Just got a COBRA letter? Losing job-based coverage opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period — and because COBRA carries no employer contribution and no premium tax credit, the alternative is often much cheaper.
Not a government marketplace. Health Enrollment Center is operated by Sprinter Insurance Agency LLC.
Washington, DC runs its own marketplace — DC Health Link — rather than using HealthCare.gov, so residents shop and enroll through the District's exchange. The District also funds Medicaid well above the usual income line, which means many lower- and moderate-income residents are covered through Medicaid, and marketplace premium tax credits take over above that.
COBRA lets you keep your former employer's exact plan — but now you pay the whole premium plus a 2% admin fee, with no employer contribution. For most households that's $650–$1,200+ a month. The letter makes it sound like your only option. It isn't.
Losing employer coverage is a qualifying life event. It opens a 60-day Special Enrollment Period on the ACA marketplace, where your income may qualify you for a premium tax credit that COBRA can never offer. Many people who were paying $900 for COBRA move to a comparable Silver plan for $300–$450 — often keeping the same primary-care doctor in-network.
The timing move that saves people money: you have 60 days from the date your coverage ends to enroll in a marketplace plan. Unlike COBRA, marketplace coverage is not retroactive — it starts on a future date, so a gap is possible if you wait. Before you pay that first COBRA invoice, it's worth a 10-minute call to compare. If an ACA plan beats COBRA, we help you enroll; if COBRA is genuinely better for your situation, we'll tell you that too.
District of Columbia runs its own exchange, DC Health Link, 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 DC Health Link calendar rather than assuming the federal dates apply to you. The District runs its own exchange, DC Health Link, through the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority — all individual and small-group ACA plans are sold there rather than on HealthCare.gov.
One thing to check before you pay a COBRA invoice in District of Columbia: if losing the job dropped your household income, the marketplace subsidy you now qualify for is usually far cheaper than COBRA — and if the drop was steep, the children may qualify for CHIP, which runs year-round rather than on the 60-day clock. For most above-poverty households, though, the win is simply a subsidized marketplace plan COBRA can never match on price. The District adopted Medicaid expansion and funds coverage well above the usual 138% floor, so many lower- and moderate-income residents qualify for Medicaid rather than a marketplace plan; premium tax credits take over above that.
The carriers writing individual business in District of Columbia include CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente. 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 Washington and the counties around it.
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Yes. We help District of Columbia residents compare COBRA alternatives options against the alternatives so you can see the real trade-offs before you enroll.
No. The District runs its own marketplace, DC Health Link. You enroll there rather than on the federal site, and a licensed agent can help you compare the same plans at no extra cost.
Through DC Health Link, the exchange District of Columbia runs itself — not HealthCare.gov. A licensed agent can enroll you in the same plans at the same price. Because District of Columbia sets its own calendar, check the Open Enrollment dates against DC Health Link rather than assuming the federal ones apply to you.
The carriers writing individual business in District of Columbia include CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks are set county by county rather than statewide. 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.