Affordable healthcare for low-income families doesn't have to be a challenge. Discover your options, including ACA, Medicaid, and more.
For low-income families, finding affordable care can be a challenge, especially with different eligibility requirements for each option. Compare potential low-cost plans, including Marketplace plans, Medicaid, CHIP, and BHPs to find the best coverage for you and your family.
Health insurance helps cover routine and unexpected medical costs, but for low-income families, it may seem out of reach. Monthly premiums, deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance costs can quickly add up, leaving families uncertain of the best approach to get the care they need without breaking the bank. The average cost of health coverage for families was $22,221 in 2021, representing a 4% increase from the previous year and a 22% increase since 2016.
However, health insurance can be attainable for many income levels. You may be eligible for plans offered on the Health Insurance Marketplace, or government-administered programs like Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Learn about health insurance options for low-income families, including care types offered, costs, and criteria.
The Health Insurance Marketplace was created under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) in 2010. Also called Obamacare, the ACA aimed to make health insurance available to more people in the United States. To help do this, the ACA expanded Medicaid to cover all adults with income less than 138% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) and supported new care delivery methods that help to lower overall costs. The ACA also enacted subsidies, also called premium tax credits, which help lower-income households afford care. These credits apply to households with incomes between 100% and 400% of the FPL.
The Marketplace was created to facilitate healthcare shopping and enrollment. Filling out a Marketplace application allows families to find out what types of healthcare they may be eligible for, and they can search and compare plans online. Plans can also be purchased by phone and through a trusted insurance agent. Some states — including California, Colorado, Idaho, and Kentucky — manage their own Marketplace plans.