Michigan · Licensed, NPN 21388659

Health insurance in Michigan when you don't get a subsidy

Michigan got off lighter than most on rates — 20.2% — but lost three marketplace insurers, and short-term coverage is capped at 185 days.

Michigan at a glance

Rate change2026: +20.2% approved · 2027: about +14.2% proposed
Carrier choiceExchange issuers fell from 10 to 7 for 2026
Where you enrollhealthcare.gov
MedicaidHealthy Michigan Plan — 690,000+ enrolled
Short-term plans185 days, no renewal

Rate figures are approved 2026 plan year changes unless marked proposed. Proposed 2027 rates are carrier filings still under regulatory review — most states finalise in September and October, and approved rates routinely differ from filings. Ask me to confirm the current position for your county before you decide anything on these.

Michigan is a comparatively moderate market with two specific constraints worth knowing before you shop.

A 20.2% increase, and fewer carriers

Michigan individual marketplace rates rose about 20.2% on average for 2026 — meaningful, but the mildest of the five states I'm asked about most, and below the roughly 30% average across healthcare.gov states.

The increases weren't uniform by carrier. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan filed increases around 24% and 23.3%. UnitedHealthcare Community came in highest at about 25.8%. Priority Health raised roughly 19.2% and Molina Healthcare of Michigan about 18.3%. Which carrier you were with mattered by several percentage points.

The bigger structural change is choice. On the Marketplace specifically, Michigan has 7 issuers for 2026, down from 10 — a net loss of three carriers. Losing three exchange carriers in one year narrows the comparison set, and it's part of why re-shopping this year matters more than usual.

Michigan uses healthcare.gov

Michigan is on the federal platform, which means the unsettled 2027 federal enrollment deadline applies here rather than a state-set calendar. Enrolling by December 15 is correct regardless of how that gets resolved.

Michigan expanded Medicaid

The Healthy Michigan Plan covers adults 19 to 64 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level — roughly $21,600 for a single adult — and more than 690,000 Michiganders were enrolled as of February 2026. There's no coverage gap here the way there is in Florida, Texas, or Georgia. If your income is low, this is a genuine option rather than a dead end.

Short-term plans in Michigan: 185 days, no renewal

Michigan caps short-term coverage at 185 days with no renewal beyond that. That's stricter than Florida, Texas, or Georgia, where durations can reach 36 months, and stricter than the federal default.

So short-term coverage in Michigan is a genuine bridge and nothing more — about six months, once. If you need something longer, it isn't the answer here, and anyone suggesting otherwise is describing a different state's rules.

What the federal rule actually says. The 2024 federal rule defining short-term, limited-duration insurance caps the initial term at three months and total duration at four months including renewals. That rule has not been repealed or struck down. On August 7, 2025 the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services and the Treasury said they do not intend to prioritise enforcing it, and signalled new rulemaking. The longer durations described above rest on that discretionary non-enforcement position together with state law — not on a change to the federal definition. It can be revisited, so ask me where it stands before you plan around a long term.

What these plans are, stated plainly. Short-term plans are medically underwritten — the application asks about your health history, and coverage can be declined, limited, or priced based on what it says. They are not ACA-compliant: pre-existing conditions may be excluded, and the essential health benefits guaranteed on every Marketplace plan are not automatic. If anyone in the household is managing a condition, an ACA plan’s guaranteed coverage is usually worth the premium difference, and I’ll tell you so even though it’s the less profitable answer for me.

Where the cliff sits

Premium tax credits end above $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a household of four in 2027. Above that line Michiganders pay full retail on a plan that just rose 20%, chosen from three fewer exchange carriers than last year.

Above that line, widening the comparison beyond the exchange is worth more in Michigan than it was two years ago — with three fewer issuers on the marketplace, the on-exchange menu is simply shorter than it used to be.

Verify me before you call

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services maintains a public producer lookup. My NPN is 21388659.

How this works

  1. A 20-minute call. Household, income, the doctors you want to keep, the prescriptions you take. Nothing is sold on this call.
  2. I price the whole market. Marketplace plans with any subsidy you qualify for, and everything available outside it, side by side.
  3. I check networks and formularies before recommending anything. This is where cheap plans turn expensive.
  4. You decide. I tell you what I'd choose and why — including when the answer is to stay exactly where you are.
  5. I stay on the file. Claims, billing, renewals. You call me directly for as long as you hold the policy.

What it costs you

Nothing. Brokers are paid a commission by the carrier, and it's built into the premium whether you use one or not — enroll direct and the carrier simply keeps it. The plan price is identical either way. There's a fuller explanation, along with my NPN, on the licensing page.

Questions Michigan clients ask

How much did Michigan health insurance rates increase for 2026?

Michigan individual marketplace rates rose about 20.2% on average. By carrier: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan around 24% and 23.3%, UnitedHealthcare Community about 25.8%, Priority Health roughly 19.2%, and Molina Healthcare of Michigan about 18.3%.

How long can a short-term health plan last in Michigan?

Michigan limits short-term coverage to 185 days with no renewal beyond that — stricter than the federal default and much stricter than states like Florida, Texas, and Georgia where total duration can reach 36 months.

Does Michigan have a Medicaid coverage gap?

No. Michigan expanded Medicaid through the Healthy Michigan Plan, which covers adults 19 to 64 with incomes up to 133% of the federal poverty level, roughly $21,600 for a single adult. More than 690,000 residents were enrolled as of February 2026.

Licensed in Michigan and 28 other states as Rohr Health Advisors LLC. See the full list and verify the license, or start with the situation that matches yours.

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