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.
New Jersey does not use HealthCare.gov. It runs its own marketplace, Get Covered New Jersey, and kept 2026 enrollment open through the end of January. More than 509,000 residents are covered through it, and about eight in ten qualify for financial help — partly because the state stacks its own NJ Health Plan Savings on top of federal credits, reaching incomes up to 600% of the poverty line.
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 New Jersey 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.
New Jersey runs its own exchange, Get Covered New Jersey, rather than using HealthCare.gov. That matters more than it sounds: state-based exchanges set their own Open Enrollment dates, can recognize special enrollment situations the federal marketplace does not, and sometimes administer state-only programs that have no federal equivalent. Check the Get Covered New Jersey calendar rather than assuming the federal dates apply to you. New Jersey runs its own exchange, Get Covered New Jersey, on its own platform — not HealthCare.gov — with 2026 enrollment open through the end of January.
If your 1099 income puts you above roughly 138% of the federal poverty level, New Jersey'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. New Jersey expanded Medicaid (NJ FamilyCare) up to 138% of the poverty line, and adds its own NJ Health Plan Savings subsidies for incomes up to 600% of poverty above that floor.
The carriers writing individual business in New Jersey include Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, AmeriHealth, Ambetter from WellCare, Oscar Health, UnitedHealthcare. 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 Newark & North Jersey, New Brunswick & Central Jersey and Camden & South Jersey — 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 New Jersey 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.
It's the state's own subsidy stacked on top of the federal premium tax credit, reaching incomes up to 600% of the poverty line — far above the usual cutoff. About eight in ten enrollees get some form of help. We'll check your exact income to see how much.
Through Get Covered New Jersey, the exchange New Jersey runs itself — not HealthCare.gov. A licensed agent can enroll you in the same plans at the same price. Because New Jersey sets its own calendar, check the Open Enrollment dates against Get Covered New Jersey rather than assuming the federal ones apply to you.
The carriers writing individual business in New Jersey include Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, AmeriHealth, Ambetter from WellCare, Oscar Health, UnitedHealthcare. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks in Newark & North Jersey are not the lineup in Camden & South Jersey. 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.