US Medical Term · insurance
Health Insurance Marketplace
Mercado de Seguros de Salud
What it means
The Health Insurance Marketplace is a service that helps people shop for and enroll in health insurance. HealthCare.gov, a website of the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, explains that the federal government operates the Marketplace for most states, and that some states run their own Marketplaces. It is also known as the "Marketplace" or "exchange," and it provides health plan shopping and enrollment services through websites, call centers, and in-person help. People who apply for individual and family coverage provide income and household information and find out whether they qualify for premium tax credits and other savings, or for coverage through Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Small businesses can use the Small Business Health Options Program (SHOP) Marketplace to provide health insurance for their employees.
Health Insurance Marketplace in Spanish
- Spanish term
- Mercado de Seguros de Salud
- Gender and article
- masculine: el Mercado de Seguros de Salud
- Pronunciation
- mehr-KAH-doh deh seh-GOO-rohs deh sah-LOOD
| Other Spanish terms | Where it is used | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Mercado de Seguros Médicos | General | The form CuidadoDeSalud.gov prints as the title of its glossary entry. |
| Mercado | General | Short form; the CuidadoDeSalud.gov glossary enters it as an abbreviation of "Mercado de Seguros Médicos". |
| intercambio | General | Glossary entry on CuidadoDeSalud.gov, defined as another term for the Mercado de Seguros Médicos. |
None of the pages cited here prints the headword Mercado de Seguros de Salud in that exact form. The form used by CuidadoDeSalud.gov, a website of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, is Mercado de Seguros Médicos, which its glossary defines as un servicio que ayuda a las personas a comprar e inscribirse en un seguro de salud. The same glossary enters the short form Mercado as an abbreviation of that name, and it enters intercambio as another term for it. The noun is masculine, and these pages capitalize it in el Mercado and sus propios Mercados.
For applying, the glossary writes Complete una solicitud del Mercado and Cuando llene una solicitud del Mercado. Vocabulary that appears beside the term includes créditos tributarios para las primas (premium tax credits), centros de llamadas (call centers), asistencia en persona (in-person help), pequeños negocios (small businesses) and Programa de Seguro Médico para Niños (CHIP) for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Medicaid keeps its English name.
Phrases for an appointment
What a patient or a clinician might say, in English and Spanish:
| Who | English | Spanish |
|---|---|---|
| Patient | I lost my job-based coverage. Can I get a plan through the Marketplace? | Perdí la cobertura que tenía por mi trabajo. ¿Puedo obtener un plan a través del Mercado? |
| Clinician | Do you have a Marketplace plan, or coverage through an employer? | ¿Tiene un plan del Mercado, o cobertura a través de un empleador? |
| Patient | I filled out a Marketplace application last week. | Llené una solicitud del Mercado la semana pasada. |
| Clinician | Does your state run its own Marketplace? | ¿Su estado administra su propio Mercado? |
| Patient | How do I find out if I qualify for premium tax credits? | ¿Cómo averiguo si califico para créditos tributarios para las primas? |
| Clinician | The application asks for information about your income and your household. | La solicitud le pide información sobre sus ingresos y su hogar. |
| Patient | Is the exchange the same thing as the Marketplace? | ¿El intercambio es lo mismo que el Mercado? |
| Patient | Can I enroll by phone or with in-person help? | ¿Puedo inscribirme por teléfono o con ayuda en persona? |
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Health Insurance Marketplace |
| Spanish (Español) | Mercado de Seguros de Salud |
| Chinese (中文) | 健康保险市场 |
| Korean (한국어) | 건강보험 마켓플레이스 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Sàn giao dịch bảo hiểm y tế |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Health Insurance Marketplace |
| Portuguese (Português) | Mercado de Seguros de Saúde |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | ตลาดประกันสุขภาพ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 保険マーケットプレイス |
Where you'll see it
Related terms
Your right to an interpreter in the United States
If English is not your primary language and you have difficulty communicating in English, you may need an interpreter or a translated document when you visit a doctor or dentist, go to the emergency room or pick up a prescription. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights states that two federal laws, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act, require programs that receive its funding to provide language access services free of charge.
You can ask when you make the appointment or at the front desk: "I need an interpreter, please." «Necesito un intérprete, por favor.»
More terms: Insurance and billing
All terms in this area: Insurance and billing — Seguro médico y facturación
Related guide
→ US Guide: marketplace plans and subsidiesSources
- Health Insurance Marketplace® - Glossary | HealthCare.gov — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Mercado de Seguros Médicos - Glosario | CuidadoDeSalud.gov — Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS)
- Marketplace - Glossary | HealthCare.gov — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- Mercado - Glosario | CuidadoDeSalud.gov — Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS)
- Intercambio - Glosario | CuidadoDeSalud.gov — Centros de Servicios de Medicare y Medicaid (CMS)
- Limited English Proficiency (LEP): Your Right to Language Assistance Services — U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office for Civil Rights
This page is a language reference. It is not medical advice.
Last reviewed: October 8, 2026