I don’t have a checking account. Can the insurance company require that I get one and pay my premiums through automatic monthly withdrawals?

No. Insurers offering coverage in the health insurance Marketplace are required to provide a variety of payment methods and cannot require a consumer to pay by automatic bank withdrawals (sometimes called electronic funds transfers, or EFT.) Federal rules require the insurer to accept paper checks, cashier’s checks, money orders, and all general-purpose pre-paid debit cards, as well as EFT. These methods must be available to consumers for both the initial premium payment (at enrollment) and ongoing payments. (45 C.F.R. § 156.1240.)