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.
Washington does not use HealthCare.gov. It runs its own marketplace, Washington Healthplanfinder, and layers on two things most states don't — standardized Cascade Care plans that make coverage levels easier to compare, and state premium assistance for residents up to 250% of the poverty line. About 270,000 people are effectuated in it, and roughly 64% get a federal 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 Washington 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.
Washington runs its own exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder, 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 Washington Healthplanfinder calendar rather than assuming the federal dates apply to you. Washington runs its own exchange, Washington Healthplanfinder, on its own platform — not HealthCare.gov — and offers standardized Cascade Care plans plus state premium assistance up to 250% of the poverty line.
If your 1099 income puts you above roughly 138% of the federal poverty level, Washington'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. Washington expanded Medicaid (Apple Health), so marketplace subsidies generally begin above the roughly 138% of poverty Medicaid floor.
The carriers writing individual business in Washington include Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente Washington, LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, Molina Healthcare and others. 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 Seattle, Spokane and Tacoma — 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 Washington 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.
Cascade Care plans are standardized designs sold on Healthplanfinder that use the same deductibles and copays across carriers, so you can compare on price and network instead of fine print. Some come with extra state premium assistance up to 250% of poverty. We'll show you where they fit.
Through Washington Healthplanfinder, the exchange Washington runs itself — not HealthCare.gov. A licensed agent can enroll you in the same plans at the same price. Because Washington sets its own calendar, check the Open Enrollment dates against Washington Healthplanfinder rather than assuming the federal ones apply to you.
The carriers writing individual business in Washington include Premera Blue Cross, Regence BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente Washington, LifeWise Health Plan of Washington, Molina Healthcare and others. Which of them is actually competitive depends on your county rather than the state — the lineup and the networks in Seattle are not the lineup in Tacoma. 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.