coverage ended
Losing a job plan is a qualifying life event, so you can enroll now. COBRA usually means paying the full premium plus up to a 2% admin fee, and typically lasts 18 months (federal COBRA rule). Let me run the Marketplace numbers first.
SPOUSE’S PLAN
The plan at work costs too much for the family
The plan is affordable for the employee, not for everyone else. Since the family glitch fix, a spouse and kids may qualify for a Marketplace credit even when one spouse has coverage at work. I check that number before you decide.
NEW BABY
A baby on the way or just arrived
A birth opens a special enrollment period. I review the whole household at once: the pediatrician you want, the hospital, and what delivery and well visits cost under each plan.
DIVORCE
Coverage after a divorce
Losing coverage through a former spouse is a qualifying event. You get your own plan, priced on your own income, and I handle the paperwork.
TURNING 26
Aging off a parent’s plan
Under the federal rule, coverage on a parent’s plan ends at 26. If your income is under the credit line, the Marketplace with a tax credit usually wins. If you are healthy and earn more than that line, a private underwritten plan (not ACA coverage, and a carrier can decline you) is worth pricing next to it. I show you both.
SECOND OPINION
You have a plan and want a second look
Maybe the premium jumped, or the plan no longer fits. I read what you have and tell you whether it is still right. If it is, I say so.
The enhanced premium tax credits from the pandemic years expired December 31, 2025, and Congress did not extend them (KFF). Above 400% of the federal poverty level, a Marketplace plan is full price. For 2026 coverage that line is $62,600 for one person, $84,600 for two, and $128,600 for a family of four (2025 HHS poverty guidelines; Alaska and Hawaii differ). What a family of four pays over the line.
Keep the doctors you trust
First, I ask for your list: family doctor, your kids’ pediatrician, any specialist, and the hospital you would want. I check every plan against it first. A cheap plan that does not include your pediatrician is not cheap.
Deductible vs. out-of-pocket maximum, in plain English
The deductible is what you pay before the plan starts sharing big bills. The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you can pay in a year for covered care; after that, the plan pays the rest of your covered, in-network care for that year. A family plan has a per-person limit and a family limit. I look at the out-of-pocket maximum first; that is the number that protects you in a bad year.
Dental and vision as add-ons
Most medical plans do not include adult dental or vision. I can add a standalone plan for the family or just for you, and I will say when paying cash for two cleanings a year is smarter.
Marketplace or private plan?
When the Marketplace wins
Someone on the plan has real medical history: a diagnosis, ongoing prescriptions, a pregnancy, a past surgery. Marketplace plans cannot decline you or charge more for your health.
Your income is under the credit line, so a tax credit lowers the price, and you keep the full ACA protections.
When a private plan wins
Everyone on the plan is healthy and your income is above the credit line, so the Marketplace is full price. Private underwritten plans take applications year-round and are priced on health as well as age and ZIP code, which can mean a lower premium.
The trade: a carrier can decline you, rate you up, or exclude a condition. These plans are not guaranteed issue and are not ACA coverage. If anyone has real medical history, the Marketplace is the right door, and I will tell you so.
How working with me goes
A real conversation. Who is on the plan, the doctors you want to keep, what the household earns, and what worries you. No forms first.
I run the numbers both ways. The Marketplace with any credit your household qualifies for, and if everyone is healthy, a private quote next to it. You see both.
You decide, I enroll you, and I stay your contact. When a bill looks wrong or a card does not show up, you call me, not an 800 number.
Questions I hear most
Can I sign up now, or do I have to wait for open enrollment?
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage on HealthCare.gov runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; enroll by December 15 for a January 1 start (CMS). Outside that window, a qualifying life event such as losing employer coverage, marriage, a move, or a baby opens a special enrollment period.
I am single with no kids. Is this page for me?
Yes. Everything here works for one person. The 2026 credit line for one person is $62,600, and I compare the same way, Marketplace against private.
Does it cost anything to work with you?
No. Never a fee to you. The carrier pays me a commission, and the premium is the same whether you use me or enroll on your own.
What if our income changes during the year?
Tell me. A Marketplace credit is based on the income you expect for the year and is reconciled on your tax return. If someone gets a raise or loses hours, we update the application so the credit follows your real income, which lowers the chance of owing money back at tax time. Confirm the tax side with your tax professional.
Let’s find the right plan for your household
One call. Real numbers. No fee.
I am licensed in 17 states. If you live somewhere else, Browse Health Plans, the free price tool I built, shows your county's prices and a licensed advisor follows up.