How much is health insurance in 2026?
The 2026 national benchmark Silver plan averages $615 per month for a 40-year-old before subsidies. On HealthCare.gov, where both years are directly comparable, the benchmark is up 30.2 percent. Estimate yours below in 60 seconds.
Your 2026 monthly premium
Five inputs, instant ballpark. Uses CMS / KFF benchmark data and the 2026 ACA subsidy rules.
The 2026 metal tier ladder
ACA-compliant plans are sorted into four tiers by actuarial value, the share of typical medical costs the plan covers. Climbing the ladder buys richer coverage with a lower deductible at a higher monthly premium.
ACA Metal Tier Ladder
2026 averagesWhere you get coverage shapes what you pay
Individual ACA benchmark Silver plan, 2026 national average for a 40-year-old. Subject to subsidies if income is below 400 percent FPL.
Average employee share of an individual employer plan. Employer covers roughly 84 percent of the total premium.
Medicaid, CHIP, and other free or near-free coverage for households below 138 percent FPL in expansion states.
Pick the angle that matters to you
Cost by age
From $492 at 21 to $1,372 at 64. The ACA 3:1 age curve, the turning-26 moment, and what every age bracket actually pays.
Cost by state
New Hampshire is the cheapest at $401, Vermont the most expensive at $1,286. Every state and DC ranked on 2026 filings.
Family coverage
Couple, family of 3, family of 4, family of 5+ broken out by age and plan tier. With subsidy thresholds.
Plan types & tiers
Bronze through Platinum, plus HMO vs PPO vs EPO vs HDHP, side by side with 2026 dollar amounts.
ACA subsidies & cliff
Premium tax credits, the 400 percent FPL cliff, cost-sharing reductions, and how to plan around the new 2026 rules.
Employer coverage
What employers pay, what employees pay, the affordability test, COBRA, and when the marketplace beats employer.
Total cost guide
Premium plus deductible plus copay plus coinsurance plus OOP max. The full annual healthcare bill, walked through.
Self-employed
QSEHRA, ICHRA, the self-employed health insurance deduction, and the 2026 cliff impact on freelancers.
Medicaid & CHIP
Eligibility by family size, expansion states, the coverage gap, and other free or low-cost options.
Lower your cost
Subsidy planning, HSA, HDHP pairings, CSR Silver, association plans. Ten strategies that genuinely move the bill.
Cost calculator
Full version: age, state, income, family size, tier, and usage. Returns subsidy, monthly premium, and total annual cost.
Open enrollment
2027 coverage dates, Special Enrollment Periods, qualifying life events, state marketplaces, common mistakes.
The enhanced credits expired, and the cliff is back
The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 did two things to ACA premium tax credits. First, they removed the income cap entirely: above 400 percent FPL you still got a subsidy if your benchmark Silver plan cost more than 8.5 percent of income. Second, they made the credits more generous at every income band. Both provisions sunset on 31 December 2025.
For 2026, the original ACA rules apply again. There is a hard cliff at 400 percent of the Federal Poverty Level: $62,600 for a single person, $84,600 for a couple, $128,600 for a family of 4. Cross it by $1 and your subsidy drops to zero. A 60-year-old earning $62,500 in Florida pays about $510 a month after subsidies (capped near 9.8 percent of income). The same person earning $63,000 loses the credit entirely and pays the full premium, about $1,450 a month.
Combined with medical inflation, GLP-1 drug pressure, and a smaller risk pool, the HealthCare.gov benchmark Silver premium is up 30.2 percent year over year, from $496 to $646, on the same measure computed from the CMS rate filings for both plan years.