Individual health insurance is for anyone who doesn’t have access to employer-sponsored or government-run health coverage. This includes people who are employed by a small business that doesn’t provide health benefits, people who are self-employed, and people who retire before they’re eligible for Medicare and have to get their own personal health coverage until they reach age 65.

Short-term health insurance is a type of health plan that can provide you with temporary medical coverage when you are between health plans, outside enrollment periods, and need some coverage in case of an emergency. However, to get the most out of a short-term health plan, you need to understand how they work, what they cost, and what they cover.

Because of the Affordable Care Act, many people who buy their own health insurance can get financial assistance that lowers your costs. This assistance is called a subsidy. There are two kinds of subsidies: the Advanced Premium Tax Credit and Cost Sharing Reduction.

The Advanced Premium Tax Credit goes toward your health insurance premium—what you pay each month to maintain your health coverage. You can apply it to our bronze, silver, gold and platinum plans

In the Health Insurance Marketplace ®, cost-sharing reductions are often called “extra savings.” If you qualify, you must enroll in a plan in the Silver category to get the extra savings.