How to apply & enroll

Complete your enrollment & pay your first premium

Insurance companies handle payments differently. Follow the instructions from your insurance company about how and when to make your
payment. You may be able to pay online.
Warning:
Important: You must pay your premium for your coverage to start
Once you enroll in a plan, you'll pay your premiums directly to the insurance company — not to the Health Insurance Marketplace®. Your coverage won't start until you pay your first premium. Make sure you continue to pay your monthly premiums to your health insurance company on time. If you don't, the insurance company could end your coverage.

How to pay your monthly premium at HealthCare.gov

  1. Log in to your Marketplace account.
  2. Choose your application under "Your Existing Applications."
  3. Click the blue button "Pay Your First Health Insurance Monthly Premium."
  4. If online payment is available, choose the green button "Pay for Health Plan Now" to go to your insurance company’s website to pay. 

    Note: If your health insurance company doesn't accept online payment, they should have contacted you with next steps. Reach out to them if you haven’t received details on how to pay or aren’t sure that you paid. For their phone number, check out your plan brochure or go to their website.

How to tell if your health insurance is active

If you're not sure you're enrolled, check your online Marketplace account. If you think you're enrolled but have questions about your plan, you can reference your plan materials.

How to verify your enrollment online

  1. Log in to your HealthCare.gov account.
  2. Select your completed application under "Your Existing Applications."
  3. Click on "My Plans & Programs" to see which plan(s) you're enrolled in. Here you'll see a summary of your coverage. Your coverage start date depends on when you enrolled or changed plans.
  4. If you don't see your summary or still aren't sure you finished enrollment, call your insurance company. They can confirm if you enrolled and paid your first premium.
If you're still having issues, contact the Marketplace Call Center.

How to access your plan enrollment materials

  • Your plan will send you a membership package with enrollment materials and a health insurance card as proof of your insurance. You'll use the card when you get health care services, so keep it in a safe place.
  • Carefully review these, and look through your plan's provider directory to see where you can get care.
  • If you didn't receive a card, call your insurer to see if you should have received one already and to make sure your coverage is effective. You can find your insurer's phone number on their website.

Ready to use your new coverage?

Visit our Using Your Health Insurance Coverage section. We can help you find a provider in your network, schedule an appointment, understand your benefits, and more.