Health Insurance for Travel Nurses in Ohio
Most travel nurses in Ohio are paid in ways that leave them shopping for their own coverage, whether they work around Columbus or anywhere else in the state. Most of the ones I work with choose a private plan priced on their health, not their income, that can start any month if approved. Ohio Marketplace premiums are rising 16.3% on average for 2027, so the private option is worth pricing first.
Private health insurance in Ohio
Most travel nurses I help in Ohio end up on a private plan, not a Marketplace plan. Private, medically underwritten health insurance is priced on your age, zip code and health instead of your income, so a strong year never raises your premium and there is no tax credit to pay back in April.
Why people leave the Marketplace
- Premiums keep climbing. Ohio Marketplace premiums are rising 16.3% on average for 2027.
- The subsidy cliff. Above 400 percent of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four) you pay full price.
- Surprise tax bills. Underestimate your income and you repay the tax credit in April.
- Narrow networks. Many plans are local HMOs or EPOs that need referrals and cover little outside the area.
- High out-of-pocket costs. 2027 out-of-pocket maximums reach $12,000 per person and $24,000 per family.
- One window a year. Outside open enrollment you need a qualifying life event to enroll or switch.
What a private plan does differently
- Start any month. If approved, coverage can begin the first of next month, with no wait for open enrollment.
- Networks that travel. Many private plans use national PPO networks, which can give you in-network doctors outside Ohio too. Networks vary by plan.
- Can cost less than full-price Marketplace plans for some healthy applicants above the subsidy line.
- Accident coverage the Marketplace does not offer. A private plan can be paired with accident coverage, a separate policy. What it includes varies by plan.
- Approval is based on health. You answer health questions, and acceptance is not guaranteed.
With a significant health condition, or income low enough for a large tax credit, a Marketplace plan can be the better fit, and I will tell you if it is. Either way you see both side by side.
Private plans are not ACA Marketplace plans. Benefits, exclusions and pre-existing condition rules differ by plan and by state, so review the plan details before you enroll.
Get a private plan quoteLearn more: coverage not based on income · how underwriting works · private vs Obamacare · PPO plans for individuals · switching from the Marketplace
Ohio health insurance in 2027
Ohio's finalized 2027 individual-market increase averages about 16.3 percent, and small-group plans face one of the largest increases on this list, about 22 percent. Ohio has a large, competitive Marketplace with many insurers, especially in Columbus, Cleveland and Cincinnati.
- Marketplace rates: up 16.3% on average for 2027 (final).
- Benchmark silver plan, age 40: $603 a month in 2027, up from $513 in 2026.
- The subsidy cliff in Ohio: earning $1 over $63,840 costs a single 60-year-old about $8,842 more a year for that plan, and $1 over $86,560 costs a 60-year-old couple about $21,887.
- Where to enroll: HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; choose by December 15 for coverage starting January 1.
More: Ohio 2027 rate changes · 2027 subsidy cliff by state. General information, not tax advice.
How travel nurses work in Ohio
Travel assignments in Ohio often run around 13 weeks, while per diem nurses pick up shifts at one or more facilities with no guaranteed hours. Some nurses are W-2 employees of a staffing agency during each assignment, and others sign 1099 contracts directly. Agency coverage usually stops when an assignment ends and the next plan may not start right away, so even a short break between contracts can leave a nurse uninsured. Ohio has no licensing law for nurse staffing agencies. Bills filed in 2022 would have made agencies register with the state health department, but none became law.
Ohio licensing for travel nurses
The Ohio Board of Nursing licenses registered and practical nurses. Ohio joined the Nurse Licensure Compact when the governor signed it on July 1, 2021, and the compact took effect here on January 1, 2023. A nurse whose home state is another compact member can work in Ohio on that multistate license. Nurses from non-compact states apply for an Ohio license based on their current license under the state's universal licensing law. While that application is pending, the Board can issue a nonrenewable temporary permit that lasts up to 180 days or until the license is granted.
The Ohio market for travel nurses
In the Ohio Board of Nursing's 2023 workforce survey, about 214,700 registered nurses with active licenses answered, and 27 percent of them were over 55, a large group nearing retirement. More than half of those who answered work in hospitals, and the big academic and regional systems in Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati compete hard for staff. State projections call for about 7,190 registered nurse openings a year through 2034, even though total RN jobs are expected to grow only about 2 percent. Most openings come from nurses retiring or leaving, which keeps short-term contracts in demand.
Ohio coverage rules that apply to you
- Leaving a job: Ohio requires insured group plans to offer 12 months of continuation to employees who lose coverage through involuntary termination, after three months of continuous coverage, at no more than the group rate.
- Short-term plans: Ohio does not define short-term plans in its own law; its insurance department treats them as one-time policies of no more than 364 days, while federal rules set a four-month limit that is not currently being prioritized for enforcement.
- Where to enroll: Ohio uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Private, medically underwritten plans can start the first of any month if approved.
- 2027 rates: individual plans 16.3% on average. See the Ohio 2027 rate page.
The gap between contracts
Agency health plans usually end when an assignment ends, sometimes on the last day of that week or month. If your next contract starts three weeks later, you are uninsured in between unless you plan for it. Losing agency coverage opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period, and if approved, a private plan can start the first of any month, so either can bridge the gap. Many travelers keep their own plan year-round and decline agency coverage so they never face a gap.
Keeping your own plan across states
A nurse who changes states every 13 weeks needs a plan that works where the contract is. Nationwide PPO networks travel well. A Marketplace plan is tied to your tax home, so if you work far from home you may have only emergency coverage there. Check the network for each assignment city before you sign.
Per diem and 1099 nursing
Per diem and independent contract nurses buy their own coverage and pay self-employment tax. Estimate a full year of net income for the Marketplace, including stipends only if they are taxable. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
When the Marketplace still makes sense
The Marketplace fits travel nurses with a significant health condition, because acceptance is guaranteed, and households whose 2027 income stays under 400 percent of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person, $132,000 for a family of four), where a tax credit lowers the price. Above that line it costs full price. The full guide for travel nurses goes deeper.
Quote for a travel nurse in Ohio
Private plans priced first, with the Marketplace alongside when it fits. No fee.
Questions from Ohio travel nurses
What license do travel nurses need in Ohio?
The Ohio Board of Nursing licenses registered and practical nurses. Ohio joined the Nurse Licensure Compact when the governor signed it on July 1, 2021, and the compact took effect here on January 1, 2023. A nurse whose home state is another compact member can work in Ohio on that multistate license. Nurses from non-compact states apply for an Ohio license based on their current license under the state's universal licensing law. While that application is pending, the Board can issue a nonrenewable temporary permit that lasts up to 180 days or until the license is granted.
How much are Ohio health insurance premiums rising for 2027?
Individual-market premiums in Ohio are set to rise 16.3% on average for 2027. Households above 400 percent of the poverty level get no tax credit and pay the full increase.
What happens to my coverage if I leave a job in Ohio?
Ohio requires insured group plans to offer 12 months of continuation to employees who lose coverage through involuntary termination, after three months of continuous coverage, at no more than the group rate. Losing employer coverage also opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period, and if approved, a private plan can start the first of any month.
Should a travel nurse take the agency's health plan?
It can work for back-to-back contracts, but coverage usually ends with the assignment. Nurses with gaps between contracts often keep their own plan instead.
Can a travel nurse buy a plan that works in every state?
Some private plans and some Marketplace plans use national PPO networks. Many Marketplace plans are local HMOs or EPOs, so check the network before you choose.
Sources: dam.assets.ohio.gov, www.onetonline.org, www.ncsbn.org, codes.ohio.gov. Facts checked October 2026. See all Ohio health insurance rules.
Travel Nurses in other states
Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance agent in Ohio and 30 other states, NPN 21032307.