Health Insurance When Moving to Virginia
Moving to Virginia means your old health plan's network probably will not follow you. The fastest fix for a healthy person is often a private plan, which can start the first of any month if approved, without waiting for a qualifying-event review. Virginia Marketplace premiums are rising 15.8% to 16.9% on average for 2027.
Private health insurance in Virginia
Most people I help in Virginia 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. Virginia Marketplace premiums are rising 15.8% to 16.9% 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 Virginia 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
Who is moving to Virginia
After several years of net losses, Virginia gained more residents from other states than it lost in both 2024 and 2025, with a net gain of 6,268 domestic movers in the year ending July 2025, according to Census estimates. Marylanders were the biggest group of new arrivals in the Census Bureau's 2024 survey, followed by movers from Florida, North Carolina, California and New York. Growth is strongest outside the Washington area: the Winchester metro has grown about 6.8 percent since 2020 and Richmond about 5.7 percent, while the Washington metro has lost residents to other states every year since 2021.
Getting covered after you move to Virginia
New residents shop on Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, the state-run exchange, which counts moving into the state as a qualifying life event and usually gives 60 days to enroll. Marketplace rules generally require at least one day of qualifying coverage in the 60 days before the move, unless you are arriving from abroad. Virginia's 12 rating areas are drawn from counties and independent cities, so a move across a city line can change prices. Keep proof of the move, since some events must be verified. You have 60 days after the move to switch to a Virginia license.
The Virginia individual market at a glance
Virginia buyers shop on Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, the state-run exchange and the only place to apply for federal premium tax credits and the new state help called Virginia Premium Savings. Starting with 2027 plans, Virginia Premium Savings lowers premiums for households earning 138 to 250 percent of the federal poverty level, is applied after any federal credit, and is paid from a fixed state appropriation, so funding may not reach everyone who qualifies. Virginia also runs a state reinsurance program, administered by the Bureau of Insurance and approved through 2027, that helps hold down individual-market premiums. The enhanced federal credits ended after 2025, and excess advance credits must now be repaid in full at tax time, so self-employed tradespeople should keep their income estimate current. Leaving a small employer gives you 12 months of state continuation, short-term plans are held to three months at a time and six months in any year, and open enrollment runs to January 29, 2027.
Other Virginia rules to know
- Short-term plans: Virginia law caps short-term plans at an initial term of three months and no more than six months of coverage in any 12-month period, a state limit that applies regardless of how federal rules are enforced.
- Where to enroll: Virginia runs its own exchange, Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, and open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027, with a December 15 deadline for coverage that starts January 1. Private, medically underwritten plans can start the first of any month if approved.
- 2027 rates: individual plans 15.8% to 16.9% on average, small-group plans about 10.7%. See the Virginia 2027 rate page.
The moving special enrollment period
A permanent move to a new state usually opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period, but only if you had qualifying coverage for at least one day in the 60 days before the move. Without that prior coverage, you may have to wait for open enrollment.
Why many movers go private
A private, medically underwritten plan does not need a qualifying event, can start the first of any month if approved and is priced on health, not income. Many use national PPO networks, which help while you are still traveling between your old and new homes. Private plans are not Marketplace plans, so review the benefits and pre-existing condition rules.
Keep coverage continuous
Do not cancel your old plan until the new one starts. A one-month gap can cost far more than an overlapping premium.
For 2027 the Marketplace credit stops at 400 percent of the poverty level: $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two and $132,000 for a family of four. The out-of-pocket maximum for 2027 Marketplace plans is $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family. The full guide covers the rest.
Compare Virginia plans
Licensed in Virginia. Private plans priced first, Marketplace alongside when it fits. No fee.
Virginia questions
Where do Virginia residents enroll in 2027 coverage?
Virginia runs its own exchange, Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, and open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 29, 2027, with a December 15 deadline for coverage that starts January 1.
What continuation rights does Virginia give after leaving a small employer?
Virginia requires insured group plans that are not subject to federal COBRA, which generally means employers with fewer than 20 employees, to offer 12 months of continuation after at least three months of coverage, at the group rate plus an administrative fee of up to 2 percent.
How much are Virginia premiums rising for 2027?
Individual-market premiums are set to rise 15.8% to 16.9% on average, and small-group plans about 10.7%.
Does moving to a new state let me change health insurance?
Usually. A permanent move opens a 60-day Marketplace special enrollment period if you had qualifying coverage in the 60 days before the move. If approved, private plans can start any month regardless.
Can I keep my old state's health plan after I move?
Individual plans are sold by state and area, so most will not work well after a permanent move, apart from emergencies. Plan to switch soon after you arrive.
Sources: www2.census.gov, www.census.gov, www.marketplace.virginia.gov, www.dmv.virginia.gov. Facts checked October 2026. See all Virginia health insurance rules.
Moving here in other states
Written by Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance agent in Virginia and 30 other states, NPN 21032307.