Individual + Family · Resource

Self-employed in Jackson Hole with no group plan: how to get health insurance

By Heather Huhn, Licensed Independent Insurance Agent (NPN 19222086) · Updated September 6, 2026 · Jackson Hole, Wyoming

Short version: if you work 1099 in Teton County — guiding, building, selling houses, cutting hair, plowing driveways, running a kitchen — you buy your own coverage through HealthCare.gov, and two things decide how the year goes. The income you estimate, and the dates you hit. Neither is hard once you know what the Marketplace is actually asking for. What savings you qualify for is covered separately, on our ACA subsidies in Wyoming page.

Where does a 1099 worker in Jackson actually buy coverage?

Wyoming does not run its own exchange, so individual coverage is bought through HealthCare.gov, the federally facilitated Marketplace. That is the same place a guide, a framer, a realtor or a server buys it. What you qualify for in savings depends on your expected income for the coverage year, not last year's.

You apply as a household, not as a business. A spouse's income counts, and so does the income of any tax dependent who is required to file. Everyone in the household goes on the application even if only one person needs the plan.

When can I enroll?

Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage starts November 1, 2026. December 15 is the date to hit: enroll or change plans by then and coverage starts January 1. Under the CMS rule standardizing Open Enrollment, December 15 is also when the federal platform's window closes for the coverage year.

HealthCare.gov, read September 6, 2026: “December 15: Last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage to start January 1.” CMS, 2025 Marketplace Integrity and Affordability Final Rule, June 20, 2025: “For Exchanges on the Federal platform, the OEP will run from November 1 through December 15 preceding the coverage year, beginning with the OEP for plan year 2027.”

What if it is not November?

Outside Open Enrollment you need a Special Enrollment Period, which a life event opens: losing other coverage, moving, getting married, or having a baby. Medicaid and CHIP work differently, and you can apply for those at any time of year, with no enrollment window attached.

How do I estimate income when the work is seasonal?

You report net self-employment income — profit, the Schedule C number — for the year you want coverage. If expenses run higher than income, you report a net loss. HealthCare.gov says to build the estimate from past experience, realistic expectations and industry standards, which is what a seasonal year gives you.

In Jackson that usually means adding up a shape rather than a salary. A winter season, a summer season, and two shoulder seasons that may be near zero. An outfitter's year, a builder's year and a realtor's year each have a different curve, and all three are legitimate ways to arrive at one annual number. Work from your own last two or three years and adjust for what you already know about this one: a booking calendar, a signed contract, a client who left, a season you are taking off.

Deductions matter here in a way they do not for a W-2 worker. Because the Marketplace asks for net income, the equipment, mileage, insurance and licenses that reduce your Schedule C profit also reduce the income figure on your application.

What happens if I earn more than I estimated?

Update the application as soon as it looks like the year will land differently. Earn more than you reported and you may have to pay back some or all of the premium tax credits taken during the year. Earn less and you may qualify for more savings than you claimed.

This is the part that catches seasonal workers, and it is entirely avoidable. A strong winter, an extra build, a listing that closes in December — each is a reason to log in and update the number while the year is still running, not at tax time.

What if my income is hard to prove?

The Marketplace may ask you to confirm it, usually by uploading a self-employment ledger. There is no standard format. A spreadsheet, an accounting export or a handwritten book all count, as long as it is an accurate, detailed record of income and expenses. Start keeping it now, not in April.

Should I look at an HSA-qualified plan?

It is worth pricing. For 2027 a qualifying high-deductible plan carries a deductible of at least $1,750 for self-only or $3,500 for family, with out-of-pocket maximums of $8,700 and $17,400. The HSA contribution limits are $4,500 and $9,000, and the money is yours whether or not you use it.

For a variable income that pairing has a particular use: you fund the account in the strong months and skip it in the thin ones. Whether it beats a lower-deductible plan depends on what you use in a year, which is a comparison worth running on paper rather than by instinct.

Can I deduct what I pay for the premium?

That is a tax question, and it belongs with your CPA. In broad terms the self-employed health insurance deduction is figured on IRS Form 7206 and reported on Schedule 1 of Form 1040. It is not available for any month you were eligible for an employer-subsidized plan, including a spouse's.

The interaction between that deduction and a premium tax credit is genuinely intricate, and it changes the arithmetic in both directions. This page is general information, not tax advice. Take the numbers to your CPA before you file.

What should I do this week?

Three things, and none of them need a decision yet. Pull last year's Schedule C, write down what you expect this year to look like, and put November 1 and December 15 in the calendar. The plan choice comes after those, not before.

  • Find last year's Schedule C. It is where the income figure starts.
  • Sketch the coming year by season, not by month. Winter, summer, and the two shoulders.
  • Add a spouse's income and any tax dependent who has to file. The application is a household, not a business.
  • Start a self-employment ledger now. A spreadsheet is enough.
  • Write down the doctors, the clinics and the prescriptions that have to keep working. That is what picks the plan.
  • Put November 1 and December 15 in the calendar.

We do this work for people across Teton County and the rest of Wyoming, and we are licensed in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, California and Texas. For what the savings side looks like, read ACA subsidies in Wyoming. If you also carry gaps a medical plan does not cover, see supplemental coverage. Read next on our individual and family page, pick a time, or call 307-284-3060.

Questions people ask

How does a self-employed person in Wyoming get health insurance?

Through HealthCare.gov, the federally facilitated Marketplace, because Wyoming does not run its own exchange. You apply in your own name, report your expected net self-employment income for the coverage year, and choose a plan. Coverage can start January 1 if you enroll by December 15.

What income do I put on a Marketplace application if I am self-employed?

Your net income from self-employment, profit, the same figure you report on Schedule C, estimated for the year you want coverage, not last year. Household income also includes a spouse and any tax dependents required to file. If expenses exceed income, you report a net loss.

When is Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage?

It starts November 1, 2026. December 15 is the date that decides the year: enroll or change plans by then and coverage starts January 1. Under the CMS rule standardizing Open Enrollment from plan year 2027, December 15 is also when the federal platform's window closes.

Can I get coverage in the middle of the year?

Outside Open Enrollment, yes, with a Special Enrollment Period. Losing other coverage, moving, getting married and having a baby each open one. Medicaid and CHIP are different: applications are accepted at any time of year, with no enrollment window attached to them.

Reviewed by Heather Huhn, Licensed Independent Insurance Agent NPN 19222086. Licensed in Wyoming, Idaho, Montana, Colorado, California and Texas, and based in Jackson, Wyoming. Heather places individual and family coverage for self-employed people across Teton County and the rest of the state, and reviewed every date, figure and rule on this page against the sources below. More about Heather. Carriers build our commission into the plan, so you pay the same premium whether you enroll on your own or with us.

Sources

All dates, figures and rules on this page were read September 6, 2026 from the sources above. This page is general information, not tax or legal advice; the self-employed health insurance deduction and its interaction with a premium tax credit are tax questions for your CPA. Huhn Insurance is a licensed independent insurance agency, not the government, and not affiliated with the Health Insurance Marketplace.