To get insurance, decide which type of coverage you need, collect the documents that type requires, compare quotes from carriers or a government marketplace, and submit an application during the applicable enrollment window. How to get insurance depends heavily on which kind you’re after: health coverage runs on federal enrollment rules and can’t be denied for pre-existing conditions on marketplace or employer plans, while auto, home, and life insurance can be applied for any time but involve underwriting that looks at your driving record, your property, or your health.
Figure Out What You Need to Cover
Four types cover most people’s needs. Health insurance pays for medical care, and under the Affordable Care Act, marketplace and employer plans must cover a set of essential health benefits and can’t deny you or charge more for your medical history.1HealthCare.gov. Rights and Protections
Auto insurance is legally required to drive in every state except New Hampshire, and most states set minimum liability limits you have to carry.2Insurance Information Institute. Automobile Financial Responsibility Laws By State You can add collision, comprehensive, and uninsured motorist coverage on top of the minimum.
Homeowners insurance covers your property against fire, theft, certain natural disasters, and liability if someone is injured on your premises. Renters insurance covers your belongings and personal liability but not the building. Life insurance pays a benefit to your beneficiaries after your death. Term policies cover a set period, usually 10 to 30 years, and cost the least; whole and universal life policies build cash value but cost significantly more.
How to Get Health Insurance
Health insurance has strict enrollment rules, so timing matters more here than with any other type. You have three main paths: an employer plan, the ACA Marketplace, or a government program like Medicaid or Medicare.
Through an Employer
If your job offers health insurance, you can enroll when you’re first hired or during the company’s annual open enrollment window. Employers typically pay part of the premium, which makes this the cheapest route for most people who qualify. You can add a spouse and dependents, though the family portion of the premium can be expensive.
Through the ACA Marketplace
If you don’t have employer coverage, you can buy a plan through HealthCare.gov or your state’s marketplace. Open enrollment generally runs from November 1 through mid-January for coverage starting the following January 1.3Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Marketplace 2026 Open Enrollment Fact Sheet Apply online, by phone, through a certified enrollment partner, or by mailing a paper application.4HealthCare.gov. Apply for Health Insurance
Subsidies based on household income can cut your monthly premium substantially. Lower-income applicants may also qualify for cost-sharing reductions that lower deductibles and copays.
Outside Open Enrollment
You can still enroll outside open enrollment if you have a qualifying life event: losing existing coverage, getting married, having a baby, or moving. You generally have 60 days from the event to sign up, or 90 days if you lost Medicaid or CHIP coverage.5HealthCare.gov. Getting Health Coverage Outside Open Enrollment
If you’re leaving a job, COBRA lets you keep your employer’s group plan temporarily. It applies to employers with 20 or more employees.6Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 1161 – Plans Must Provide Continuation Coverage Qualifying events include termination (other than for gross misconduct), reduction of hours, divorce, the covered employee’s death, and a dependent aging out.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 29 USC 1163 – Qualifying Events The tradeoff: you pay the full premium plus a 2% administrative fee, since your employer no longer chips in. For many people, a subsidized marketplace plan costs less. Compare both.
How to Get Auto, Home, or Life Insurance
None of these have government-mandated enrollment windows. You can apply any time, and most carriers give you online quotes, phone applications, or in-person meetings with agents.
Auto Insurance
This is usually the fastest. You’ll need your driver’s license number, the VIN of the vehicle, and information about where you park it. Insurers will ask about your driving history and prior coverage. Most companies return an online quote within minutes. If you’ve had a lapse in coverage, expect to pay more.
Homeowners and Renters Insurance
A homeowners application asks for the property’s square footage, age, construction type, roof condition, and distance to a fire station. If you have a mortgage, your lender will require proof of coverage before closing. Renters insurance is simpler: usually just your address and an estimate of what your belongings are worth. For higher-value homes or ones with pools, wood-burning stoves, or older roofs, the insurer may send an inspector.
Life Insurance
Life insurance involves the most scrutiny. You’ll fill out a detailed application covering medical history, family health history, medications, and lifestyle habits like smoking. For larger policies, the insurer may require a paramedical exam with a blood draw, urine sample, height and weight, and a review of your medical records.
If you want to skip the exam, no-exam options exist. Accelerated underwriting uses algorithms and third-party data to evaluate you fast. Simplified issue requires only a health questionnaire but charges more and caps coverage lower. Guaranteed issue accepts everyone regardless of health, costs the most per dollar of coverage, and typically caps benefits around $25,000.
Documents You’ll Need
Having your paperwork ready before you start speeds the application up.
For a marketplace health plan, you’ll verify income, citizenship or immigration status, and household size. Acceptable documents include tax returns, pay stubs, immigration documents, and birth or adoption records.8HealthCare.gov. Required Documents and Deadlines
For auto insurance, have your driver’s license number, vehicle year, make, model, VIN, and details of your current or most recent policy.
For homeowners insurance, you’ll need the property address, information about the home’s construction and condition, mortgage details, and sometimes an inventory of high-value items like jewelry or art.
For life insurance, prepare a government photo ID, a list of current medications and dosages, names and contact information for doctors you’ve seen in the past five years, and details of any surgeries or medical conditions. If a paramedical exam is required, a mobile examiner comes to your home or office. Results go directly to the insurer.
What Affects Your Price
Premiums are priced to match the risk the insurer is taking on. A few levers apply across most types of coverage:
- A higher deductible lowers your premium because you absorb more cost before the insurer pays. Only pick a deductible you could actually cover in a pinch.
- Higher coverage limits mean a higher premium. Don’t cut limits just to save on premiums, because underinsuring can cost far more than the savings.
- Filing frequent claims pushes rates up at renewal, even when each claim is legitimate.
- Bundling multiple policies with the same carrier often triggers a discount. Auto and homeowners is the common pairing.
- Safety features like anti-theft devices, monitored security systems, smoke detectors, and updated electrical or plumbing may qualify for discounts.
For health insurance on ACA-compliant plans, insurers can’t use your medical history to price your premium. Rates depend on age, location, tobacco use, and plan level.1HealthCare.gov. Rights and Protections Short-term health plans and health care sharing ministries are not ACA-compliant and can deny you or exclude pre-existing conditions, so read the fine print before buying either.
For life insurance, age and health at the time you apply drive the price. Locking in term coverage while you’re young and healthy keeps costs down, since premiums climb significantly with each decade of age.
For auto insurance, insurers look at your driving record, claims history, vehicle type, annual mileage, and in most states a credit-based insurance score. A DUI or multiple at-fault accidents may push you out of the standard market and into a high-risk pool with much higher premiums. For homeowners insurance, location matters heavily. Homes in hurricane, wildfire, or flood zones cost more and may need separate policies for specific perils. If no standard carrier will write your home, most states operate FAIR plans that act as insurers of last resort, though coverage is limited and prices are higher.
If You’re Denied
A denial isn’t the end. Your next move depends on the type of insurance and the reason.
Health Insurance
If a health plan denies a claim or refuses to cover a service, you can appeal. File an internal appeal with the insurer within 180 days of the denial notice. The insurer must decide within 30 days for services you haven’t received yet or 60 days for services already provided.9HealthCare.gov. Internal Appeals For urgent situations where waiting could jeopardize your health, the decision comes within 72 hours.
If the internal appeal fails, you can request an external review by an independent third party. Under the ACA, this applies regardless of state or plan type.10Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. External Appeals In urgent cases, you can file the external review at the same time as the internal one without waiting for the insurer’s decision.9HealthCare.gov. Internal Appeals
Denials Based on a Consumer Report
If an insurer denies you or charges more based on a consumer report, federal law requires them to tell you. The notice must name the reporting agency, note that the agency didn’t make the coverage decision, and explain your right to a free copy of the report within 60 days and to dispute anything inaccurate.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 15 USC 1681m – Requirements on Users of Consumer Reports Pull your reports and fix any errors before reapplying.
Life Insurance
If a traditional life application is denied for health reasons, guaranteed issue policies accept all applicants without medical questions or exams. Coverage amounts are limited and premiums are high relative to the benefit, but they provide some protection for beneficiaries when standard coverage is off the table. An independent broker who specializes in high-risk cases can also help you find carriers with more favorable underwriting for your specific condition.
Keeping Coverage Active
Most policies renew automatically as long as you keep paying. The insurer may raise your premium at renewal based on updated claims data or broader market conditions, so read the renewal notice rather than letting it auto-renew without a look.
If you have a marketplace health plan with premium tax credits, you get a 3-month grace period before losing coverage for nonpayment, provided you’ve already paid at least one full month’s premium during the benefit year.12HealthCare.gov. Premium Payments, Grace Periods, and Losing Coverage Grace periods for other insurance types vary by state and policy, from as little as 24 hours to 30 days. Confirm yours in your policy documents rather than assuming.
Insurers can decide not to renew, but not without notice. For individual-market health insurance, federal law limits nonrenewal to a short list of reasons: nonpayment, fraud, the insurer leaving the market entirely, or the policyholder moving out of the service area.13Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 42 USC 300gg-42 – Guaranteed Renewability of Individual Health Insurance Coverage For auto and homeowners insurance, state laws typically require 30 to 90 days’ advance notice, giving you time to shop for a replacement. If you get a nonrenewal notice, start looking right away. A lapse pushes up the price of your next policy and, for auto insurance, can violate state law.