Health insurance in Virginia
Virginia now enrolls through its own state marketplace rather than HealthCare.gov, and Medicaid is expanded. So there's usually something open to you here — the work is comparing what it actually costs against the private market.
What I look at first in Virginia
- Start at the right front door. Virginia runs its own marketplace, so HealthCare.gov is not where you enroll. People lose days to this every year.
- Medicaid first, because it is free to rule out. Adults qualify on income alone here, and it changes every number that comes after it.
- Your income estimate for next year, not last year. Your subsidy is built on what you expect to earn, and a stale figure is the most expensive mistake on this page.
- The doctors and prescriptions you are not willing to lose. Networks change every plan year, so I check yours before you enroll, not after.
Outside Open Enrollment you need a qualifying life event to start a Marketplace plan — losing other coverage, moving, marriage, a birth, turning 26. Medicaid and CHIP have no window at all, so those you can apply for any day of the year.
Health insurance across Virginia
I work with clients in Virginia Beach, Richmond, Norfolk, Arlington and Chesapeake and everywhere else in Virginia, by phone, text or video, in English or Spanish. You get the same broker on the first call and at renewal.
- Families who want to keep their doctors and stop overpaying for coverage they don't use.
- Small business owners comparing a group plan with ICHRA or QSEHRA.
- People leaving a job who were just quoted COBRA.
- Self-employed and 1099 workers in Virginia: contractors, realtors, mechanics, salon and beauty professionals, and anyone whose income moves.
- Nurses and travel clinicians who need coverage that works on assignment in Virginia and beyond.
Virginia health insurance questions
Where do I buy health insurance in Virginia?
Virginia runs its own marketplace, Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, instead of HealthCare.gov. I can enroll you there with every subsidy applied, and also compare private plans sold outside the marketplace, so you see both sides before you choose.
Did Virginia expand Medicaid?
Yes. In Virginia, adults with household income up to 138% of the federal poverty level can qualify for Medicaid on income alone. If you're anywhere near that line, I rule Medicaid in or out first, because it changes every number after it.
When is Open Enrollment in Virginia for 2027?
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 29, 2027. To have coverage start January 1, choose a plan by mid-December; I'll confirm Virginia's Insurance Marketplace's exact cutoff on our call. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event, while Medicaid and CHIP accept applications all year.
Does it cost more to use a broker in Virginia?
No. Brokers are paid by the insurance carrier, and your premium is the same whether you enroll with me or on your own. The consultation and quotes are free.
Where these facts come from
Marketplace type is published by CMS for plan year 2027. Medicaid expansion status is tracked by healthinsurance.org. Open Enrollment dates are HealthCare.gov’s. Which carriers and which plan types I can place in Virginia depends on my appointments there, so I tell you that on the call rather than guessing at it here.