Compare Health Insurance Plans

Health insurance is a contract that pays for some or all of your medical care. You pay a monthly premium; in exchange, the plan covers doctor visits, hospital stays, prescriptions, and preventive care subject to deductibles, copays, and coinsurance.

All ACA-compliant plans must cover 10 essential health benefits (preventive care, emergency services, maternity, mental health, prescriptions, etc.) and cannot deny coverage or charge more based on pre-existing conditions — which is what separates a "real" plan from a limited short-term or indemnity product.

Metal tiers describe how much of your total medical costs the plan covers, on average:

• Bronze (60%): cheapest premium, highest deductible and out-of-pocket. Good if you're healthy and want catastrophic protection.
• Silver (70%): the sweet spot for most people — especially if you qualify for cost-sharing reductions, which are only available on Silver plans.
• Gold (80%): higher premium, lower deductible. Good if you use a lot of care.
• Platinum (90%): highest premium, lowest day-to-day costs. Best only if you have a chronic condition or expect heavy medical use.

Your premium tax credit is the same dollar amount regardless of metal tier, so it often makes a Silver or Gold plan surprisingly affordable if you qualify.

Before subsidies, the 2026 average ACA marketplace premium is $470/month for a 30-year-old, $560 for a 40-year-old, and $790 for a 50-year-old on a Silver plan. Premiums roughly triple between 21 and 64.

After premium tax credits, however, many enrollees pay dramatically less. Households between 100% and 400% of the Federal Poverty Level qualify for credits that cap premiums at a percentage of income — often resulting in $0 or single-digit-dollar monthly premiums on Bronze and Silver plans.

Employer plans average $145/month for single coverage and $560/month for family coverage after the employer contribution.

Three main windows:

• Open Enrollment runs November 1 through January 15 in most states. This is when anyone can sign up or switch plans.
• Special Enrollment Period (SEP) — opens for 60 days after a qualifying life event: job loss, marriage, divorce, birth/adoption, moving, aging off a parent's plan at 26, loss of Medicaid.
• Medicaid and CHIP enrollment is always open — no waiting for a window.

Miss Open Enrollment without a qualifying event and your only options are short-term plans (not ACA-compliant) or paying cash until the next window.

Four steps:

1. Estimate your care. Heavy user? Prioritize low deductibles and copays. Healthy? Prioritize low premium.
2. Check the provider network. Make sure your doctors, specialists, and local hospital are in-network. Out-of-network care on HMOs and EPOs is usually not covered at all.
3. Check the drug formulary. If you take a prescription, verify it's covered — tier and any prior-auth requirements matter.
4. Compare total annual cost, not just premium. Add premium × 12 + your expected out-of-pocket. The lowest-premium plan often costs more in a typical year than a Silver with subsidies.