Before you start

DC residence — Maryland and Virginia have their own systems
Income information for subsidy or Medicaid eligibility
An SSN or ITIN for marketplace applications
A qualifying life event, if enrolling outside the annual window

Step-by-step

1
Check Healthy DC Plan eligibility first
New for 2026: qualifying District residents get coverage with no monthly payments and no cost when receiving care, and enrolment stays open throughout the year rather than in a window. This is more generous than any state marketplace covered in this app. Check before assuming you must buy a plan.
OnlineWho: YouWeek 1
2
Enrol in your employer's plan within the new-hire window
Typically 30 days from your start date. Compare the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, not just the premium. Note that international organisation staff often have their own scheme entirely, outside the US marketplace.
Via employerWho: YouFirst 30 days of employment
3
Without an employer plan, use DC Health Link
The District runs its own exchange rather than HealthCare.gov. All Bronze plans became HSA-eligible from 2026, which is a useful change for anyone wanting a tax-advantaged health account.
OnlineWho: You
4
Remember DC has its own individual mandate
The District requires residents to maintain minimum essential coverage and assesses a penalty through the DC tax return for those who do not. Massachusetts, New Jersey, California, Rhode Island and DC are the jurisdictions that kept a mandate after the federal penalty went to zero.
OnlineWho: You
5
Register with a primary care physician
Your PCP gates specialist access in most plans. Confirm network status with the practice directly, and note that a plan sold in DC may have thin coverage in Virginia or Maryland where you might actually want to be treated.
OnlineWho: You
6
Learn the urgent care versus emergency room distinction
An ER visit for something a clinic could treat can cost thousands even insured. Urgent care handles fractures, stitches and infections far more cheaply.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Proof of DC residence
Income documentation for subsidies, the Healthy DC Plan or Medicaid
SSN or ITIN
Immigration documents for marketplace eligibility categories
Evidence of losing prior coverage, if using a special enrolment period

Things most newcomers don’t know

The Healthy DC Plan has no premium, no cost-sharing, and no enrolment window.

Introduced for 2026, it gives qualifying District residents coverage with no monthly payments and no cost when they get care, and enrolment remains open all year rather than in a fixed period. Nothing comparable exists in the state marketplaces covered elsewhere in this app, and because it is brand new, almost no relocation guide mentions it.

Source: DC Health Link — Healthy DC Plan

DC kept an individual mandate after the federal one went to zero.

The District, along with Massachusetts, New Jersey, California and Rhode Island, assesses its own penalty for going without minimum essential coverage. People who read that 'the US mandate was repealed' are caught by this at filing.

Source: DC Office of Tax and Revenue

Bronze plans became HSA-eligible for 2026.

All DC Health Link Bronze plans now qualify for a Health Savings Account, which lets you set aside pre-tax money for medical costs and carry it forward indefinitely. For a healthy newcomer choosing a low-premium plan, this converts the high deductible into a tax-advantaged saving mechanism.

Source: DC Health Link

Check whether your plan works across the state line.

You may live in DC and want to be treated at a hospital in Bethesda or Arlington. A DC-sold plan's network does not automatically extend well across the boundary. In a metro where the good hospitals are spread across three jurisdictions, check the network map, not just the plan tier.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Buying a marketplace plan without first checking Healthy DC Plan eligibility.
Going uninsured and taking a DC mandate penalty at filing.
Missing the 30-day new-hire enrolment window.
Choosing a plan whose network stops at the DC boundary when your hospital of choice is in Maryland.
Going to an emergency room for something urgent care handles.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.

Make it your personal checklist

Globe Quest turns this into a tracked, AI-personalized plan for Washington DC — timed to your move date, with reminders so nothing slips. Free to start.