New Jersey Health Insurance in 2026

New Jersey runs Get Covered NJ, adds state subsidies (NJ Health Plan Savings) on top of federal credits, and enforces its own individual mandate penalty — the Shared Responsibility Payment — on the state tax return. Open Enrollment runs through January 31.

Where you enroll. New Jersey runs its own marketplace, Get Covered NJ, rather than using HealthCare.gov. That means the state sets its own Open Enrollment deadline (January 31 for 2027 coverage) and can add its own programs on top of the federal subsidies.

Medicaid vs. subsidies. Because New Jersey expanded Medicaid, adults up to about 138% of the federal poverty level generally qualify for NJ FamilyCare at little or no cost. Above that line, you shop subsidized Marketplace plans — the calculator above shows which side of the line you're on.

The New Jersey mandate. New Jersey is one of the few places that still penalizes going uninsured. Unless you qualify for an exemption, a penalty is added to your state income tax return for months without qualifying coverage — so a subsidized plan is usually cheaper than the penalty plus the risk.

The biggest lever on your New Jersey premium is the ACA premium tax credit. It caps what you pay for a benchmark silver plan at a percentage of your income — the lower your income, the larger the credit — and the government pays the rest directly to your insurer.

If your income is under about 250% of the poverty level, look at Silver plans first: they come with cost-sharing reductions that shrink your deductible and copays, which no other tier gets. Our guide to Bronze vs. Silver vs. Gold walks through it.

One important change for 2026: the enhanced pandemic-era subsidies expired unless renewed, so the “400% cliff” may return for higher earners. That makes comparing plans with a licensed New Jersey agent more valuable than ever. Prefer to read up first? Start with our ACA health insurance overview or the subsidy calculator.