If You Lose Your Employer-Provided Health Insurance...

• Author: Johnson, Sharon

Family Members' Policy: You may be eligible to join the employer-sponsored plan of your spouse or partner. Those who are under age twenty-six may join their parents' plan.

Medicaid: Many people who lose their health coverage--especially those who live in the majority of states that expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA)--can qualify for Medicaid, depending on their income. Unemployment compensation counts as income, but savings and other assets are not factored in. Some states allow adults with higher incomes to qualify; all states set lower eligibility levels for children and pregnant women.

Marketplace: Marketplace plans under the Affordable Care Act offer premium subsidies to those who expect their 2020 income to be 200 to 400 percent of the federal poverty level ($12,490-$49,960 for an individual and $25,750-$103,000 for a family of four). Marketplace plans have high deductibles, but cost-sharing subsidies are available to people with incomes up to 250 percent of the poverty level.

COBRA: This program permits workers of companies with twenty or more employees to continue their...