Freelancers, contractors, gig workers and small-business owners — coverage that isn't tied to an employer, and may be tax-deductible.
Not a government marketplace. Health Enrollment Center is operated by Sprinter Insurance Agency LLC.
Montana uses the federal marketplace at HealthCare.gov and runs a state reinsurance program that helps hold down individual-market premiums. It expanded Medicaid — made permanent by a 2025 law that removed the program's sunset — so lower-income adults are routed to Medicaid and marketplace subsidies begin above that line. About 73,000 residents are covered through the marketplace, and roughly 89% receive a premium tax credit.
When you work for yourself, nobody hands you a benefits package. The good news: as a self-employed person your income is what determines your ACA premium tax credit, and self-employed people often have more control over their Modified Adjusted Gross Income than W-2 employees do. Structuring income and deductions well can meaningfully lower what you pay for a marketplace plan.
Self-employed health insurance premiums are frequently deductible above the line on your federal return (the self-employed health insurance deduction), which effectively discounts your coverage again at tax time. Pairing an HSA-eligible high-deductible plan with an HSA is a common strategy for 1099 earners who want to shelter income and build a medical nest egg.
We help Montana freelancers and business owners compare marketplace plans (with subsidies) against private off-marketplace plans side by side, so you can weigh network breadth against price without guessing.
Montana does not run its own exchange — marketplace plans here are sold through the federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov. In practice that means the enrollment windows, the eligibility rules and the appeals process are the federal ones, and the plan you buy through a licensed agent is the identical plan at the identical price you would find on HealthCare.gov yourself. Montana uses the federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov, and runs a reinsurance program that helps hold down individual-market premiums.
If your 1099 income puts you above roughly 138% of the federal poverty level, Montana's Medicaid expansion isn't your lane — the premium tax credit is, and self-employed people have more control over the Modified Adjusted Gross Income that sets it than almost anyone. The one thing to watch is the floor: estimate a year low enough and the marketplace will route you to Medicaid instead of a subsidized plan, so estimate honestly and update it when the year comes in stronger. Montana expanded Medicaid and made it permanent in 2025, covering adults up to 138% of the poverty line — so lower-income residents may qualify for no-cost coverage while marketplace premium tax credits apply above that threshold.
The carriers writing individual business in Montana include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, Mountain Health CO-OP, PacificSource Health Plans. Networks and pricing are set county by county rather than statewide, so the same carrier can be the best value in one metro and the wrong choice an hour away. We quote Billings, Missoula, Great Falls and Kalispell — and every county in between.
Don't see yours? Call a licensed agent — most answers take under two minutes.
It depends on your income and who needs coverage, but for most self-employed residents of Montana a subsidized ACA marketplace plan is the strongest option — it's guaranteed-issue, covers pre-existing conditions, and the premium tax credit is income-based. We compare it against private plans so you see the full picture.
Montana runs a state reinsurance program that reimburses carriers for high-cost claims, which helps hold down individual-market premiums. Combined with subsidies — about 89% of enrollees get one — many residents pay far less than the sticker price. We'll calculate yours.
Through HealthCare.gov, the federal marketplace — Montana does not run its own exchange. You can enroll in those same plans through a licensed agent at no extra cost, which also lets you see private off-marketplace plans that HealthCare.gov does not list.
The carriers writing individual business in Montana include Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana, Mountain Health CO-OP, PacificSource Health Plans. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks in Billings are not the lineup in Kalispell. We are independent and compare across all of them rather than steering you to one company.
Start with your ZIP. Two quick questions, then a licensed agent brings you the plans you actually qualify for — no cost, no obligation.