Washington, D.C. · DC

Health insurance in Washington, D.C.: private plans, the Marketplace, and how AFHC helps

America First Healthcare helps Washington, D.C. residents compare private plans, Marketplace options and gap coverage with a licensed advisor. Below is how buying coverage works in Washington, D.C., with every fact linked to its source.

Verify any agent's license through the NIPR lookup.

Quick facts

Marketplace: DC Health Link
2027 open enrollment: Not yet confirmed
Medicaid expansion: Adopted
Insurance department: DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking

Facts checked 2026-09-17.

Washington, D.C. health insurance facts

Marketplace: Washington, D.C. runs its own state-based marketplace, DC Health Link.Source
Medicaid expansion: Washington, D.C. adopted Medicaid expansion (implemented January 1, 2014).Source
State insurance department: DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. File complaints and check agent licenses here.Source

Facts checked 2026-09-17. Rules change; confirm anything you plan around at the linked source.

What Marketplace coverage costs in Washington, D.C.

Washington, D.C. health insurance at a glance, 2026: 16,053 Washington, D.C. residents picked a 2026 Marketplace plan; the average premium was $815 a month per person before the tax credit and $725 after it; 18.8% received a tax credit; the benchmark silver plan for a 40-year-old averaged $610 a month. Marketplace: DC Health Link. Medicaid expansion: adopted. State premium help paid by Washington, D.C.'s own exchange is not included. Sources: CMS and KFF. — Washington, D.C. health insurance at a glance: 2026 Marketplace figures from CMS and KFF. The same numbers, with their source links, are in the text below.

For 2026, 16,053 Washington, D.C. residents picked a Marketplace plan during Open Enrollment, and 18.8% of them received an advance premium tax credit. The average premium was $815 a month per person before the credit and $725 after it, counting everyone who picked a plan.Source State premium help paid by Washington, D.C.’s own exchange is not included in these figures.

The benchmark plan, the second-lowest-cost silver plan that tax credits are measured against, averaged $610 a month for a 40-year-old in Washington, D.C. in 2026, before any credit.Source

For 2027, insurers across the country proposed a median increase of 15%.Source Your own price depends on your age, county, household income and the plan you pick, and you see exact 2027 numbers only on a Marketplace application or a quote. How the pieces fit together is in how much health insurance costs per month.

What our clients paid, by state and kind of plan, is in health insurance cost by state.

Free, impartial help in Washington, D.C.

If you have Medicare or will soon: Washington, D.C.’s State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP) is DC State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP), 202-727-8370.Source SHIPs are federally funded, give objective one-on-one Medicare counseling, and there is no cost to use them.Source

America First Healthcare is a licensed agency, not a SHIP or a Marketplace assister. Use them, us, or both; a second opinion costs you nothing either way.

Who we usually help in Washington, D.C.

Most Washington, D.C. households who book a review are buying coverage without an employer in the middle. The hubs below explain each situation in detail. New to private coverage? Start with private health insurance in the USA.

How the free review works for Washington, D.C. residents

Book online at the free healthcare review page or call (888) 728-7640. What an advisor does and how advisors are paid is on talk to a licensed advisor near you.
One scheduled call with one licensed advisor. We look at what you have and what your household actually needs in Washington, D.C..
You get the options side by side with every cost shown. No timeline and no pressure; move forward or walk away knowing where you stand.

Washington, D.C. health insurance FAQs

When is open enrollment in Washington, D.C. for 2027 coverage?

Washington, D.C. runs its own marketplace, DC Health Link. We could not confirm its 2027 open enrollment dates from the exchange on 2026-09-17; check DC Health Link directly for the current window before you plan around a date.

How much does health insurance cost in Washington, D.C.?

In 2026, the average Washington, D.C. Marketplace premium was $815 a month per person before tax credits and $725 after them, across all 16,053 people who picked a plan (CMS). The benchmark silver plan for a 40-year-old averaged $610 a month before tax credits (KFF). Insurers nationally proposed a median increase of 15% for 2027 (KFF). Your own price depends on your age, county, household income and plan; you see exact 2027 prices on a Marketplace application or a quote once Open Enrollment opens.

Does Washington, D.C. use HealthCare.gov or its own marketplace?

Washington, D.C. runs a state-based marketplace called DC Health Link. Marketplace plans and any premium tax credit in Washington, D.C. go through it rather than HealthCare.gov.

How do I verify an insurance agent's license in Washington, D.C.?

Look the agent up through the NIPR license lookup, or contact the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. Ask for the agent's name and national producer number before you share personal information. NIPR license lookup.

Want a plain-English walkthrough of your Washington, D.C. options? Book a free healthcare review. No hard sell.

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Educational only. Not medical, legal, or personalized insurance advice. Plans are offered and underwritten by third-party carriers. All states.