If you live in Flint and buy your own health insurance, you shop on HealthCare.gov, and you can get help sorting it out. Michigan does not run its own exchange, so private Marketplace plans and the premium tax credit come through HealthCare.gov whether you live downtown, in Burton, Grand Blanc, Flushing, Fenton, Davison, Clio, Swartz Creek, Mount Morris, or Flint Township, or nearby in Lapeer or Shiawassee County.
This article is educational. Instant Health Help is a licensed health insurance agency, and our agent, Lobsang Rivas, is licensed in Michigan. We are not HealthCare.gov, CMS, MDHHS, or an insurance company. We do not quote prices or name plans here, and what you qualify for depends on your income, household, and ZIP code. Check the official dates on HealthCare.gov.
The short answer
- Open enrollment runs November 1 to January 15. Choose a plan by December 15 for coverage starting January 1. Enroll December 16 to January 15 and coverage starts February 1.
- The Healthy Michigan Plan is a separate door for adults with lower incomes, and you apply through MI Bridges.
- Flint has its own Medicaid coverage for some children and pregnant women who were served by the Flint water system. More on that below.
For the full step by step walkthrough, read our Michigan open enrollment guide. Here we focus on what we hear most from people around Flint.
Who in Flint usually needs help
People who lost job coverage. If you were laid off from a plant, a supplier, or another job, HealthCare.gov says losing job-based coverage can qualify you for a Special Enrollment Period. That window covers the past 60 days or the next 60 days, so you do not always have to wait for November. When COBRA runs out, you have 60 days to enroll in a Marketplace plan. Choosing to stop paying COBRA on your own does not count.
Early retirees who are not 65 yet. If you retired before Medicare age, the Marketplace is often the bridge. Your savings are based on what you expect to earn next year, not last year, so count pension payments and any work you still do. If your income goes up during the year, report it right away. There is no longer a cap on how much extra premium credit you may have to pay back.
Families with kids. If your household income is lower, check Medicaid and the Healthy Michigan Plan first. HealthCare.gov suggests filling out a Marketplace application even if your income looks too low, because the application can show what you or your kids may qualify for.
How the savings work
Premium tax credits are generally available to households earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. Above 400%, the credit generally isn’t available. Extra savings on deductibles and copays, called cost-sharing reductions, come only with Silver plans, for incomes up to 250% of the poverty level. Every Marketplace Bronze and Catastrophic plan now works with a Health Savings Account (HSA).
Marketplace or Healthy Michigan Plan?
The Healthy Michigan Plan is Michigan’s Medicaid expansion. MDHHS says it covers Michigan residents age 19 to 64 with income at or below 133% of the federal poverty level who do not qualify for Medicare or other Medicaid programs. You can apply online through MI Bridges, by calling the Michigan Health Care Helpline at 1-855-789-5610, or at your local MDHHS county office. MDHHS also lists new work requirements for the Healthy Michigan Plan beginning January 1, so read the details on the Healthy Michigan Plan page if that program applies to you.
Medicaid for Flint water families
MDHHS runs a special Medicaid program for people affected by the Flint water crisis. It covers children up to age 21 and pregnant women (through 12 months after delivery) who were served by the Flint water system during the period the state set, with household income up to 400% of the federal poverty level. MDHHS decides who qualifies. If that may be your family, read the MDHHS Flint Medicaid page or call the helpline above before you shop for a Marketplace plan for those family members.
Doctors and hospitals
If you want to keep a doctor at a hospital in downtown Flint, in Grand Blanc, or in Fenton, or at a clinic in Burton or Flushing, write their names down before you compare plans. Each plan has its own network, so confirm with the plan and the office before you enroll.
What to gather before November 1
- Names and birth dates for everyone on your tax return.
- Your household income estimate for next year, including any pension.
- Your layoff or COBRA paperwork, if you lost job coverage.
- Your current HealthCare.gov login, if you have one.
- Your doctors and prescriptions.
When you work with an agent, you will get a text or email asking you to approve that agent. Only approve someone you chose, and never share your HealthCare.gov login. A licensed agent doesn’t need it.
How we help
We help Michigan residents by phone and online, in English or Spanish. See our Michigan health insurance help page. We go over who needs coverage, your ZIP code, your income estimate, your doctors, and your prescriptions, then walk through the HealthCare.gov application with you.
Ready when you are
Have your income estimate and your doctor list handy, and we will take it one step at a time.
Call (321) 315-0054 | agent@inshh.com
You may qualify after tax credits. Eligibility varies.
Featured photo: Vehicle City Arches by Alberryii, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped with text added and a small rooftop sign blurred.
