New, lower costs on Marketplace coverage

You may be able to get more savings and lower costs on Marketplace health insurance coverage due to the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Under the new law:

  • More people than ever before qualify for help paying for health coverage, even those who weren’t eligible in the past.
  • Most people currently enrolled in a Marketplace plan may qualify for more tax credits.
  • Health insurance premiums after these new savings will go down.

How to find out if you qualify for Marketplace savings

When you apply for Marketplace coverage, you’ll find out if you qualify for a premium tax credit that lowers your monthly premium.

The amount of your premium tax credit depends on the estimated household income for 2021 that you put on your Marketplace application.

Find out if your estimated 2021 income is in the range to qualify for a premium tax credit.

Enroll or change plans with the 2021 Special Enrollment Period through August 15

You have through August 15 to enroll in or change your Health Insurance Marketplace® plan due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emergency.

If you already have a Marketplace plan

If you have Marketplace coverage, including if you recently enrolled through the 2021 Special Enrollment Period:

  1. Log in to update your application and enrollment. Your new eligibility results will show you the extra tax credit amount.
  2. Update your plan selection with increased tax credits. If you qualify for more tax credit, reselect your current plan in order for the changes to take effect to lower your premiums for the rest of the year.

You can also wait until you file and “reconcile” your 2021 taxes next year (in 2022) to get the additional premium tax credit amount. But, we recommend you update your application and review your plan options during the 2021 Special Enrollment Period through August 15. You may be able to choose a plan with lower out-of-pocket costs for the same price or less than what you’re currently paying.

If you don’t update your application by early August, we’ll try to automatically apply these savings for you, starting September 1, 2021. We won’t be able to do this for everyone, so the only way to be sure is to log in, and update your application yourself.

Preview 2021 health insurance plans & prices before you log in.

Changing plans — the deductible may reset

You can change Marketplace health coverage during the 2021 Special Enrollment Period through August 15.

But, it’s important to consider the new plan’s deductible — it’ll likely start over. If you change plans or add a new household member, any out-of-pocket costs you already paid on your current 2021 Marketplace plan probably won’t count towards your new deductible, even if you stay with the same insurance company.

Call your insurance company before changing plans or adding a new household member to find out if you’ll need to start over to meet your new plan’s deductible. If you have already paid a lot in out-of-pocket costs toward your deductible, check with your insurance company to see how it might impact you and what options are available to keep credit toward what you’ve already paid.

If you get unemployment compensation

Starting July 1, 2021, you may be eligible for more savings and lower costs on 2021 Marketplace coverage if you get or are eligible to get unemployment compensation in 2021—even if you didn’t qualify in the past because your income was low and your state hasn’t expanded Medicaid.

If you or your spouse got unemployment income for at least one week in 2021, your whole household may be eligible for a tax credit that covers the entire monthly premium for the second lowest cost Silver plan (SLCSP) that’s available to you in your area, regardless of your household’s income. And if anyone in your household (including a dependent) got unemployment compensation in 2021, you may qualify for new cost-sharing reductions to lower your household’s out-of-pocket costs if you enroll in a Marketplace plan in the silver category.

When reporting income on your application, include all unemployment compensation except the extra $300 each week you may be getting in federal pandemic unemployment compensation due to COVID-19. If you’re not sure if you’re getting $300 each week in federal pandemic unemployment compensation and want to see if you’re eligible for free or low-cost health coverage through Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), apply through your state’s Medicaid or CHIP agency.

If you have a Marketplace plan but haven’t updated your application since June 30, 2021, you should update your application. Reselect your current plan to save more on your monthly premium and out-of-pocket costs through increased tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.

If you don’t update your application by early August, we’ll try to automatically apply these savings for you, starting September 1, 2021. We won’t be able to do this for everyone, so the only way to be sure is to log in, and update your application yourself.

Learn more about what to include as income and how to estimate your income if you’re unemployed.

If you're eligible for COBRA premium assistance

If you qualify for COBRA continuation coverage because you or a household member had a reduction in work hours or involuntarily lost a job, you may qualify for help paying for your COBRA premiums, even if you don’t have COBRA right now. Learn more about COBRA premium assistance.

If your state doesn’t use HealthCare.gov

Visit your State Marketplace website or contact their Call Center for more information about when these additional savings will be available through your Marketplace.

Not sure which website your state uses? Select your state to find out.