What is the “Marketplace” or “Exchange”?

The “Marketplace” or “Exchange” is an online service where individuals and families may shop for and enroll in medical insurance. The Marketplace consolidates all ACA-compliant plans to one location and is intended to simplify the process of determining eligibility, costs, comparing plans, and enrolling in health insurance.

Insurance plans offered through an exchange must be qualified health plans, meaning the plans must be offered by a state-licensed health insurance issuer and meet certain standard requirements. For example, plans must guarantee 10 essential health benefits, which include prescription drugs, emergency services, and maternity care.

Most importantly, when you enroll in a qualified plan the only criteria that can be used to determine your coverage eligibility are your age, your sex, and your smoking status. You cannot be denied for pre-existing conditions.

The federal marketplace is healthcare.gov. Some states have chosen to operate their own marketplace. This means setting up their own platform and advertising resources, but all Marketplace resources can be found on the federal marketplace.

Each Marketplace, whether it be state-specific or federal, offers call centers as well as telephonic and in-person enrollment counselors to help with enrollment. The below list includes all state-specific marketplaces and their open enrollment periods:

Last Revised October 6th, 2023