Ohio health insurance questions, answered.
Answers from licensed agents about buying your own coverage in Ohio, organized by topic.
Getting started
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Open enrollment through HealthCare.gov runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Choose a plan and pay your first premium by December 15 if you want coverage to start January 1. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event, such as losing other coverage.
Yes, for many people. The extra federal credits ended after 2025, so help now stops above 400% of the federal poverty level. The average net premium for Ohio enrollees rose from about $126 a month in 2025 to about $233 in 2026.
No. Ohio does not require residents to carry coverage and does not add its own premium help on top of the federal tax credit. Your help comes from the federal premium tax credit and, for lower incomes, cost-sharing reductions on Silver plans.
Leaving a job
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Ohio's continuation law allows up to 12 months for employees who were on the plan at least three months and did not quit or get fired for gross misconduct. You pay up to the full group rate. Federal COBRA, if it applies, usually lasts 18 months.
It is short. Your written election and first payment are due by the earliest of 31 days after coverage would end, 10 days after coverage ends if your employer told you beforehand, or 10 days after a notice that comes later. Missing it can mean losing the option.
Yes. Losing job-based coverage gives you a 60-day special enrollment period for Marketplace plans, and you may qualify for a premium tax credit based on your new income. Choosing COBRA does not by itself take away that option during the special enrollment window.
Early retirement
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Most early retirees use Marketplace plans, signing up within 60 days of losing job coverage or during open enrollment. You might also use COBRA or Ohio continuation for a while. If your yearly income is very low, Ohio Medicaid may be an option.
KFF reports the 2026 average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Ohio was $513 a month before subsidies, up from $441 in 2025. Prices for people in their 50s and early 60s are higher, and your actual cost depends on your county and income.
Federal law requires most adults in Medicaid expansion programs to meet work or community engagement rules starting no later than January 1, 2027. Some people are exempt, such as those who are medically frail and parents or caretakers. Ohio Medicaid will tell members what applies to them.
Self-employed
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Use your expected net self-employment income for the year, after business expenses. Your credit is reconciled on your tax return, so update your Marketplace application if your income changes a lot during the year.
Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans are open to Farm Bureau members, including individuals, families and self-employed workers. You must meet underwriting requirements that include a basic health screening. The Farm Bureau says the plans are not regulated as insurance under Ohio law.
For 2026, Ohio's individual market included Anthem, Ambetter from Buckeye, Oscar, UnitedHealthcare, Antidote, SummaCare, CareSource, Molina, Paramount and Medical Mutual. Choices vary by county, and the list changes for 2027.
Short-term plans
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Yes. As of early 2026, at least seven insurers sold short-term plans in Ohio. Ohio treats plans lasting up to 364 days as short-term, though some insurers limit theirs to four or six months.
A 2024 federal rule limits new short-term plans to four months in total. In August 2025 federal agencies said they would not prioritize enforcing it, so plan lengths in Ohio depend largely on the insurer and state rules.
Usually not. Short-term plans can ask health questions, deny you or exclude conditions you already have, and they do not qualify for premium tax credits. Ohio does require some benefits in these plans, such as mammograms and newborn care.
Non-ACA options
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No. Sharing ministries are not insurance and are not regulated by state insurance departments, so they have no legal duty to pay your bills. Many do not cover pre-existing conditions.
They are health plans for Ohio Farm Bureau members, using the UnitedHealthcare network. The Farm Bureau says they are not insurance under Ohio law, and you must pass underwriting with a health screening to join. They can cost less for healthy people but lack ACA guarantees.
No. Premium tax credits apply only to Marketplace plans. Short-term plans, sharing ministries and Farm Bureau plans are paid fully out of pocket.
Insurers
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Yes. CareSource's individual coverage in Ohio ends December 31, 2026, and it will not offer replacement plans. If you have CareSource, pick a new plan during open enrollment so you have coverage on January 1, 2027.
Aetna and AultCare left Ohio's individual market at the end of 2025. Their members had to choose a new insurer for 2026.
Insurers expected for 2027 include Anthem, Buckeye (Ambetter), Oscar, UnitedHealthcare, Antidote, SummaCare and Medical Mutual, with AmeriHealth Caritas joining as a new insurer. Check plans for your county on HealthCare.gov during open enrollment.
Average rates before subsidies rose about 20% for 2026, based on insurer filings tracked by ACASignups. If you get a premium tax credit, your own change depends on your income and the benchmark plan in your area.
Sources
Reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices change every year; a licensed agent will confirm what applies to you.
- HealthCare.gov: Dates and deadlines for coverage
- healthinsurance.org: Ohio health insurance marketplace guide
- KFF: Recent changes to Marketplace premium subsidies
- healthinsurance.org: Ohio Medicaid
- KFF: An early look at policy decisions as states get ready to implement work requirements
- Ohio Revised Code 3923.38: Continuation of group coverage
- U.S. Department of Labor: COBRA continuation coverage
- healthinsurance.org: Short-term health insurance in Ohio
- CMS: Statement regarding short-term, limited-duration insurance (August 2025)
- healthinsurance.org: Federal rule limits short-term plans to 4 months
- healthinsurance.org: Health care sharing ministry (glossary)
- Ohio Farm Bureau: Health Care Solutions
- Ohio Farm Bureau Health Plans: FAQs for individuals and families
- ACASignups: 2026 rate changes, Ohio
- ACASignups: 2027 rate changes, Ohio
- KFF: Marketplace average benchmark premiums
- HealthCare.gov: Special Enrollment Period
- HealthCare.gov: COBRA coverage and the Marketplace
See what you'd actually pay.
A licensed agent will compare plans from every insurer in your Ohio county, check your subsidy, and walk you through the options. No cost, no obligation.