New Jersey health insurance questions, answered.
Answers from licensed agents about buying your own coverage in New Jersey, organized by topic.
Getting started
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Open enrollment on Get Covered New Jersey runs from November 1, 2026 to January 31, 2027. Outside that window you generally need a qualifying life event, such as losing other coverage, moving or having a baby. NJ FamilyCare accepts applications all year.
Yes. New Jersey requires residents to have coverage or an exemption, or pay a Shared Responsibility Payment when filing state taxes. For tax year 2025 a single filer's payment ranged from $695 to $4,908, and people who do not have to file a New Jersey return are exempt.
No. The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025, and Congress has not restored them as of October 2026. New Jersey Health Plan Savings still helps households up to 600% of the poverty level, but net premiums rose for many enrollees.
Leaving a job
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Often yes. New Jersey law requires small employers (2 to 50 employees) that are not subject to federal COBRA to offer continuation of their insured plan. You can usually keep it for up to 18 months if you elect it in writing within 30 days.
It depends on your income. COBRA and state continuation can cost up to 102% of the full group premium with no subsidy. Exchange plans may qualify for federal tax credits and New Jersey Health Plan Savings, which can make them much cheaper if your income dropped.
You usually have 60 days after losing job-based coverage to enroll in a plan through Get Covered New Jersey. Picking a plan quickly helps you avoid a gap, which also matters for New Jersey's coverage requirement.
Early retirement
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Most early retirees in New Jersey buy a plan through Get Covered New Jersey, or use COBRA or state continuation for a while. Premium help is based on your household income for the year, and NJ FamilyCare is an option if your income is at or below 138% of the poverty level.
Federal tax credits generally stop at 400% now that the enhanced credits have expired. New Jersey Health Plan Savings can still help households up to 600% of the poverty level, which was $93,900 for one person for 2026.
You reconcile your tax credit when you file your federal return. Starting with 2026, the caps that used to limit how much extra credit you paid back no longer apply, so a large income surprise can mean a large bill. Updating your income estimate during the year helps.
Self-employed
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Get Covered New Jersey is the only place to get federal tax credits and New Jersey Health Plan Savings. You can also buy directly from an insurer, but you give up that financial help. A licensed agent can compare both for you.
You may owe New Jersey's Shared Responsibility Payment on your state return, starting at $695 for a single filer for tax year 2025. You also could not enroll mid-year without a qualifying event if you got sick.
A single gap of less than three months is exempt. A gap of three months or more is not exempt for any of those months, and only the first short gap in a year qualifies.
Short-term plans
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No. Short-term limited duration plans cannot be sold in New Jersey, and the state insurance department has said federal rules do not override that ban. It will act against carriers or brokers that market them to residents.
Not in New Jersey. Federal agencies said in 2025 they would not prioritize enforcing the four-month limit from the 2024 rule, but New Jersey law prohibits these plans regardless of federal policy.
Look at a Get Covered New Jersey plan through a special enrollment period, state continuation or COBRA from your last job, or NJ FamilyCare if your income is low. Each of these counts as coverage for the state mandate.
Non-ACA options
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Yes, they are not banned. But the state says they are not insurance, are not regulated, and are not covered by ACA protections, so they can limit or refuse to share costs, including for pre-existing conditions.
Members of a qualifying health care sharing ministry can claim an exemption from the Shared Responsibility Payment. The ministry must have shared members' medical costs continuously since December 31, 1999.
Insurers
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Five carriers: Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, AmeriHealth, Oscar, Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey and UnitedHealthcare. Aetna stopped offering marketplace plans in New Jersey for 2026.
The state reports a weighted average increase of 19.8% for 2027 individual plans before subsidies. Filed averages range from 15.3% for Horizon to 35.7% for UnitedHealthcare, and your actual change depends on your plan and any financial help.
KFF reports the 2026 average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in New Jersey was $545 a month before subsidies, up from $492 in 2025. Older adults pay more, and your price after subsidies depends on income.
Sources
Reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices change every year; a licensed agent will confirm what applies to you.
- NJ DOBI: Get Covered New Jersey Open Enrollment for 2026 (Oct 31, 2025)
- NJ DOBI: Navigator grants and 2027 Open Enrollment dates (Oct 14, 2026)
- NJ DOBI: Navigator grant opportunity, NJHPS income limits (Jul 9, 2026)
- NJ DOBI: 2026 enrollment results (Apr 21, 2026)
- NJ DOBI: Proposed 2026 individual market rates (Aug 21, 2025)
- NJ DOBI: 2027 individual market rates (Oct 15, 2026)
- ASTHO: ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits, Legislative Developments in 2025 and 2026
- KFF: How Will the One Big Beautiful Bill Act Affect the ACA, Medicaid, and the Uninsured Rate?
- NJ Treasury: Shared Responsibility Payment
- NJ Treasury: Health Insurance Mandate Exemptions
- N.J.S.A. 17B:27A-27, small employer continuation (FindLaw)
- U.S. Department of Labor: COBRA Continuation Coverage
- NJ DOBI: Short-term limited duration plans cannot be sold in New Jersey (Oct 31, 2018)
- Groom Law Group: Non-Enforcement Relief for Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance
- NJ Department of Human Services: NJ FamilyCare for Adults
- KFF: Marketplace Average Benchmark Premiums (New Jersey)
- Get Covered New Jersey: When Can I Buy Health Insurance?
- NJ DOBI: Order against Aliera and Trinity Healthshare, consumer warnings (Dec 23, 2020)
See what you'd actually pay.
A licensed agent will compare plans from every insurer in your New Jersey county, check your subsidy, and walk you through the options. No cost, no obligation.