Around 84,600 people didn’t have health insurance in New Hampshire in 2019, per data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). That’s about 6.4% of the state’s population. In 2021, KFF looked again at the number of uninsured and found that of the ones without coverage, just over 59,000 could get a marketplace health plan.
Marketplace healthcare coverage is the kind that’s regulated by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). The ACA requires these plans to cover 10 essential health benefits, like preventive care, prescription drugs and mental health care. The law also lays out protections for people with pre-existing conditions and created subsidies to help people afford coverage.
These subsidies, known as advance premium tax credits, reduce the cost of marketplace health insurance for people earning 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level.
KFF estimates that of the people without health insurance in New Hampshire who qualify for marketplace coverage but don’t have it yet, about 15% of them could get a bronze plan for free thanks to subsidies.
The nonprofit also looked at average premiums in New Hampshire for this year. They found that the average lowest cost health insurance premium by tier was $247 a month for a bronze plan, $325 for a silver plan and $363 for gold.
The KFF averages don’t include subsidies. You may save money on your premiums if you qualify for a tax credit based on income.
Using our own enrollment site, we estimate that a 40-year-old living in Exeter making $37,000 a year could find a bronze plan for $208.20 a month. That estimate does include subsidies.
The plans you can buy and how much you spend on coverage depend on where you live. There are at least three companies offering marketplace health insurance in New Hampshire in 2021. They include Cigna, Anthem and Harvard Pilgrim.
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)