Virginia health insurance questions, answered.
Answers from licensed agents about buying your own coverage in Virginia, organized by topic.
Getting started
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Open enrollment on Virginia's Insurance Marketplace runs from November 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event, such as losing coverage, marriage or a new baby, to enroll.
It is a new state-funded program for 2027 Marketplace plans. If your household income is between 138% and 250% of the poverty level (about $22,025 to $39,900 for one person), it lowers your monthly premium after federal tax credits are applied. Funds are first-come, first-served, so enrolling early helps.
Yes. The enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025. The original ACA tax credits are still available for people who qualify, and Virginia's new state program adds help for some lower-income households in 2027.
Leaving a job
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Yes. If your employer's insured group plan is not subject to federal COBRA, Virginia law lets you keep the coverage for up to 12 months. You must have been covered for the 3 months before it ended, and you pay the group rate plus up to 2%.
Virginia's Insurance Marketplace gives you a special enrollment period if you lost coverage in the past 60 days or expect to lose it in the next 60 days. Applying before your old coverage ends helps you avoid a gap.
Possibly. Adults 19 to 64 without Medicare can qualify with income under 138% of the poverty level, about $1,836 a month for a single person in 2026. Starting January 2027, most expansion adults will also need to meet a work or activity requirement unless exempt.
Early retirement
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It depends on your income. With the enhanced credits gone, households above 400% of the poverty level generally no longer get tax credits, while those below it usually do. Your expected income for the year, including retirement withdrawals, sets the amount.
KFF reports that the 2026 average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Virginia is $455 a month before tax credits. Premiums rise with age, so someone in their 60s will usually see a higher price.
Virginia has a trigger law that would automatically end expansion coverage if federal funding for it is cut. Lawmakers considered removing that automatic end, but the change was not included in the final budget.
Self-employed
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Yes, if you enroll in a Marketplace health plan for 2027 and your household income falls between 138% and 250% of the poverty level. You must not have other qualifying coverage, and catastrophic plans are not eligible.
No. The Marketplace says the program is not a tax credit and is not reported on your Virginia tax return. Federal premium tax credits are still reconciled on your federal return.
Starting with 2028 coverage, federal rules require you to show you qualify before tax credits are applied, and you will need to confirm your information to be auto-renewed with help. The Marketplace plans to share more guidance before then.
Short-term plans
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No more than 3 months per plan, and no more than 6 months of short-term coverage in any 12-month period, including renewals. These limits come from Virginia law.
No. Virginia law bars insurers from issuing short-term plans during the annual open enrollment period. During that time you would choose a Marketplace plan instead.
In August 2025, federal agencies said they would not prioritize enforcing the 2024 federal short-term rule and plan to revise it. That does not change Virginia's own limits, which still apply here.
Non-ACA options
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Yes. Virginia law says a qualifying health care sharing ministry is not insurance and is not regulated by the State Corporation Commission. It must tell members that payments are voluntary and that they remain responsible for their own bills.
No. The savings apply only to qualified health plans bought through Virginia's Insurance Marketplace. They also cannot be used for catastrophic plans or stand-alone dental plans.
Health sharing and short-term plans do not have to cover pre-existing conditions the way Marketplace plans do, and sharing ministries do not guarantee payment. You also lose access to federal tax credits and Virginia's state savings.
Insurers
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The Marketplace lists CareFirst BlueChoice, Cigna, Educators Health (EMI), Group Hospitalization and Medical Services (CareFirst), HealthKeepers (Anthem), Kaiser Permanente Mid-Atlantic, Optimum Choice, Oscar and Sentara Health Plans. Choices vary by region.
Cigna is leaving the Virginia Marketplace at the end of 2026 and is not on the 2027 rate list. You will need to pick a new plan during open enrollment, November 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027.
The State Corporation Commission approved 2027 average rate changes ranging from 3.9% to 22.7% depending on the carrier, and healthinsurance.org reports a weighted average of 15.8%. Your own cost after tax credits and state savings may be very different.
Sources
Reviewed October 2026. Rules and prices change every year; a licensed agent will confirm what applies to you.
- Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: Virginia Premium Savings
- Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: Virginia Premium Savings FAQ
- Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: Federal Changes to the Marketplace
- Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: Plan Year 2026 Updates
- Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: FAQs (open enrollment and special enrollment)
- Virginia's Insurance Marketplace: 2026 Carriers Offering Plans
- SCC news release: Preview 2027 Plans Available Through Virginia's Insurance Marketplace (Oct. 1, 2026)
- SCC Bureau of Insurance: 2027 and 2026 ACA Individual Market Rate Summary
- healthinsurance.org: Virginia health insurance Marketplace guide
- Cover Virginia: Adults 19-64 Years Old
- KFF: Status of State Medicaid Expansion Decisions
- Code of Virginia § 38.2-3541: Continuation of group coverage
- Code of Virginia § 38.2-3407.21: Short-term limited-duration medical plans
- U.S. Department of Labor: Statement on short-term, limited-duration insurance (Aug. 7, 2025)
- Code of Virginia, Title 38.2, Chapter 63: Health Care Sharing Ministries
- KFF: Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier, 2026
- healthinsurance.org: Short-term health insurance in Virginia
See what you'd actually pay.
A licensed agent will compare plans from every insurer in your Virginia county, check your subsidy, and walk you through the options. No cost, no obligation.