Written by the getCoverageNow Team
Sourced from Healthcare.gov, Medicaid.gov & CMS.gov • Updated July 2026
If you're comparing getCoverageNow and Policygenius, here's the most useful thing we can tell you upfront: these two tools aren't really substitutes for each other — they solve different problems, and a lot of people end up using both, one after the other.
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What Each One Actually Does
| getCoverageNow | Policygenius | |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | A free decision-guidance quiz | An insurance marketplace with licensed agents |
| What it answers | "What type of coverage fits my situation?" | "Which specific plan should I buy?" |
| Covers government options? | Yes — Medicaid, CHIP, ACA subsidies, ranked first when they're your best fit | Primarily private insurance products |
| Sign-up required? | No | Yes, to get quotes and enroll |
| Can you actually buy a policy? | No — we refer you onward | Yes, directly |
When getCoverageNow Is the Better Starting Point
If you're not sure whether you even qualify for free coverage, if you've just had a major life event (lost a job, turned 26, had a baby) and don't know your options, or if you want an unbiased first pass that doesn't assume you need to buy a private plan at all — start with getCoverageNow. It takes about a minute and doesn't ask for your contact information first.
When Policygenius Is the Better Next Step
Once you've established that an ACA Marketplace plan is genuinely your best option, Policygenius is a legitimate way to compare specific plans side-by-side and get help from a licensed agent through the actual enrollment paperwork — something getCoverageNow doesn't do. In fact, when our engine recommends a Marketplace plan, we often link directly to Policygenius (or eHealth) for exactly this reason, and disclose that we may earn a referral fee if you enroll through that link, at no extra cost to you.
The Honest Bottom Line
Think of getCoverageNow as the free first step that tells you what to look for, and Policygenius as one legitimate option for the second step, actually shopping and enrolling. If you already know you want an ACA plan and just want to compare quotes, you can skip straight to Policygenius. If you're not sure what you even qualify for, that's exactly the question getCoverageNow is built to answer first.