Before you start

Virginia residence
Income information for subsidy or Medicaid eligibility
An SSN or ITIN for marketplace applications
A qualifying life event, if enrolling outside the annual window

Step-by-step

1
Enrol in your employer's plan within the new-hire window
Typically 30 days from your start date. Compare the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, not just the premium — the hospital systems and the university tend to offer the strongest plans in the region.
Via employerWho: YouFirst 30 days of employment
2
Without an employer plan, use Virginia's Insurance Marketplace
Virginia runs its own exchange, reached at marketplace.virginia.gov, rather than HealthCare.gov. Open Enrollment begins on 1 November; outside it you need a qualifying life event such as losing coverage, moving, marriage or a new child.
OnlineWho: You
3
Check Virginia Medicaid eligibility first
Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2019, so adults on low incomes are covered with no premium and enrolment runs year-round rather than in a window. CoverVA is the front door for both Medicaid and FAMIS, the children's programme.
OnlineWho: You
4
Register with a primary care practice early
Community health centres charge on a sliding fee scale regardless of insurance status, and the HRSA finder lists the ones in Norfolk. Getting onto a list while healthy is far easier than during an episode.
In personWho: You
5
Know where the trauma centre is before hurricane season
Sentara Norfolk General is the region's Level I trauma centre and Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters is next door. In a city where evacuation zones are real and the tunnels can close, knowing which hospital is on your side of the water matters more than it would elsewhere.
In personWho: You
6
Learn the urgent care versus emergency room distinction
An emergency department visit for something a clinic could treat can cost thousands even when insured. Urgent care handles fractures, stitches and infections far more cheaply and there are plenty across the seven cities.
In personWho: You

Documents you’ll need

Proof of Virginia residence
Income documentation for subsidies or Medicaid
SSN or ITIN
Immigration documents for marketplace eligibility categories
Evidence of losing prior coverage, if using a special enrolment period

Things most newcomers don’t know

Virginia left HealthCare.gov — do not start there.

Virginia now runs its own state-based exchange at marketplace.virginia.gov. CoverVA, the state's own coverage portal, describes it as the only place to get financial assistance to lower the cost of coverage and care. Guides written before the transition send Virginians to the federal site, where they will not find their plans or their subsidy.

Source: CoverVA — Virginia's Insurance Marketplace

Medicaid has no enrolment window and the marketplace does.

Virginia expanded Medicaid in 2019 and enrolment runs year-round, while marketplace Open Enrollment starts on 1 November and closes. If your income might qualify, check Medicaid first and at any time of year — people wait for November unnecessarily and go uninsured for months.

Source: CoverVA — Virginia's Insurance Marketplace

Hurricane season is a health-planning question here, not just a weather one.

Norfolk has real evacuation zones, and the tunnels connecting the seven cities can close or gridlock. Knowing which hospital is on your side of the water, keeping a fortnight of prescriptions in hand, and registering with a practice before September are all things residents do and newcomers learn the hard way.

Source: community-reported

TRICARE is not the same thing as civilian coverage.

In a Navy town, a lot of the health advice you will hear informally comes from people on TRICARE, the military system, which works differently from anything on the marketplace. If you are a civilian newcomer, most of that advice does not transfer — check against CoverVA rather than a neighbour.

Source: community-reported

Common mistakes to avoid

Going to HealthCare.gov instead of Virginia's own marketplace.
Waiting for November when Medicaid enrolment is open all year.
Missing the 30-day new-hire enrolment window and waiting a year.
Taking health advice from TRICARE-covered neighbours and assuming it applies to you.
Choosing on premium alone and meeting a five-figure deductible in January.

Some of this may be out of date. Spotted something inaccurate? Help us keep it right for the next newcomer.