How to Get Health Insurance in 2026

Employer coverage costs less than individual plans because your company pays a share of your monthly premium, and the group rates employers negotiate are lower than anything you'd buy on your own. Your premium deductions also come out before taxes, so you pay less income tax on the amount your employer covers.

You can enroll when you start a new job or during your company's annual open enrollment period, usually in the fall. Most plans cover spouses and children, though adding family members increases your premium. Coverage starts within 30 to 90 days of your hire date.

The Health Insurance Marketplace is for people without job-based coverage. For 2025, 24.2 million people chose Marketplace plans, according to CMS, and most received income-based tax credits that lowered their premiums. Check your eligibility before assuming Marketplace coverage is out of reach.

Tax credits are available if your household income is between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level, a range that covers most middle- and lower-income households. Each tax credit amount is calculated based on a mid-tier plan cost in your area, and lower incomes receive larger amounts. Enter your income at HealthCare.gov to see what you qualify for.

Open enrollment is November 1 through January 15 each year. You can also enroll outside this period if you lose job coverage, get married, have a baby or move to a new state.

Medicare covers people 65 and older, plus younger people with Social Security-approved disabilities. Medicare has four parts. Part A covers hospital stays. Part B covers outpatient care and doctor visits. Part C, also called Medicare Advantage, offers private plan alternatives. Part D covers prescription drugs.

Extra Help is a federal program that reduces prescription drug costs for Medicare enrollees who meet income requirements. In 2026, Extra Help enrollees pay no monthly Part D premium and no deductible. Extra Help members pay no more than $12.65 per brand-name drug and $5.10 per generic, less than standard Part D cost-sharing for the same medications.

Medicare Special Needs Plans are Medicare Advantage plans for people with specific conditions. Chronic Condition plans cover diabetes, dementia and other qualifying illnesses. Dual-Eligible plans serve people who qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid. Many Dual-Eligible plans carry no monthly premium, so checking whether you qualify for both programs can reduce your coverage costs.

Annual open enrollment is October 15 through December 7. Plan changes made during enrollment take effect January 1 of the following year. To enroll in most Medicare plans, you must have Part A and Part B, live in the plan's service area and be a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the country.

Medicaid provides free or low-cost coverage to eligible low-income people and families, pregnant women, children, seniors and people with disabilities. Each state sets its own Medicaid income limits and eligibility rules.

Many states expanded Medicaid under the ACA, covering adults earning up to 138% of the federal poverty level. Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Mississippi, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Wisconsin and Wyoming have not expanded. Children and pregnant women in non-expansion states may still qualify under separate Medicaid rules.

You can apply for Medicaid anytime. Medicaid has no open enrollment period, and your state agency will contact you about enrollment if you qualify.

CHIP covers children in families earning too much for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. CHIP covers doctor visits, prescriptions, dental care and vision services at little or no cost.

You can apply year-round through your state's program or HealthCare.gov. If your child doesn't qualify for Medicaid, they may still be eligible for CHIP. Income limits vary by state. Check with your state agency to confirm whether your family qualifies.

A high-deductible health plan has lower monthly premiums than standard plans but a deductible you pay entirely on your own before coverage starts. In 2026, that deductible is at least $1,700 for individuals and $3,400 for families. The most you'll pay in a year, called the out-of-pocket maximum, is $8,500 for individuals and $17,000 for families.

HDHPs pair with a health savings account, or HSA. HSA contributions are pre-tax and roll over year to year. Your balance stays with you if you change employers or plans.

In 2026, you can contribute up to $4,400 per year for individual coverage and $8,750 for family coverage. You can use HSA funds to pay deductibles, copays and prescription costs at any time.

Adults under 30 can also qualify for catastrophic health plans, which have the lowest premiums but a $10,600 deductible and out-of-pocket maximum. Adults 30 and older qualify only with a hardship or affordability exemption through the Marketplace.

Adults under 26 can stay on a parent's health plan regardless of marital status, living situation or whether they're claimed as a dependent. Staying on a parent's plan is allowed even if you have employer coverage of your own.

Eight states extend coverage past age 26, each with different age limits and conditions. I'd call your parent's insurance company to confirm eligibility before assuming you qualify.

Florida extends coverage to age 30. Florida's dependent must be unmarried, have no children and either live with a parent or be a student. Nebraska also extends to age 30. Nebraska's dependent must be financially dependent on a parent and enrolled as a dependent at the time of coverage.

Pennsylvania covers dependents to age 30 who are unmarried, without dependents of their own and either a state resident or a full-time student. Illinois extends to age 30 for veterans only. New Jersey covers unmarried dependents without children to age 31. 

New York and South Dakota both extend to age 29. New York requires the dependent to be unmarried and a state resident. South Dakota's extension applies to full-time students only. Wisconsin covers unmarried dependents to age 27, provided they are not offered employer coverage.

Federally Qualified Health Centers, or FQHCs, are federally funded community clinics that charge patients on a sliding fee scale tied to income. FQHCs provide primary care, mental health services, dental care and prescription help. Find a location at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.

Safety-net hospitals treat patients regardless of insurance status or ability to pay. Also called county hospitals, public hospitals or essential hospitals, safety-net hospitals serve both insured and uninsured patients. Search the America's Essential Hospitals directory to find one near you.

Free and charitable clinics serve people without access to insurance, with about 1,400 locations nationwide. Care is at no charge in most clinics, and on-site pharmacies dispense medications at no cost where available. Find a clinic through the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics.

Rural health clinics provide primary and preventive care in underserved areas. More than 5,600 rural health clinics operate nationwide as of March 2026. Find rural health clinics by state at the Rural Health Information Hub.

Many hospitals offer charity care or income-based discounts to uninsured patients. Ask each hospital's billing department about financial assistance options before paying any bills. Some hospitals apply discounts automatically when your household income falls below their threshold.