If you’re young and healthy, you may think you don't need health insurance. Or that it's too expensive. Or not worth the trouble.

A few things to think about:

It may be more affordable and easier than you think

• When you apply for insurance using the Health Insurance Marketplace®, you’ll find out if you qualify for savings that can make insurance less expensive. You may save on out-of-pocket costs too, meaning you’ll have a lower deductible and pay less each time you get care.
• You can pick a "Catastrophic" health plan — a way to protect yourself from worst-case scenarios.
• Applying can be easy and fast. If you're single or have a pretty straightforward family situation, applying and finding out what savings you qualify for won't take much time at all.

Protection and quality care when bad things happen

• Nobody plans to get sick or hurt, but bad things happen — even to healthy people. A broken leg can cost $7,500 to treat. Three days in the hospital can cost $30,000. That’s a lot of money to come up with out of your own pocket. Having that kind of medical debt can really limit your options.
• If you're paying for every medical service yourself, you may make some health care decisions based on money instead of what's best for your health.

Complete coverage

• All Marketplace insurance plans cover ER services, doctor and hospital charges, pregnancy, treatment for all pre-existing conditions, mental health and substance abuse services, lab work, and a list of essential health benefits. Some include dental coverage.
• Plans cover services like breast cancer screenings for women and a whole range of preventive services for all adults and children.
• All plans are offered by private insurance companies that compete for your business based on features and price.

So will you save? Find out fast.

• Use this quick tool to see if your income puts you in the range to save on an insurance plan. You'll also find out if you're in the range for Medicaid in your state. It'll take about a minute.
• If you can spare a few more minutes, you can preview 2022 plans and see how much you'd pay for them based on your income. You don't have to create an account or give us your name to check plans out.

One application to see your choices and costs

Fill out just one Health Insurance Marketplace® application to find out if you qualify for:

• An insurance plan with savings based on your income. You'll see how much you'll save immediately. Our sorting and filtering tools make it easy to check out plans side-by-side.
• Free or low-cost coverage through Medicaid. If you have children, you'll find out if they qualify for coverage through the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP).

One catch: If someone claims you as a tax dependent, you can buy an insurance plan through the Marketplace but won't qualify for savings based on your income.