Health Insurance in Columbus, OH

Health Insurance Plans Available in Columbus

Residents of Columbus, Ohio can shop for ACA marketplace health insurance plans during Open Enrollment (November 1 – January 15 each year) or during a Special Enrollment Period triggered by a qualifying life event such as losing employer coverage, getting married, having a child, or moving. Marketplace plans are available to all legal residents regardless of health history, and premium tax credits may significantly reduce your monthly cost based on household income.

The carriers and plans filed in Franklin County for 2026 are listed below. Plans there are sold in these metal tiers: Expanded Bronze, Bronze, Silver, Gold — lower tiers carry lower premiums and higher deductibles.

2026 Plan Data for Residents in Columbus

Here is what is actually filed and for sale in Franklin County for 2026.

• Columbus sits in Franklin County, where 8 carriers have filed 130 plans for 2026: Ambetter from Buckeye, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Antidote Health Plan of Ohio, CareSource, MedMutual, and others.
• Plan types available to Columbus residents: HMO.
• One of the lower-cost Silver options is Silver Simple PCP Saver from Oscar Health Insurance — $539/month at age 40 with a $5,750 deductible and $5 primary care.

Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits; not a quote or an offer of coverage. Verify current rates at enrollment.

Major Hospitals in Columbus

Medicare’s hospital directory lists these acute-care hospitals in Columbus:

• Doctors Hospital
• Grant Medical Center
• Mount Carmel East & West
• Ohio State University State Health System
• Riverside Methodist Hospital

That list says where the hospitals are, not which plans cover them. Network participation differs between plans from the same carrier and changes year to year, so check each hospital in a plan’s own provider directory before you enrol.

Source: CMS Hospital General Information (Care Compare).

What a Doctor Visit and an ER Visit Cost in Columbus

For care that is not an emergency, the difference between plans shows up in what a visit costs as well as in the premium. Across the plans filed in Franklin County for 2026:

• Silver (46 plans): a primary-care visit is most often a $40 copay (16 plans); an emergency-room visit is most often 40% coinsurance after the deductible (20 plans).
• Bronze (3 plans): a primary-care visit is most often no charge once the deductible is met (3 plans); an emergency-room visit is most often no charge once the deductible is met (3 plans).
• Gold (41 plans): a primary-care visit is most often a $30 copay (11 plans); an emergency-room visit is most often 25% coinsurance after the deductible (15 plans).

Urgent-care charges vary by plan and are not in the federal plan file, so check a plan’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage before relying on one.

Network Types in Columbus

Of the 130 plans filed in Franklin County, the network types are: HMO 130. No PPO is filed in Franklin County, so outside an emergency a plan pays only inside its own network.

PPO plans cover in-network providers without referrals and usually pay something out of network. HMO plans generally need a primary-care referral for specialists and pay nothing out of network except in emergencies. EPO plans also pay nothing out of network, but usually need no referral. If you see specialists or use a particular hospital, the network matters more than the plan label.

ACA Subsidies for Columbus Residents

Premium tax credits are set by household income against the federal poverty level and by the cost of the benchmark plan where you live, so two people with the same income in different counties can receive different credits. In Franklin County the benchmark — the second-cheapest Silver plan, which the credit is calculated from — is $538 a month for a 40-year-old at full price.

For a single adult in 2026 credits run from about $15,650 up to $62,600 of income, and to $128,600 for a family of four. Above 400% of poverty the credit stops completely — the enhanced rules that removed that cap expired on 31 December 2025.

Columbus Health Insurance Market Profile

• Population: 905K
• County: Franklin County
• Median Household Income: $56,000 (~358% of the 2026 FPL)
• Marketplace: healthcare.gov