▶Watch: Private PPO vs. ACA Marketplace — which is right for you? (50 sec)
Talk to a real, licensed advisor — not a bot or a call center.
A real licensed advisor who buys their own health coverage too, and shops your plan like it’s their own.
Can you still get private health insurance in Harrisburg, Hershey or Lancaster? Yes — and with 2027 open enrollment opening November 1, comparing your options matters more than ever. The enhanced federal subsidies expired at the end of 2025, so many households across Central Pennsylvania now earn too much for any Pennie subsidy and pay full price. Central PA is anchored by two of the state's top-ranked hospitals, Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Penn Medicine Lancaster General, and the plan you pick decides which of them you can use. We compare Pennie marketplace plans side by side with private PPO options at your exact ZIP code.
Pennsylvania runs its own marketplace, Pennie. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1; enroll by January 15 for a February 1 start.
Plans, prices, and networks change by ZIP code, so we quote every Pennie plan available at your address, check your 2027 premium tax credit, and help you enroll at no cost — across Dauphin, Cumberland, Lancaster, Lebanon, York and Berks counties.
We help individuals, families, and self-employed residents across the Susquehanna Valley and South Central Pennsylvania:
Harrisburg, Hershey, Hummelstown, Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg and Carlisle.
Lancaster, Lititz, Ephrata, Elizabethtown, Lebanon and Palmyra.
York, Hanover, Reading and West Reading.
For 2026, Capital Blue Cross (headquartered in Harrisburg), Highmark, Geisinger and UPMC Health Plan all sell individual and family plans across the Susquehanna Valley, with other carriers available in select counties.
Searching for "insurance that covers Hershey Medical Center," "a plan that accepts Penn State Health" or "private insurance for Lancaster General"? Central PA's top hospitals belong to different systems, and network access varies sharply by plan. Private PPO plans with national networks can open access to more of them than a narrow HMO.
The top-ranked hospital in the Harrisburg metro and Central Pennsylvania's academic medical center, including Penn State Health Children's Hospital and Penn State Cancer Institute.
Ranked #1 in the Lancaster metro, with high-performing marks across numerous procedures and conditions.
Tower Health's flagship and one of Pennsylvania's recognized top hospitals, serving Berks County.
UPMC's Central PA flagship, with hospitals across Harrisburg and the West Shore.
York Hospital and a network of hospitals across York, Adams, Lebanon and Lancaster counties.
Penn State Health's Camp Hill hospital serving the West Shore.
Whether these systems are in your network depends entirely on the plan you choose, and it changes year to year. Before you enroll, we verify your doctors and preferred hospitals against each plan's current network so there are no surprises.
See insurance options for all of Pennsylvania's top-ranked hospitals →
Marketplace plans are not the only route. We also offer private PPO plans outside Pennie on nationwide networks like Aetna, First Health and PHCS, priced on age and household rather than income. And many Central PA residents — especially the self-employed, independent contractors, farmers, tradespeople, state and healthcare workers, and small-business owners — qualify for true employer-level group coverage regulated under federal ERISA and Department of Labor rules. Qualifying as a bona fide employee takes only a few basic requirements — full-time work is not required — and pre-existing conditions are covered, just as with any employer group plan. Enrollment is open year-round, not just during open enrollment. Availability is subject to eligibility. Call us to see if you qualify.
The honest answer: it depends on your subsidy and your doctors. If you qualify for a meaningful premium tax credit and your doctors are in network, a Pennie plan is usually the better value. If you get little or no subsidy, or your doctors aren't in the networks you can afford, a private PPO or employer-level group plan frequently wins on network, price, or both. Families can also see our private family health insurance in Pennsylvania guide, and if you're 55–64 and bridging to Medicare, see health insurance before Medicare. For the statewide picture, see private health insurance in Pennsylvania.
Hershey Medical Center participates with selected plans from carriers such as Capital Blue Cross and Highmark, and access varies by plan type and year. Tell us you want Penn State Health and we'll compare the Pennie and private PPO options that include it.
Penn Medicine Lancaster General participates with selected plans, and participation can differ between plans from the same insurance company. We check each option's current network before you enroll.
Yes. Capital Blue Cross and Highmark still sell individual PPO options in Central Pennsylvania, and we also offer private PPO plans outside Pennie on nationwide networks like Aetna, First Health and PHCS, plus employer-level (ERISA) PPO options for those who qualify.
Pennie's 2027 open enrollment runs November 1, 2026 through January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for a January 1 start. Private PPO and employer-level group options can often be enrolled year-round.
Households earning above 400% of the federal poverty level get no 2027 subsidy and pay full price. Private PPO plans are priced on age and household rather than income, and often cost less for those households — we compare both side by side at no cost.
No. Premiums are identical with or without an agent — carriers pay us, not you. You get the comparison and enrollment help at no cost.
Compare Every Health Plan Available at Your Central PA ZIP Code
Free comparison from a licensed Pennsylvania producer (NPN 2764713) — Pennie, off-exchange, private PPO and employer-level options.
Carrier lineups shown are for 2026; 2027 plans are confirmed at open enrollment. Premiums vary by age, ZIP code, and household size. Employer-level group plan availability subject to eligibility requirements.
