Updated for the 2027 plan year (October 2026). Figures reflect current Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace and federal ACA rules; your exact plan and subsidy depend on your income, county, and household.
- Where Virginians buy health insurance now
- Who Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace is for
- How to enroll in Virginia health insurance
- Virginia Medicaid expansion and Cardinal Care
- 2027 costs and subsidies in Virginia
- Metal tiers: Bronze to Platinum
- ACA, alternative & ancillary plans
- How Honesty helps Virginians compare
- FAQs
Where Virginians buy health insurance now
Virginians buy individual health insurance through Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace, the state-based exchange at marketplace.virginia.gov. Virginia launched its own platform in the fall of 2023 and moved off the federal HealthCare.gov site, so for the 2027 plan year Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace — not HealthCare.gov — is where residents shop, compare, and enroll. It is the only place you can claim an income-based premium tax credit in Virginia.
The exchange is run by Virginia’s Health Benefit Exchange, a division of the State Corporation Commission (SCC). Every plan it sells is ACA-compliant: it cannot turn you down for a pre-existing condition and must cover the ten essential health benefits, from hospital care to prescriptions. The move to a state exchange did not change those federal protections. It did add local support and new ways to enroll — through licensed agents and approved partners, alongside the official Health Insurance Marketplace consumer portal and a help line at 888-687-1501.
Who Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace is for
Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace is for any Virginian who does not have affordable coverage through a job, Medicare, or Medicaid. That includes self-employed workers, part-time and gig workers, early retirees under 65, people between jobs, and families whose employer plan is too expensive. If no one is offering you affordable job-based coverage, the Marketplace is almost certainly your best-value option because it is the only one that carries a subsidy.
Demand in the Commonwealth is strong: more than 370,000 Virginians enrolled in private qualified health plans for the 2026 plan year, and nine insurers plan to offer individual coverage for 2027. That scale matters — more carriers competing means more plan choices, which is exactly when unbiased help pays off. If cost is your worry, start with our guide to affordable health insurance.
How to enroll in Virginia health insurance
Enrolling in Virginia health insurance is a short, repeatable process. Open Enrollment for the 2027 plan year runs November 1, 2026 – January 29, 2027 — two weeks longer than the federal deadline, because Virginia sets its own schedule. Outside Open Enrollment you need a qualifying life event — such as losing job coverage, moving, marriage, or a new baby — to open a Special Enrollment Period.
- Estimate your 2027 household income (modified adjusted gross income) so the Marketplace can calculate your subsidy and check Medicaid eligibility.
- Start an application at marketplace.virginia.gov, through a licensed agent, or with an approved partner.
- Enter your household and county — your premium and plan choices depend on where in Virginia you live.
- Compare plans by total cost — monthly premium plus likely out-of-pocket — not just the headline price.
- Enroll and pay your first premium to activate coverage, then report any income change during the year.
To be safe, enroll by mid-December 2026 for coverage starting January 1, 2027; later enrollments generally start February 1 or later. Check marketplace.virginia.gov for the exact January 1 cutoff, and enroll early because Virginia’s new state savings are first-come, first-served. If you are unsure which step applies to you, our walkthrough of how to choose a health plan covers it in plain language.
Virginia Medicaid expansion and Cardinal Care
Unlike some states, Virginia fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA in January 2019, adding more than 595,000 residents who previously had no coverage option. Today adults ages 19–64 with household income up to 138% of the federal poverty level can qualify — that is $22,025 a year for one person or $45,540 for a family of four under the 2026 poverty guidelines. There is generally no asset test and no premium for this group.
Virginia’s Medicaid program is branded Cardinal Care, administered by the Department of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS). If your income is at or below the expansion limit, Cardinal Care is usually a better deal than a subsidized Marketplace plan because it carries little or no cost. When you apply through Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace, the system automatically checks whether you qualify for Cardinal Care first, then shows subsidized private plans if you earn too much for Medicaid.
Honesty.AI checks both, applies your subsidy, and finds your best Virginia plan — free, in minutes, 24/7.
2027 costs and subsidies for Virginia health insurance
Virginia health insurance costs depend on your age, county, and income, but the subsidy is what usually decides your real monthly price. Sticker prices already rose sharply in 2026, and Virginia insurers have requested an average 16.7% increase for 2027 (requested, not final).
Even so, most people who buy Virginia health insurance with a subsidy pay far less than the sticker price, because the premium tax credit caps what you pay for the benchmark Silver plan at a set share of your income — from about 2.15% to 10.22% for 2027. More than three-quarters of Virginia enrollees qualified for a premium subsidy for 2026, so a realistic 2027 income estimate is the single most important number on your application.
One federal change still shapes every state, including Virginia: the enhanced premium tax credits that ran from 2021 through 2025 expired on December 31, 2025 and were not extended for 2027. Subsidies still exist under the original ACA rules, but they are smaller, and the 400%-of-poverty “subsidy cliff” applies to 2027 coverage. In 2026, analysts at KFF found subsidized enrollees’ net premium payments more than doubled on average (about +114%). Our 2027 subsidies guide breaks the math down.
New for 2027, Virginia adds its own help: Virginia Premium Savings, a state-funded program for Marketplace enrollees with household income from 138% to under 250% of the federal poverty level (about $22,025 to $39,900 for one person). It is applied after your federal premium tax credit and can lower the monthly premium by as much as 70%. Funding is first-come, first-served, catastrophic plans do not qualify, and you only get it by enrolling through Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace.
| Household | ~400% FPL income line | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | ~$63,840 | Above this, the subsidy cliff removes all federal credit for 2027 coverage |
| Couple | ~$86,560 | Track income closely if you are near the line |
| Family of four | ~$132,000 | Larger households have a higher threshold |
| Lower income | Up to ~250% FPL | Silver plans add cost-sharing reductions; 138%–250% FPL may also get Virginia Premium Savings |
These figures are typical reference points, not a quote — your actual Virginia premium and credit are calculated from your real income and ZIP code when you apply.
Metal tiers: Bronze to Platinum
Every ACA plan on Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace carries a metal tier describing how you and the insurer split costs. A lower tier means a lower premium but a higher deductible — the amount you pay before coverage kicks in. The right tier protects your worst month, not just your best one.
| Tier | Plan pays ~ | Premium | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 60% | Lowest | Healthy, rarely sees a doctor, wants a low monthly cost |
| Silver | 70% | Moderate | Incomes up to ~250% FPL — unlocks cost-sharing reductions |
| Gold | 80% | Higher | Regular care or prescriptions; predictable budgeting |
| Platinum | 90% | Highest | Heavy, ongoing medical use |
A catastrophic plan is also available to Virginians under 30 or with a hardship exemption. For most lower-income shoppers, a Silver plan is the value champion because it quietly lowers deductibles and copays through cost-sharing reductions. A Bronze plan with a very low premium can still leave a large bill after one accident, so weigh total exposure, not just the premium.
ACA, alternative & ancillary plans for Virginians
Honesty is a consumer-first marketplace, so it is not limited to ACA plans alone. Virginians can compare ACA, alternative, and ancillary plans side by side and match coverage to the family’s real needs. ACA Marketplace plans are the backbone — subsidy-eligible, guaranteed-issue, and comprehensive. Alternative and ancillary plans can fill specific gaps around them.
- ACA Marketplace plans — the core of Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace, the only plans that carry a premium tax credit and cannot deny pre-existing conditions.
- Alternative plans — options some Virginians use for flexibility or budget; compare them carefully against ACA protections before you decide.
- Ancillary plans — dental, vision, accident, and similar add-ons that round out a medical plan for a whole family.
Because Honesty earns the same no matter which carrier you choose, it can lay out these choices honestly and help you weigh the trade-offs — comprehensive coverage versus cost — based on your household, not a commission.
How Honesty helps Virginians compare plans
Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace shows you dozens of plans but will not tell you which one is genuinely best for your income, doctors, and prescriptions. That is what Honesty.AI does. It is a licensed, unbiased, agnostic AI insurance agent — part of Honesty® Insurance Services, LLC (NPN 21094885), licensed in Virginia and 48 other states plus DC. It reads every available plan, applies your subsidy, and ranks your real options with no incentive to push a particular carrier or earn a bigger commission.
Honesty is on your side: unbiased among carriers, and biased in your favor — it works for you, not the insurers. It helps 24/7 by chat, voice, or text, compares plans based on your family’s needs, and can complete your enrollment in minutes. Privacy is built in: we never sell or share your data, and there are no spam calls — just bank-level security and straight answers. Honesty Is Your Best Policy®.
Find your best Virginia health plan in minutes
Honesty.AI compares every Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace plan, applies your subsidy, and enrolls you — free, unbiased, private, and available 24/7 by chat, voice, or text.
Frequently asked questions
Do Virginians still use HealthCare.gov for health insurance?
No. Virginia moved to its own state-based exchange, Virginia’s Insurance Marketplace, which launched in the fall of 2023. For the 2027 plan year, Virginians shop, compare, and enroll at marketplace.virginia.gov, through a licensed agent, or with an approved partner — not HealthCare.gov. The ACA plans and federal subsidies are the same; only the enrollment platform changed.
How much does Virginia health insurance cost in 2027?
Sticker prices rose sharply in 2026, and Virginia insurers requested an average 16.7% increase for 2027. Most subsidized Virginians still pay far less than the sticker price, because the premium tax credit caps what you pay for the benchmark Silver plan at a share of your income, and new Virginia Premium Savings can cut premiums further for incomes from 138% to 250% of poverty. Your real cost depends on your income, age, county, and household size. The enhanced federal subsidies expired December 31, 2025.
Did Virginia expand Medicaid?
Yes. Virginia fully expanded Medicaid under the ACA in January 2019. Adults ages 19 to 64 with household income up to 138% of the federal poverty level — $22,025 a year for one person — can qualify for Cardinal Care, Virginia’s Medicaid program, usually with no premium. When you apply through the Marketplace, it checks your Cardinal Care eligibility automatically before showing private plans.
When can I enroll in a Virginia Marketplace plan?
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 29, 2027 — about two weeks longer than the federal deadline. Enroll by mid-December for the best chance at a January 1 start, and check marketplace.virginia.gov for the exact cutoff. Outside that window, a qualifying life event such as losing job coverage, moving, or having a baby opens a Special Enrollment Period.
Is Honesty licensed to help Virginia residents?
Yes. Honesty Insurance Services, LLC (NPN 21094885) is licensed in Virginia and 48 other states plus DC. Honesty.AI is an unbiased, licensed AI insurance agent that compares every available plan for Virginians, applies subsidies, and enrolls you — while never selling or sharing your data.
Keep learning: Health Insurance Marketplace guide · Affordable health insurance · 2027 subsidies explained · Open Enrollment 2027 · How to choose a health plan
