In Delaware, about 62,500 people had no health insurance as of 2019, per data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). That represents around 6.6% of the state’s total population. This year, KFF estimated that of the people still without insurance in Delaware in 2021, nearly 31,000 qualify for marketplace coverage.
Marketplace health insurance is comprehensive coverage. It covers 10 essential health benefits, guarantees coverage for pre-existing conditions and lays out certain other consumer protections thanks to the Affordable Care Act (ACA).
The ACA also created tax credits, aka premium subsidies, to lower the cost of health insurance for people with low to moderate incomes. These subsidies can make health insurance more affordable for people. They’re available to people earning 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level.
In 2021, KFF estimates that of the people who qualify for marketplace coverage in Delaware but still lack health insurance, 27% of them could use a premium subsidy to get a bronze plan for free.
The nonprofit also looked at the average for lowest-cost metal plans on the marketplace in 2021. For Delaware, the lowest cost averages are $400 a month for bronze, $522 for silver and $517 for gold. (Note that a gold plan may actually cost less than a silver plan in Delaware.)
These averages don’t account for premium subsidies, which may help you save more if you qualify.
Using our own marketplace, we’ve estimated that a 40-year-old living in Hockessin might pay as little as $154.17 a month for a bronze plan in Delaware. That assumes an income of $37,000 a year.
How much you pay for a plan and which plans are available to you depend on where you live in the state. Highmark is the only marketplace health insurance company in Delaware as of 2021.
Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Marketplace Eligibility Among the Uninsured: Implications for a Broadened Enrollment Period and ACA Outreach” (January 27, 2021)
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier, 2018-2021”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Insurer Participation on the ACA Marketplaces, 2014-2021” (November 23, 2020)