500 University Avenue West, Minot, ND
800-233-1737

North Dakota Navigator

Health Insurance Resource Links:
Roadmap to Better Care
The Value of Health Insurance
Glossary 

Healthcare Insurance Marketplace Resources
Healthcare.Gov (Health Insurance Marketplace)
Marketplace Application Checklist
Special Enrollment Periods

Medicaid/CHIP Resources
www.ApplyForHelp.ND.Gov (ND Medicaid)

Native American/Alaskan Native
Healthcare off the Reservation
10 Important Facts about IHS and Health Insurance

ND Navigator Information
Printable Brochure
ND Navigators Regional map
Facebook 
Instagram 

Agencies can email cheryl.coyle@minotstateu.edu to set up outreach or enrollment events.

DO YOU NEED HEALTH COVERAGE? 

With health insurance coverage, you can visit a doctor without worrying about paying full price for expensive medical bills. Individuals and families can find health insurance coverage through private insurance companies, an employer’s group plan, the Health Insurance Marketplace, Medicaid, or Children’s Health Insurance Plans (CHIP). Most plans offer free preventive care such as annual checkups with your doctor, age-based screenings, certain vaccines, mental health services, and more.

Sorting through these options can be overwhelming and confusing. Plans have different costs and cover different services. Programs such as North Dakota Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) have income limits, while Marketplace plans have eligibility rules. You may be questioning if a private plan is actually going to cover your healthcare needs.

ND Health Insurance Navigators can help answer these questions. Our team is trained to understand the details so that you don’t have to. We can explain confusing terms, such as coinsurance, and how they will affect your costs. A Navigator can sit down beside you and help compare plans so you can be confident in your selection. Our team can also assist remotely with all or part of your insurance application. North Dakotans should have access to affordable health care. ND Navigators are a local, unbiased service. We are here to help break down some of the enrollment barriers by making the process easier and giving you and your family better access to essential healthcare.

For more information about affordable healthcare plans or to request enrollment assistance, contact one of our ND Navigators at 1-800-233-1737 or 701-858-3580. You may also send an email to NDNavigators@MinotStateU.edu or complete our Contact Form to connect with a Navigator in your region.

What is the Health Insurance Marketplace?

The Health Insurance Marketplace, or just Marketplace, can be found at: healthcare.gov. The Marketplace lets you compare health insurance plan options from various companies and complete an application for healthcare coverage. Most people use the Marketplace when they don’t have coverage through a job or the plan their company offers is too expensive.

You may be able to apply if you are a/an:

  • unemployed or part-time employee,
  • nonprofit employee,
  • self-employed,
  • contractor,
  • bartender/server
  • gig worker,
  • artist,
  • or otherwise without affordable health benefits.

Members of enrolled Native American tribes can get coverage and still maintain use of Indian Health Services (IHS). Some families may qualify for zero or low-cost-share plans as well as year-round enrollment options. Members living outside an IHS coverage area may consider a Marketplace plan to gain access to additional care closer to home.

What is the enrollment process?

When you apply for a plan on the Marketplace, you will need to enter your household income. If your income is low enough, you may qualify for Medicaid. If it’s higher, you will be shown available Marketplace plans. Your income data will determine how much you could get in Premium Tax Credits (PTCs). These tax credits make the monthly cost of a health insurance plan (your Premium) more affordable.

To see what you may qualify for, try our income calculator below.

What if I qualify for Medicaid?

North Dakota Medicaid is a program to help pay healthcare costs for eligible individuals and families. Details for the ND Medicaid program can be found here: (www.applyforhelp.nd.gov). ND Navigators can assist with the Medicaid enrollment application. Sometimes only part of your household qualifies for Medicaid. If this happens, the other members of your household may still qualify to enroll in a separate Marketplace plan. Our team can talk you through the options to help decide what works best for you.

Throughout the COVID-19 public health emergency, some households got coverage through Medicaid. They may still have this coverage even if income and households have changed. Medicaid and CHIP renewal applications have not been sent since early 2020. Starting in April 2023, ND Medicaid began sending renewal information to Medicaid enrollees to update account information and verify current household income. Log in to your account to update your contact information. This way, you will receive important mail about coverage updates and Medicaid plan renewal applications.

Contact the ND Medicaid office at 1-866-614-6005 if you have questions or are not sure how to update your contact information online. You can also call a ND Navigator for questions about health insurance, including Medicaid.

If you are losing Medicaid coverage, North Dakota Navigators can help you find an affordable health insurance plan. Call 1-800-233-1737, email NDNavigators@MinotStateu.edu, or fill out our Contact Form and a local Navigator will be in touch.

What is a Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP)?

CHIP is for children under age 18 who do not have health insurance coverage. The household income levels are higher for CHIP than for Medicaid. Income guidelines can be found here: www.nd.gov/dhs/services/medicalserv/chip. CHIP is intended to meet the needs of working families, who cannot afford health insurance coverage for their children, yet earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. Coverage is available for uninsured children age 18 and younger who live in families with qualifying incomes. Single 18-year-olds with eligible incomes may also apply.

When can I sign up for health insurance?

Open enrollment is a time when everyone can apply for coverage in the Health Insurance Marketplace. For coverage in 2023, the open enrollment period ended on January 15. If you missed this deadline, a life change may qualify you for a special enrollment period. Certain income limits may also mean you qualify for Medicaid or CHIP plans, in which you can enroll year round.

What is a Special Enrollment Period?

After Open Enrollment, you can still enroll in coverage if you have a qualifying life change that will give you a special enrollment period (SEP). These changes include things like the birth or adoption of a child, losing your job-based coverage, moving to a new coverage area, or getting married. If your household is considered low-income (below 150% federal poverty level), you may enroll in Medicaid or the Marketplace at any time of year. To check your income level, try our calculator near the bottom of this page.

ND Health Insurance Navigators are here year-round to answer questions and provide enrollment assistance for the Marketplace, Medicaid, or CHIP. If you don’t have affordable health insurance coverage, contact us, and we can review your options.

Looking for Medicare? (Usually for individuals age 65 and older)

Navigators are not trained to provide assistance with Medicare enrollments. For assistance with Medicare enrollment, contact the North Dakota Insurance Department. (https://www.insurance.nd.gov/consumers/medicare-assistance). For questions about Medicare fraud, visit the Senior Medicare Patrol. This is another grant program located at the ND Center for Persons with Disabilities on the Minot State University campus.

ND Navigators Contact Information

For more information about affordable health insurance plans through Marketplace, Medicaid or CHIP, or to request enrollment assistance, contact one of our local ND Navigators at 1-800-233-1737 or 701-858-3580. You may also send an email to NDNavigators@MinotStateU.edu or complete our Contact Form to be connected to a Navigator in your region.

Where are we located?

Our main offices are located at the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities on the Minot State University campus. We also have team members working remotely in Fargo, Bismarck, Fort Yates and Belcourt.

Minot State University
Memorial Hall 203
500 University Avenue West
Minot, ND 58707
1-800-233-1737

North Dakota Navigator Staff

North Dakota Navigators Banner

This grant is supported by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) as part of a financial assistance award totaling $1,049,340 with 100 percent funded by CMS/HHS. The contents are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent the official views of, nor an endorsement, by CMS/HHS or the U.S. Government.