 [ Symptoms ] would it be less expensive for me to buy health insurance on my own rather than get it through my employer  i do not make a lot of money and would probably qualify for low income costs [ Disease ] you can buy a plan through the marketplace but if your employer is plan is considered affordable you will not qualify for a tax credit to help pay for coverage affordable is employer based insurance that does not cost more than 9 5 of your annual income and pays for 60 of the medical care covered by your health plan generally employer based insurance is a better deal than buying it on your own in large part because you do not pay taxes on those benefits