Health insurance for Iowans who buy their own.
We help Iowans who buy their own health coverage, from people leaving a job or COBRA to farmers, the self-employed and early retirees waiting on Medicare. Compare Marketplace plans, Medicaid and the other options Iowa allows, with a licensed agent.
Iowa plans we compare
What’s different about health insurance in Iowa.
Every state runs its individual market a little differently. These are the rules that matter most if you buy your own coverage here.
Read the Iowa FAQ- Iowa uses the federal Marketplace. Open enrollment for 2027 runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
- Six insurers sell 2026 Marketplace plans in Iowa. Medica leaves after 2026, leaving five for 2027.
- Enhanced federal subsidies ended after 2025, so income above 400% of the poverty level gets no premium help in 2026.
- Iowa expanded Medicaid, but new applicants face work requirements starting December 1, 2026.
- Iowa's continuation law lets some workers keep group coverage for 9 months after a job ends.
- Short-term plans can last up to 36 months in Iowa, and Farm Bureau members can apply for a non-ACA Farm Bureau Health Plan.
However you got here, there’s a better plan than the first one you were offered.
Leaving a job, or staring at a COBRA bill
Compare COBRA and Iowa's own continuation rules with Marketplace plans and everything else you qualify for.
Compare your options
Retired before 65
Bridge the years to Medicare without draining savings.
Learn more
Self-employed or 1099
Solid coverage, manageable premiums, and the tax deduction most people miss.
Learn moreLooking beyond the Marketplace
Health sharing and other non-ACA options, with the trade-offs explained.
Learn moreNeed coverage for a short gap
What short-term coverage looks like in Iowa, and what to use instead.
Learn moreWho sells plans in Iowa
Every insurer offering individual and family plans for 2026.
Learn moreFrom first conversation to coverage in three steps.
- 1
Tell us your situation
Share your ZIP, age, budget and the doctors you want to keep. Online or by phone, with no commitment.
About 5 minutes - 2
We compare every option
A licensed agent checks the plans sold in your county for premiums, deductibles, networks and prescriptions.
Usually within 1 business day - 3
Enroll with confidence
See your best matches side by side. Pick one and we handle the enrollment, then stay with you for renewals.
We handle the paperwork
Straight answers before you call.
More in our Iowa FAQ, or ask an agent at (888) 214-4898.
Open enrollment for Marketplace plans runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Pick a plan by December 15 if you want coverage to start January 1. Outside that window you need a qualifying event, such as losing other coverage.
No. The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025 and Congress did not extend them. In 2026, households above 400% of the federal poverty level get no premium tax credit, and others pay a larger share of income.
KFF puts the 2026 average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Iowa at $501 a month before subsidies, up from $429 in 2025. Your price depends on your age, county and plan, and older buyers pay more.
See what you'd actually pay.
A licensed agent will compare plans from every insurer in your Iowa county, check your subsidy, and walk you through the options. No cost, no obligation.