Free Health Insurance Oregon 2027: OHP, OHP Bridge & Explore Health
Oregon is leaving HealthCare.gov. For 2027 coverage, Oregonians shop on Explore Health, the state's new marketplace, and open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 – January 15, 2027. Free health insurance in Oregon comes from the Oregon Health Plan, OHP Bridge, or a tax credit that can cut a plan's premium to $0. Here are the 2027 income limits, the new OHP rules and how to get a free quote.
Get My Free 2027 Quote ↓Free Health Insurance Oregon in 2027: What Changed
Quick answer: Many Oregonians can get free health insurance in 2027. Adults up to about 138% of the poverty level ($1,836 a month for one person) may qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, and OHP Bridge is free up to 200%. Above that, Explore Health tax credits help; open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027.
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Free health insurance Oregon residents can actually get comes from three places. The first is the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), Oregon's Medicaid program, run by the Oregon Health Authority (OHA); Oregon has expanded Medicaid to low-income adults. The second is OHP Bridge, Oregon's Basic Health Program for adults whose income is a little too high for OHP Plus. The third is a premium tax credit on Explore Health, Oregon's new marketplace: if your household income falls between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level (FPL) and you don't qualify for OHP or OHP Bridge, the credit pays part or all of your monthly premium, and for some households that can mean a $0-premium plan. The same rules apply statewide, from Portland and Salem to Eugene, Bend and Medford.
Three things change for 2027. Oregon's marketplace moves from HealthCare.gov to Explore Health. The extra "enhanced" tax credits of 2021–2025 expired at the end of 2025 and are not back for 2027 under current law, so the 400% FPL cliff has returned. And OHP adds work or activity rules for some adults. On top of that, two insurers, PacificSource and Providence, are leaving Oregon's individual market, so their enrollees will find a matched plan from another insurer on their renewal notice.
FreedInsure LLC is an independent brokerage; its licensed agent, Constantino Lardi (NPN 20230457), is licensed in 42 states, Oregon included. We're a private broker, not Explore Health, not OHA and not a government agency. We project your 2027 income, estimate your credit, compare the plans sold in your county and help you through enrollment — and our help is 100% free to you. Call (844) 788-3733 or see if you qualify.
Explore Health Replaces HealthCare.gov in Oregon for 2027
For 2026, Oregon ran a state-based marketplace on the federal platform, so Oregonians enrolled on HealthCare.gov. That ends this fall. CMS lists Oregon as a state-based marketplace for plan year 2027, and the Oregon Health Authority says plainly: "Explore Health will replace HealthCare.gov." Starting November 1, 2026, people in Oregon use Explore Health to shop for coverage, find out whether they qualify for financial help, and enroll in a Marketplace plan. Explore Health operates as a division of OHA, the same agency that runs OHP and OHP Bridge. The switch comes from Senate Bill 972 (2023), which required OHA to replace the federal platform and call center by November 1, 2026.
Information Site
ExploreHealthOR.gov has Oregon's plan information, enrollment dates and help options for 2027.
Apply & Enroll
The application and your account dashboard live at enroll.explorehealthor.gov. Financial help there means premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.
Plan Guide
Explore Health's Plan Guide lets you compare plans without creating an account. Explore Health says it will be available on October 15, 2026.
Customer Assistance
The Explore Health Customer Assistance Center is toll-free at 855-268-3767, and relay calls are accepted.
Already on a HealthCare.gov plan?
Explore Health says it "will send renewal notices to every household currently enrolled through HealthCare.gov at the end of October." The notice tells you whether your current plan can be renewed or which new plan you were matched with. If you chose automatic renewal, you may be re-enrolled for 2027 if you're still eligible, and you can opt out or pick a different plan during open enrollment.
Read that notice closely this year. Explore Health says PacificSource and Providence will not offer any individual health insurance coverage in 2027, and Moda will not be available in Crook, Deschutes, Klamath, Lake, Marion, Polk, Umatilla and Union counties. People in those plans were matched ("crosswalked") to a plan from another insurer.
Straight talk: a crosswalked plan is a placeholder, not a recommendation. It may come with a different network, drug list and premium than the plan you have now. Check your doctors and prescriptions against your 2027 options before you let it stand.
Oregon Health Insurance Income Limits for 2027
Marketplace savings for 2027 coverage are based on the 2026 federal poverty guidelines: $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for a family of four. The share of income you're expected to pay for the benchmark Silver plan slides from 2.15% to 10.22% as income rises, and the tax credit covers the rest. In Oregon, OHP and OHP Bridge cover the lower part of the scale first.
| 2027 Household Income | Household of 1 | Household of 4 (about) | What You Typically Get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Up to ~138% FPL | Up to ~$22,025 ($1,836 a month) | Up to ~$45,540 | OHP Plus for adults 19–64 and children, with no cost to members |
| ~138–200% FPL | $22,025–$31,920 | $45,540–$66,000 | OHP Bridge may cover adults here, with no member costs. If you don't qualify, Explore Health credits apply, with 94% or 87% CSR Silver plans ($4,000 self-only out-of-pocket max) |
| 200–250% FPL | $31,920–$39,900 | $66,000–$82,500 | Benchmark Silver at 6.78%–8.66% of income, plus a 73% CSR Silver plan ($9,600 self-only out-of-pocket max) |
| 250–400% FPL | $39,900–$63,840 | $82,500–$132,000 | Credits taper: benchmark Silver at 8.66%–10.22% of income |
| Over 400% FPL | $63,840+ | $132,000+ | No premium tax credit for 2027 under current law — full-price plans, so shopping smart matters most |
The OHP figure comes from the Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS) income chart, which includes the 5% income disregard. OHA describes OHP Bridge as covering income between 133% and 200% FPL, or $21,228 to $31,920 a year for one person, and says those limits apply through February 2027. OHP limits follow the current year's poverty guidelines, so the dollar amounts will change after HHS publishes the 2027 guidelines. Family-of-four figures are derived from the 2026 guidelines, so treat them as approximate.
Income means your projected 2027 household income — W-2 wages, 1099 and gig income, self-employment, everything. Getting it right matters more than it used to: earn $1 over 400% FPL and the credit is $0, and for tax years after 2025 there's no cap on repaying excess advance credits, so a low guess can cost you at tax time. Explore Health also confirms a federal change for 2027: among immigrants, only lawful permanent residents, Cuban/Haitian entrants and COFA migrants qualify for financial help. Run your numbers in our 2027 ACA subsidy calculator, see every band in our ACA income limits guide, or compare states in our Medicaid income limits guide.
The Oregon Health Plan (OHP) and OHP Bridge in 2027
Oregon has expanded Medicaid, and its program is the Oregon Health Plan (OHP), run by OHA, with eligibility handled through the ONE system with ODHS. OHP Plus covers children 0–18 and adults 19–64 at no cost to members. On the ODHS income chart, adults qualify up to 138% FPL ($1,836 a month for one person), pregnant people and infants up to 190%, and children through CHIP up to 305%.
OHP Bridge is Oregon's Basic Health Program, in place since July 1, 2024. It covers adults with income between 133% and 200% FPL and includes medical, dental and behavioral health care. In OHA's words, "just like OHP Plus, OHP Bridge has no member costs." It doesn't cover long-term services and supports or housing and nutrition benefits. Details are on OHA's OHP Bridge page. Separately, Healthier Oregon provides full OHP benefits regardless of immigration status.
How to apply: online at ONE.Oregon.gov, by phone at ONE Customer Service, 1-800-699-9075, or in person at a local ODHS office or an OHP-certified community partner. OHP enrollment is open all year. If you apply through Explore Health and may qualify for OHP, you're sent to OHP for a final decision.
New for 2027: OHP work or activity rules
OHA says that starting in 2027, some adults ages 19–64 will need to meet work or activity rules when they apply for or renew OHP. The rules cover adults who are not pregnant, don't have Medicare, don't get SSI, and don't qualify for OHP based on disability or certain other factors. You can meet them with more than $580 a month of household income, by attending school at least half-time, or with at least 80 hours a month of work, volunteering through an organized program, caregiving, school, or a training or work program. New applicants are checked for the month before the application month; people renewing must meet the rules in at least one of the six months before their renewal date.
Exemptions include American Indian and Alaska Native members; people who are pregnant or were pregnant in the last 12 months; parents or caregivers who regularly care for a child 13 or younger; people who give at least 80 hours of care a month to someone with a disability or serious health condition; people with serious or disabling health conditions, including people receiving SSDI or SSI; veterans with a total disability rating; former foster youth ages 19–26; and people in high-unemployment or disaster counties, among others. For 2027, OHA says, "you can tell us you have an exemption. You don't need to give proof." Proof will be required for more exemptions in 2028.
Other OHP changes to know
Starting January 1, 2027, retroactive coverage is limited to one month of past bills for most adults 19–64, and up to two months for everyone else. Starting in late 2027, adults 19–64, with some exceptions, move to six-month renewals; today most OHP members renew every two years, and other members, including children, move to yearly renewals. Small copays for some services start in October 2028, with exclusions for members earning under $15,000 a year, members with Medicare or disability-based OHP, and services such as checkups, emergency care, mental health care and prenatal care.
For immigrant households, Oregon differs from other states. In October 2026, about 7,000 OHP members, including refugees, asylees and some humanitarian parolees, move to Healthier Oregon, and OHA says that, unlike in other states, "this does not mean people will lose OHP." In January 2027, Healthier Oregon members move to OHP Open Card, with the same benefits but possibly different providers.
Straight talk: OHP and OHP Bridge are state programs, not something we sell. If one of them is your best option, we'll tell you exactly that and point you to ONE.Oregon.gov — no charge, no strings. If your income sits above the Bridge line, that's where Explore Health tax credits take over, and where a broker is most useful. Losing OHP eligibility generally opens a Special Enrollment Period for a marketplace plan.
Oregon Marketplace Insurers and Plans for 2027
Explore Health plans come from private insurance companies. Oregon's Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) lists four insurers in the 2027 individual market: BridgeSpan, Kaiser, Moda and Regence, with 2 to 4 available in each county, so the lineup that matters is the one for your ZIP code. DFR's 2027 rate sheet shows an average final individual-market rate increase of 21.6%, one more reason to re-shop instead of letting a plan roll over. Oregon also runs a state reinsurance program under a federal Section 1332 waiver that CMS has approved through December 31, 2027.
Bronze
Lowest premiums — they can be $0 after credits at lower incomes — with the highest deductibles. Exchange bronze plans count as HSA-eligible, and the 2027 HSA limit is $4,500 for self-only coverage.
Silver
The sweet spot for many subsidy-eligible households. Under ~250% FPL, Cost-Sharing Reductions can cut a 2027 out-of-pocket maximum from $12,000 to as low as $4,000 for one person. CSRs come only with Silver.
Gold
Higher premium, lower out-of-pocket. The smart pick when you know care is coming — a planned procedure, a pregnancy, ongoing prescriptions.
Add-Ons
Dental & vision, critical illness and hospital indemnity plans stack alongside your Explore Health plan — often the difference between covered and comfortable.
Every ACA plan for 2027 caps in-network out-of-pocket costs at $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family, and all of them cover the same essential health benefits and pre-existing conditions. Beyond marketplace plans, we also help Oregonians with term life insurance and accident and supplemental coverage, and we can explain how short-term health insurance differs from an ACA plan — all through one licensed advisor.
One honest warning: a $0 premium is not $0 care. Free bronze plans carry real deductibles, and a 2027 marketplace plan can have an out-of-pocket maximum as high as $12,000 for one person. If you qualify for cost-sharing reductions, a CSR Silver plan is often the far better deal than the "free" one. That's the judgment call a broker exists for.
Explore Health Open Enrollment 2027: Key Dates
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027 on Explore Health. Oregon's start-date rule is different from HealthCare.gov's: Explore Health says "your coverage will start on January 1, 2027 if you enroll by December 31, 2026." To have updated financial help ready for a January 1 start, submit any requested information by December 31. Explore Health hasn't posted when coverage starts for enrollments made January 1–15, so aim for December 31. American Indian and Alaska Native households may be able to enroll or change plans at any time during the year. Compare other states in our 2027 open enrollment deadlines by state guide, or start at our Open Enrollment 2027 hub.
October 15, 2026
Explore Health's Plan Guide opens, so you can compare 2027 plans without an account.
End of October
Renewal notices go to every household enrolled through HealthCare.gov, showing your renewed or matched 2027 plan.
November 1 – December 31
Open enrollment opens November 1. Enroll by December 31, 2026 for coverage that starts January 1, 2027.
January 15, 2027
Last day of open enrollment. After that you'll need a qualifying life event for a Special Enrollment Period; OHP stays open all year.
Getting a quote through FreedInsure takes about 15 minutes: (1) we project your 2027 income and check OHP and OHP Bridge first, (2) we compare the Explore Health plans in your county against your doctors and prescriptions, and (3) we help you enroll and stay on as your advisor all year. Same plans, same prices as going direct — plus a human who answers. Call (844) 788-3733.
Straight talk on auto-renewal: with a new marketplace, two insurers leaving and an average rate increase of 21.6%, last year's plan at last year's assumptions can be this year's overpay. Never let a plan renew without a 15-minute re-shop, and finish by December 31 so any change starts January 1.
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Free Health Insurance Oregon: 2027 FAQ
Official Sources for This Guide
- Oregon Health Authority: Oregon to Launch Explore Health this November (August 21, 2026)
- Explore Health: Enrollment Dates
- Explore Health: Automatic Re-enrollment for 2027
- Oregon Health Authority: OHP Work or Activity Rules and Federal Changes
- Oregon Department of Human Services: Combined Standards income chart (DHS 5530)
- Oregon Division of Financial Regulation: 2027 final health rates and county coverage map
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