Research note · Definitions
How much does health insurance cost per month in 2027?
In 2026, the benchmark Marketplace plan for a 40-year-old cost an average of $625 a month before tax credits, and the cheapest bronze plan $456 (KFF benchmark premiums; KFF premiums by metal tier). Most people paid far less: across the 23.1 million people who picked a Marketplace plan for 2026, the average premium was $741 a month before the tax credit and $178 after it (CMS, 2026 Open Enrollment public use files). For 2027, insurers proposed a median increase of 15% (KFF).
Those are averages. Your own price depends on five things the law lets insurers use, on your household income, and on the plan you pick. This page explains each one with its source, shows the 2027 tax credit math, and lists every state's 2026 numbers. It is educational, not personalized insurance or tax advice, and it quotes no carrier's price.
Health insurance cost per month at a glance
| Coverage | Monthly cost | Source and period |
|---|---|---|
| Marketplace benchmark (second-lowest silver), age 40, before tax credit | $625 | KFF, 2026 |
| Marketplace lowest-cost bronze, age 40, before tax credit | $456 | KFF, 2026 |
| Average Marketplace premium per enrollee, before tax credit | $741 | CMS, 2026 Open Enrollment |
| Average Marketplace premium per enrollee, after tax credit | $178 | CMS, 2026 Open Enrollment |
| Employer plan, single coverage, total premium | about $777 | KFF, 2025 ($9,325 a year) |
| Employer plan, single coverage, worker's share | about $120 | KFF, 2025 ($1,440 a year) |
| Employer plan, family coverage, total premium | about $2,249 | KFF, 2025 ($26,993 a year) |
| Employer plan, family coverage, worker's share | about $571 | KFF, 2025 ($6,850 a year) |
Monthly employer figures are the annual averages from the KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey divided by 12. Marketplace averages are monthly premiums per person.
Why the averages are so far apart
The $741 and the $178 describe the same 23.1 million people. The difference is the premium tax credit. In 2026, 20.0 million of them, 86.6%, received it in advance, and 6.2 million, 26.9%, paid $10 a month or less after it (CMS, same files; percentages are our arithmetic on the CMS counts).
So "how much is health insurance per month" has two honest answers. The sticker price for a middle-aged adult is several hundred dollars a month. What a household pays depends mostly on income, because the credit fills the gap between the sticker price and a set share of income. Above 400% of the federal poverty level, there is no credit under the rules HealthCare.gov describes today, and you pay the sticker price (HealthCare.gov, premium tax credit).
What sets your premium
HealthCare.gov lists five factors insurers can use for Marketplace and other ACA-compliant individual plans:
- Age. "Premiums can be up to 3 times higher for older people than for younger ones." A 64-year-old can pay up to three times what a 21-year-old pays for the same plan.
- Location. Prices are set by rating area, so two counties in one state can differ a lot. The state table below shows how wide the spread is.
- Tobacco use. "Insurers can charge tobacco users up to 50% more." Some states limit or ban this.
- Who is on the plan. Each person added, a spouse or children, adds a premium.
- Plan category. Bronze, silver, gold and platinum split costs differently. A lower premium means a higher deductible and more cost when you use care.
What cannot change an ACA-compliant premium: "Your health, medical history, or sex can't affect your premium" (same page). That protection does not apply to plans outside the ACA rules, such as short-term medical or underwritten private plans, which can price or decline you based on health. See private health insurance in the USA for how each kind of plan is priced.
How the tax credit sets what you pay in 2027
The enhanced premium tax credits, which held the benchmark plan to at most 8.5% of income at any income level, expired at the end of 2025 (KFF). For 2027, the IRS set the share of income a household is expected to pay toward the benchmark plan at 2.15% to 10.22%, depending on income (IRS, Rev. Proc. 2026-26, Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-31):
| Household income, % of the poverty level | Expected share of income for the benchmark plan, 2027 |
|---|---|
| Below 133% | 2.15% |
| 133% to 150% | 3.23% to 4.30% |
| 150% to 200% | 4.30% to 6.78% |
| 200% to 250% | 6.78% to 8.66% |
| 250% to 300% | 8.66% to 10.22% |
| 300% to 400% | 10.22% |
The credit is the benchmark premium for your age and county minus that expected amount. Pick a cheaper plan and you keep the difference; pick a pricier one and you pay it.
The 2026 poverty guidelines, which apply to 2027 Marketplace coverage, are $15,960 for one person and $33,000 for a family of four in the 48 contiguous states and DC (HHS ASPE). 400% is $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four.
Two illustrations, our arithmetic on the IRS table, not a quote:
- One person earning $40,000 (about 251% of the poverty level) is expected to pay about 8.68% of income, roughly $3,470 a year or $289 a month, for the benchmark plan. If the benchmark where they live is $625, the credit is about $336 a month.
- A family of four earning $90,000 (about 273%) is expected to pay about 9.37%, roughly $8,430 a year or $703 a month, for the benchmark plan covering all four.
Above 400%, the expected share does not apply because there is no credit. A single 55-year-old earning $70,000 pays the full price of whatever plan they pick. That is where comparing Marketplace plans with plans sold outside it matters most. See the 2026 subsidy cliff.
Savings are based on your income estimate for the year you want coverage, and you get exact prices and savings only on a Marketplace application (HealthCare.gov, lower costs). If you take more credit in advance than your final income supports, you repay the difference at tax time (HealthCare.gov, premium tax credit).
What changes for 2027
- Premiums. Insurers proposed a median increase of 15% across 276 insurers in all 50 states and DC. These are proposed rates, not final (KFF, updated August 3, 2026). KFF lists the end of the enhanced tax credits among the drivers.
- Out-of-pocket maximum. The most a Marketplace plan can make you pay for covered in-network care rises from $10,600 to $12,000 for one person, and from $21,200 to $24,000 for a family (HealthCare.gov, out-of-pocket maximum).
- HSA plans. For 2027, an HSA-eligible plan must have a deductible of at least $1,750 for one person or $3,500 for a family, and you can contribute up to $4,500 or $9,000 (IRS, Rev. Proc. 2026-24).
Monthly premium is only part of the cost. A plan with a $300 premium and a $9,000 deductible can cost more in a bad year than a $450 plan with a $2,000 deductible. For worked examples, see deductible, copay, coinsurance and out-of-pocket max.
Employer coverage and COBRA
At work, the employer usually pays most of the premium. In 2025 the average single plan cost $9,325 a year and the worker paid $1,440 of it; the average family plan cost $26,993 and the worker paid $6,850 (KFF 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey).
That changes the day the job ends. COBRA lets you keep the same plan, but you "may be required to pay the entire premium for coverage up to 102% of the cost to the plan" (U.S. Department of Labor). On an average single plan, that is about $793 a month instead of $120. Losing job-based coverage also opens a 60-day window to pick a Marketplace plan, where the price depends on income instead; see losing employer coverage and health insurance when you are unemployed.
Health insurance cost by state, 2026
Every figure below is from the CMS 2026 Open Enrollment state file (people who picked a plan, share with an advance tax credit, average monthly premium per person before and after it, for everyone who picked a plan) and the KFF 2026 benchmark for a 40-year-old. State-run exchanges that add their own state premium help are shown without it, as CMS reports them. Each state links to its guide with the Open Enrollment dates and the rest of its rules.
| State | Picked a plan (2026) | Got a tax credit | Avg. before credit | Avg. after credit | Benchmark, age 40 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | 455,776 | 91.1% | $743 | $126 | $645 |
| Alaska | 26,079 | 73.8% | $1,043 | $344 | $1,032 |
| Arizona | 357,144 | 82.7% | $688 | $229 | $532 |
| Arkansas | 160,307 | 86.9% | $839 | $162 | $774 |
| California | 1,927,371 | 81.9% | $737 | $264 | $570 |
| Colorado | 277,238 | 68.9% | $673 | $318 | $557 |
| Connecticut | 156,745 | 79.0% | $1,030 | $277 | $870 |
| Delaware | 44,663 | 80.7% | $901 | $320 | $691 |
| Florida | 4,538,772 | 94.6% | $806 | $106 | $683 |
| Georgia | 1,324,295 | 89.1% | $777 | $164 | $615 |
| Hawaii | 23,380 | 71.4% | $778 | $372 | $541 |
| Idaho | 120,426 | 76.5% | $509 | $202 | $490 |
| Illinois | 448,568 | 85.2% | $816 | $230 | $646 |
| Indiana | 300,049 | 83.4% | $623 | $222 | $474 |
| Iowa | 123,304 | 76.1% | $615 | $235 | $501 |
| Kansas | 192,811 | 88.7% | $779 | $160 | $670 |
| Kentucky | 89,028 | 80.2% | $797 | $288 | $590 |
| Louisiana | 296,648 | 91.2% | $759 | $144 | $646 |
| Maine | 58,523 | 74.5% | $913 | $340 | $709 |
| Maryland | 255,612 | 67.4% | $542 | $284 | $414 |
| Massachusetts | 403,624 | 72.4% | $594 | $325 | $494 |
| Michigan | 497,064 | 81.1% | $657 | $222 | $523 |
| Minnesota | 139,251 | 49.5% | $639 | $437 | $448 |
| Mississippi | 313,392 | 95.4% | $816 | $131 | $662 |
| Missouri | 365,734 | 86.5% | $724 | $173 | $605 |
| Montana | 73,255 | 77.7% | $729 | $230 | $692 |
| Nebraska | 128,492 | 86.5% | $800 | $217 | $710 |
| Nevada | 104,286 | 82.4% | $659 | $234 | $497 |
| New Hampshire | 66,024 | 55.7% | $553 | $342 | $401 |
| New Jersey | 509,192 | 82.2% | $734 | $277 | $545 |
| New Mexico | 83,103 | 82.3% | $842 | $299 | $623 |
| New York | 210,704 | 42.6% | $812 | $636 | $817 |
| North Carolina | 761,457 | 87.1% | $755 | $180 | $638 |
| North Dakota | 41,014 | 78.5% | $591 | $229 | $570 |
| Ohio | 469,616 | 82.6% | $665 | $233 | $513 |
| Oklahoma | 261,887 | 90.7% | $727 | $161 | $604 |
| Oregon | 118,372 | 60.0% | $741 | $426 | $543 |
| Pennsylvania | 501,459 | 79.8% | $742 | $251 | $572 |
| Rhode Island | 43,446 | 82.2% | $649 | $246 | $506 |
| South Carolina | 587,567 | 89.2% | $655 | $139 | $564 |
| South Dakota | 50,951 | 83.3% | $684 | $211 | $655 |
| Tennessee | 569,310 | 90.3% | $838 | $141 | $711 |
| Texas | 4,172,233 | 92.9% | $709 | $89 | $661 |
| Utah | 387,336 | 90.4% | $571 | $120 | $640 |
| Vermont | 30,344 | 76.9% | $1,090 | $364 | $1,299 |
| Virginia | 370,086 | 77.9% | $575 | $215 | $455 |
| Washington | 290,109 | 64.5% | $738 | $343 | $612 |
| Washington, D.C. | 16,053 | 18.8% | $815 | $725 | $610 |
| West Virginia | 55,879 | 88.9% | $1,314 | $208 | $1,073 |
| Wisconsin | 291,336 | 78.3% | $784 | $250 | $611 |
| Wyoming | 41,545 | 87.1% | $1,217 | $235 | $1,090 |
The spread is the point. The benchmark for a 40-year-old ranged from $401 a month in New Hampshire to $1,299 in Vermont, before any credit.
Ways to lower what you pay each month
- Estimate your income carefully. It sets the credit. Include every source for the whole year.
- Look at bronze and HSA-eligible plans if you are healthy and can cover the deductible from savings. The premium is lower; the risk is the deductible.
- Check a catastrophic plan. Under 30, or with a hardship exemption, you may qualify. See catastrophic health insurance.
- Compare outside the Marketplace if your income is above 400% of the poverty level, where no credit applies. An ACA-compliant plan sold off the Marketplace keeps the same protections. An underwritten plan may cost less for a healthy household and can decline or exclude conditions. Know which one you are buying.
- Do not buy on premium alone. Check the deductible, the out-of-pocket maximum and whether your doctors are in the network. The plan checklist walks it through.
- Self-employed? Premiums can be deductible. See health insurance for the self-employed.
FAQ
How much is health insurance per month for one person?
Before tax credits, the 2026 benchmark silver plan for a 40-year-old averaged $625 a month and the cheapest bronze plan $456 (KFF). After tax credits, the average Marketplace enrollee paid $178 a month (CMS). What you pay depends on your age, county, income and plan. Above 400% of the poverty level, $63,840 for one person, there is no credit and you pay the full price.
How much is health insurance for a family of four?
It depends on everyone's age, your county and your income. With a credit, a family of four earning $90,000 is expected to pay about 9.37% of income for the benchmark plan in 2027, roughly $703 a month (our arithmetic on the IRS 2027 table). Above $132,000 a year there is no credit. At work, the average family plan cost $26,993 a year in 2025, with the worker paying $6,850 of it (KFF).
Why is health insurance so expensive in 2027?
Insurers proposed a median 15% increase for 2027, and KFF lists the end of the enhanced premium tax credits among the drivers. Without the enhanced credits, households above 400% of the poverty level pay full price again, and the expected share of income is higher for everyone else.
Can I get health insurance for $0 a month?
Some people can. In 2026, 26.9% of Marketplace enrollees paid $10 a month or less after the tax credit (CMS). That usually means a lower income and a bronze plan where the credit covers the whole premium. A $0 premium plan still has a deductible, so check what you would pay when you use care.
Is $200 a month a lot for health insurance?
Not compared with the sticker price. The 2026 benchmark silver plan for a 40-year-old averaged $625 a month before tax credits (KFF). It is a little above what the average Marketplace enrollee paid after credits, $178 a month in 2026 (CMS), and above the worker's share of an average employer single plan, about $120 a month in 2025 (KFF). Whether $200 is a good price for you depends on the deductible and network that come with it.
Does my health affect what I pay?
Not on a Marketplace or other ACA-compliant plan: "Your health, medical history, or sex can't affect your premium" (HealthCare.gov). Plans outside the ACA rules, such as short-term medical and underwritten private plans, can charge more, exclude conditions or decline you.
When can I buy a plan for 2027?
Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage on HealthCare.gov runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027. Enroll by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1 (HealthCare.gov, dates and deadlines). Some state-run exchanges use other dates. Losing other coverage lets you enroll outside that window.
Key takeaways
- The 2026 sticker price for a 40-year-old's benchmark plan averaged $625 a month; the average Marketplace enrollee paid $178 after the tax credit.
- For 2027, insurers proposed a median 15% increase, and the out-of-pocket maximum rises to $12,000 for one person.
- The credit holds the benchmark plan to 2.15% to 10.22% of income in 2027. Above 400% of the poverty level there is no credit.
- Age, location, tobacco, household size and plan category set the sticker price. Health history cannot, on an ACA-compliant plan.
- Compare the total for a bad year, premium plus deductible, not the premium alone.
Method / disclaimer
Figures come from KFF (2026 benchmark and metal-tier premiums, 2025 Employer Health Benefits Survey, 2027 proposed rates), the CMS 2026 Open Enrollment state-level public use file, the IRS (Rev. Proc. 2026-26 and 2026-24), HHS poverty guidelines and HealthCare.gov, all read on 2026-10-12. Percentages and monthly conversions marked as ours are simple arithmetic on those sources. Averages describe groups, not you; your price appears only on an application or a quote. Educational only, not insurance, tax or legal advice. America First Healthcare is an independent licensed insurance agency and quotes no carrier's price on this page.
Next step
2027 Open Enrollment starts November 1, and December 15 is the last day to enroll for coverage that starts January 1. If you want your own number instead of an average, start a free healthcare review. A licensed advisor compares Marketplace plans at your income with plans sold outside it, and tells you if the plan you have is still the better deal.