ACA marketplace Archives | 1099 Health Insurance

Couple reviewing a health insurance brochure and completing an open enrollment checklist at home.

Before you fill out another quote form, get organized. This open enrollment checklist shows self-employed people and families what to gather, how to compare plans beyond the monthly price, which documents to request, and how to spot an agent worth trusting.

Will your health insurance pay for Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound? Learn why GLP-1 coverage varies by plan and diagnosis, what these drugs cost without insurance in 2026, and what to do if your claim is denied.

COBRA doesn’t just quietly stop — it has a hard end date, and what you do in the 60 days after matters most. Here’s exactly what happens when COBRA ends, plus the real health insurance after COBRA options (Marketplace, private plans, short-term coverage, and more) that can pick up where it left off, without a gap.

COBRA isn’t permanent — and knowing your real end date matters as much as your premium. This guide breaks down the 18, 29, and 36-month rules, how state mini-COBRA laws can add (or subtract) time, and what to do before your coverage runs out.

If you’ve just lost your job, cut back your hours, or aged off a parent’s or spouse’s plan, you’re probably staring at a stack of paperwork with one big question: should you keep your old employer’s health plan through COBRA, or shop for a private health insurance plan on your own? In 2026, that decision…