ACA & Private Health Insurance in California
Everything California residents need to understand ACA marketplace coverage and private health insurance, organized by what you're actually trying to figure out right now.
Plans & Coverage
The basics of choosing and keeping ACA marketplace or private coverage in California: what it actually costs you after subsidies, when you're allowed to sign up, and how to tell plans apart.
See Plans
Pull up actual ACA and private plans available in California, with real pricing, by entering your zip code.
Browse plansAffordability & Options
Most people on the ACA marketplace qualify for a premium subsidy that lowers what they actually pay each month, often by a lot more than people expect before checking. This guide walks through how that subsidy is calculated and what it changes about which plan makes sense.
Read the guideCarrier Comparisons
A side-by-side look at the carriers selling ACA and private plans in California, so you can see how they actually differ before picking one.
Guide coming soonEnrollment & Eligibility
Open enrollment has a fixed window, but qualifying life events can open a special enrollment period outside of it. This guide covers the real dates and what counts as a qualifying event.
Guide coming soonCoverage Questions
Straight answers to the 'does my plan cover this' questions people run into most, organized so you can find the one you actually have.
Guide coming soon
Major Life Events
Certain life changes affect your coverage directly, whether that means a new way to qualify for a plan or a deadline you need to hit.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy and childbirth are essential health benefits under the ACA, which changes what a plan is required to cover and opens a special enrollment window if you need to change plans.
Read the guideTurning 26
Coverage under a parent's plan ends at 26 under federal law. This guide covers what to do before that happens so there is no gap.
Read the guideMoving?
Moving to a new state is a qualifying life event, and it can change which plans and subsidies you have access to.
Read the guide
Leaving a Job or Retiring Early
Losing employer coverage, whether by choice or not, leaves a gap that needs its own plan to cross.
COBRA
Leaving a job with employer coverage does not have to mean losing it immediately. This guide covers how COBRA continuation works, what it costs, and how it compares to an ACA marketplace plan.
Read the guideEarly Retirement
Retiring before you qualify for Medicare at 65 leaves a real coverage gap that needs a plan of its own.
Read the guide