How health insurance works in New Jersey
New Jerseyans buying their own coverage have two markets: Get Covered New Jersey (getcovered.nj.gov), where plans from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, AmeriHealth New Jersey, and Aetna CVS Health are guaranteed-issue and priced on income, and the private shared-network market, where PPO plans on MagnaCare and Cigna PPO are underwritten and priced on age and health.
Medicaid is expanded (NJ FamilyCare) in New Jersey. New Jersey has its own individual mandate: residents without qualifying coverage owe a Shared Responsibility Payment on their state return.
What it costs
Full-price marketplace plans for a 40-year-old in Newark commonly run $550–$850 a month in 2026; with a subsidy, often under $300. Private PPOs for the same healthy person run roughly $320–$480. New Jersey has a progressive state income tax, so a self-employed health premium deduction is worth more here than in a no-tax state.
The New Jersey picture
New Jersey does not allow short-term medical plans, so the private alternatives here are the shared-network PPO plans rather than short-term coverage.