How to Get Health Insurance Quotes in Tennessee
Last updated · By Frank Caballero, licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307
Short answer
In Tennessee, self-employed people and families usually compare two kinds of quotes: private, medically underwritten plans priced on age, ZIP code and health, and Marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov, where household income sets any subsidy.
If approved, a private plan can start the first of any month; HealthCare.gov plans follow open enrollment unless you qualify for a special enrollment period.
Frank Caballero, a licensed broker (NPN 21032307), quotes both for Tennessee households from Nashville to Clarksville by phone or video, at no fee.
Tennessee at a glance
| Where ACA plans are sold | HealthCare.gov (the federal Marketplace) |
|---|---|
| Medicaid expansion | Not expanded |
| Open enrollment for 2027 coverage | Nov 1, 2026 – Jan 15, 2027 (Dec 15 for a Jan 1 start) |
| Private plan enrollment | Any month, if approved |
| 2027 subsidy line (400% of the poverty level) | $63,840 for one person; $132,000 for a family of four |
| 2027 Marketplace out-of-pocket maximum | $12,000 for one person; $24,000 for a family |
| 2027 average Marketplace rate change | 12.7% to 15.6% (final, 6 insurers filed) |
| Largest metro areas | Nashville, Memphis, Knoxville, Chattanooga and Clarksville |
What a quote takes
- Book a 15-minute call by phone or video, in English or Spanish. There is no fee.
- Have ready: your Tennessee ZIP code, everyone's ages, your doctors (in Nashville, Memphis or elsewhere), prescriptions, a rough income estimate for the HealthCare.gov side and your health history for the private side.
- Frank prices private plans from your health answers and Marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov from your income, and checks each network for your doctors.
- Next, a private application goes to the insurer for an underwriting decision; if approved, coverage can start the first of the next month. HealthCare.gov enrollment happens in open enrollment or a special enrollment period, with Frank's help.
Private plan vs. the Marketplace in Tennessee
| Feature | Private, medically underwritten plan | Marketplace plan (HealthCare.gov) |
|---|---|---|
| Priced on | Age, ZIP code and your health answers | Age and ZIP code; household income sets any subsidy |
| Coverage can start | The first of any month, if approved | After open enrollment, or after a qualifying event in a special enrollment period |
| Health questions | Yes, and approval depends on the answers | No |
| Networks | Many private plans use national PPO networks | Many Tennessee Marketplace plans are HMO or EPO networks inside the state |
| Benefits and pre-existing condition rules | Vary by plan; read the plan documents before you apply | Every plan covers essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions |
Short-term plans are available in Tennessee as a bridge of a few months under federal rules and exclude pre-existing conditions. The private PPO plans we quote are medically underwritten, year-round plans, not short-term.
Tennessee rules that shape a quote
Tennessee buyers enroll through HealthCare.gov. The state repealed its old continuation law in 2025 and restored a shorter one in 2026, giving people leaving insured group plans the rest of the month plus three months at the full group premium after three months of coverage. Tennessee requires short-term plans to follow federal duration rules and in 2026 passed a law that would let them be sold on the federal Marketplace once federal rules allow it. 2027 individual increases average roughly 13 to 16 percent depending on the tracker, and one insurer is leaving the state's individual market.
Who usually starts with which
Price a private plan first
You are in good health, self-employed or a business owner, and your household income is above the Tennessee subsidy line of $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Above that line you pay the full HealthCare.gov premium, so a plan priced on health may cost you less.
Start with the Marketplace
You have health conditions that could affect a private approval, or your household income may qualify for a subsidy. Marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov cannot turn you down or charge more because of your health.
Common self-employed work in Tennessee: Session musicians, songwriters and touring crews in Nashville, owner-operator truck drivers and logistics contractors around the Memphis hub, construction trades, real estate agents, healthcare industry consultants, and tourism businesses in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge.
Tennessee had about 741,000 small businesses in the SBA's 2025 profile, and about 637,000 of them had no employees at all. Small firms employed about 1.2 million people, or 41.5 percent of the state's workers. The biggest groups of one-person businesses were in other services such as repair and personal care, construction, professional and technical services, and administrative support. Transportation and warehousing came next with about 66,500 nonemployer firms, a sign of how many owner-operators and delivery drivers work for themselves here.
Tennessee shoppers picked 569,310 HealthCare.gov plans during open enrollment for 2026, about 11 percent fewer than the 642,867 chosen a year earlier, once the enhanced federal credits lapsed. Roughly 90 percent of this year's enrollees, or 514,288 people, get an advance premium tax credit, down from 95 percent in 2025, which leaves about 10 percent, close to 55,000 people, paying full price. Census data for 2024 show about 35 percent of Tennessee households earn $100,000 or more, and many of those families sit above the subsidy line.
Business owners with employees
Tennessee's small-group market is thin heading into 2027. Rate filings show one insurer leaving small-group coverage and three staying, with an average increase of about 14.7 percent, and the approved rates were posted to the state's filing system in late September 2026. Tennessee uses the standard ACA small employer definition of 1 to 50 employees, and federal records show it adopted its own composite premium method for small groups. Most of the state's roughly 104,000 employer firms are small, including about 88,900 with fewer than 20 workers, so many owners are pricing coverage for a handful of people.
Leaving a job or group plan
Tennessee's restored continuation right lasts only about three months, so the switch comes fast: start comparing plans the week you leave, not the month your coverage ends. Coverage through HealthCare.gov can be chosen up to 60 days ahead so it begins the day after the old plan stops. Tennessee's Department of Commerce and Insurance answers policy questions at 615-741-2218 or 1-800-342-4029.
If you are self-employed in Tennessee, premiums for you and your family are often deductible on your federal return, whichever kind of plan you choose. General information, not tax advice — confirm with your CPA based on your specific entity structure.
2027 rates in Tennessee
Marketplace premiums in Tennessee are set to rise 12.7% to 15.6% on average for 2027 in finalized filings from 6 insurers, with small-group plans up about 14.7%; the Tennessee 2027 premium increase page has the details.
About your broker
Frank Caballero is a licensed health insurance broker, NPN 21032307, licensed in 31 states including Tennessee. He is based in Tampa and works with Tennessee clients by phone or video, in English and Spanish. There is no fee to the client. FC Insurance Solutions is BBB Accredited with an A rating and rated 4.9 on Google from 78 reviews. More about Frank · License list
Tennessee health insurance quote questions
Can I get a private health insurance quote in Tennessee outside open enrollment?
Yes. Private, medically underwritten plans can be quoted in Tennessee any time of year and, if approved, start the first of any month. Marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov need open enrollment or a special enrollment period, such as after losing other coverage.
How long does a Tennessee health insurance quote take?
About 15 minutes by phone or video. HealthCare.gov prices come from your ZIP code, ages and income estimate; private plans also need your health history, and the insurer decides after you apply.
Do I need to go through HealthCare.gov to get a Tennessee quote?
No. Tennessee uses HealthCare.gov. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. A licensed broker can quote HealthCare.gov plans and private plans in the same call, and private plans are not sold through HealthCare.gov at all.
Is there a fee to use a health insurance broker in Tennessee?
No. Frank charges Tennessee clients nothing; the insurance company pays the broker, and you don't pay extra for the help.
What if I have a pre-existing condition in Tennessee?
Marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov cannot decline you or charge more because of your health, so HealthCare.gov is often the place to start. Private plans in Tennessee ask health questions, and approval depends on your answers.
Why are Tennessee marketplace networks so narrow?
Carriers control cost by contracting with one hospital system per region. If you want Vanderbilt and a Memphis hospital on the same plan, a national PPO network is usually the way.
More for Tennessee
Official sources
FC Insurance Solutions LLC is a private, licensed insurance brokerage. It is not HealthCare.gov, a state exchange or a government agency.