Health insurance brokers in New Jersey

• 600 percentof the poverty level, how far New Jersey's own premium help reaches, well past the federal cutoff
• 19.8 percentaverage 2027 increase for unsubsidized individual plans in New Jersey
• $0the fee for working with a broker in New Jersey, because carriers pay us

New Jersey still requires you to have coverage

The federal penalty for going uninsured dropped to zero years ago. New Jersey kept its own. The state confirmed for 2027 that the coverage requirement remains, and residents without an exemption from the Shared Responsibility Payment pay a penalty when they file their state taxes.

A state subsidy that reaches further than the federal one

The enhanced federal tax credits expired at the end of 2025, and federal help now stops at 400 percent of the poverty level. New Jersey runs its own program, New Jersey Health Plan Savings, and for 2027 the state will keep offering it to qualifying households with incomes up to 600 percent of the federal poverty level. That covers a band of middle income families who get nothing from Washington.

KFF found that the states paying for their own premium help all saw smaller enrollment declines than average for 2026. Even so, New Jersey felt the hit. Enrollment stood at 509,192 when open enrollment ended on January 31, 2026, and had fallen to 434,700 by June 30, a net loss of 74,492 people.

What changes for 2027

Unsubsidized individual plans in New Jersey rise by a weighted average of 19.8 percent for 2027, with the five carriers' averages ranging from 15.3 percent to 35.7 percent. With that much spread between carriers, your renewal may not be your best option anymore, and the only way to know is to compare.

Two federal changes also start on January 1, 2027. Most lawfully present immigrants other than green card holders, Cuban and Haitian entrants, and certain Pacific Island migrants lose eligibility for premium help. And some adults must meet work requirements to keep NJ FamilyCare. If you lose NJ FamilyCare for not meeting that requirement, you can still buy a plan, but without financial help, so it is far better to sort out the paperwork or an exemption with the state first.

Open enrollment dates for 2027 coverage in New Jersey

New Jersey runs its own exchange, Get Covered New Jersey, and its window runs longer than HealthCare.gov's.

• November 1, 2026Open enrollment for 2027 coverage began on Get Covered New Jersey
• December 31, 2026Enroll by this date for coverage that starts January 1, 2027
• January 31, 2027Open enrollment closes

Outside that window you need a major life event, such as marriage, pregnancy, or a move, to qualify for a special enrollment period. NJ FamilyCare accepts applications all year.

Every 2027 change in New Jersey, carrier by carrier →

How to choose a health insurance broker in New Jersey

Anyone can put "broker" on a website. These are the questions that separate the real ones, and you can ask every one of them in a five minute phone call.

1. Verify the license before anything else

   Ask for the license number and the NPN, then look them up yourself. New Jersey agents can be checked through the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance licensee search, and every agent in the country is searchable through the NAIC lookup. An agent who hesitates to give you those numbers has told you everything you need to know. Mine are on this page and on my license page.

2. Ask whether they are independent or captive

   A captive agent works for one insurance company and can only sell you that company's plans. An independent broker is appointed with many carriers and compares across them. Neither is dishonest, but only one of them can tell you when a competitor has the better plan for you.

3. Ask what it costs, and be suspicious of any answer other than nothing

   Brokers are paid by the insurance carriers. The premium is identical whether you enroll through a broker, on your own, or directly with the carrier. Nobody should charge you a fee to enroll you in an individual marketplace plan.

4. Ask how many carriers they can actually quote

   "We shop the whole market" is a slogan until someone puts a number on it. Ask which carriers they are appointed with in New Jersey, and ask them to show you the comparison rather than describe it.

5. Ask whether they will still be there in March

   Plenty of agents are enthusiastic in December and unreachable in the spring, which is exactly when a claim gets denied or a doctor turns out to be out of network. Ask who you call when something goes wrong. The answer should be a person, not a call center.

6. Read the reviews, and look at the dates

   A handful of genuine reviews spread over time tells you more than a wall of them that all landed in the same week. Mine are on my Google profile and they arrived one at a time, from clients who agreed to write one.

What working with me looks like

You tell me your ZIP code, who needs coverage, and roughly what you expect to earn this year. I check whether you are likely to qualify for financial help, then walk you through the options that fit, including coverage sold outside the state exchange. If a plan through the state exchange is the right answer for you, I will say so plainly and point you to a certified helper there, since that is the door to any subsidy. For coverage I can place directly, I handle the enrollment paperwork and stay your point of contact afterward.

Most first conversations take about ten minutes. There is no cost and no obligation, and I am not going to pressure you into a plan, because a client who was pushed into the wrong coverage is a client who leaves.

Where I work in New Jersey

Statewide. Most of my work happens over the phone or a video call, so where you are in New Jersey changes nothing about the process.

• Newark
• Jersey City
• Paterson
• Elizabeth
• Lakewood
• Edison
• Woodbridge
• Toms River
• Hamilton
• Trenton
• Clifton
• Camden
• Cherry Hill
• Passaic
• Union City
• Bayonne
• East Orange
• Vineland
• New Brunswick
• Hoboken

I am also licensed in every other state, so if you are moving or splitting time between two states, that usually is not a problem either.

Who I help most in New Jersey

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 7.7 percent of people in New Jersey had no health insurance in 2024, below the national rate of 8.2 percent.

Individuals and families buying their own coverage, self employed people and 1099 contractors, small business owners, people who just lost employer coverage, and early retirees bridging the gap to Medicare. In New Jersey I also spend time with middle income households who assume they earn too much for any help, when the state's own subsidy says otherwise.