ACA Cost Explorer

2026 ACA costs through retirement

2026 plan data · Updated

All U.S. markets

Distinct U.S. market groups

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Location
State/DC
All states & DC
Costs
Filter by Middle plan (optional)Uses the selected Cost view.
Each cell: Low · Middle plan · High
Benchmark Silver (SLCSP)The second-lowest-cost Silver plan used to calculate the household’s Premium Tax Credit. It is not necessarily the Silver Middle plan or the least expensive Silver plan.

Low, Middle plan, and High re-rank using the selected Cost view. Each row combines locations with identical plan IDs and published rates.

Methodology

What these numbers mean

The explorer compares actual 2026 ACA plans and estimates costs through age 65 using 2026 plans, prices, and subsidy rules. It does not forecast future market-price growth.

Low / middle plan / high
Plans are re-ranked using the selected Annual cost exposure. For an even count, Middle plan uses the lower of the two central values.
Annual cost exposure
Premium only is the annual household premium. Premium + deductible adds the applicable household deductible. Premium + OOP max adds the applicable household out-of-pocket maximum and never adds the deductible again. High-level comparisons use the primary in-network tier.
Subsidies
When enabled, the dashboard uses household MAGI, the actual 2026 second-lowest Silver benchmark, and 2026 rules to calculate the premium tax credit. The Benchmark Silver column keeps that SLCSP plan fixed when Cost view changes; only the displayed exposure changes. Eligible Silver plans use their actual CSR variant for deductible and OOP values.
Household rating
Published age and tobacco rates are combined for eligible household members. Where a state uses uniform family tiers, the matching household tier is used. No more than the three oldest children under 21 are charged, members age 65 or older are excluded, and child-only plans are excluded when the household has no children.
Coverage start
The selected start month affects only the projection chart. Both tables and every plan drawer always use current 2026 household ages and actual 2026 plan details.
All U.S. markets
Each row represents one distinct pricing and plan-availability group. Locations with the same plan IDs and published rates are combined, even when their official pricing-area numbers differ. Open a row's location details to see the included cities, counties, and ZIPs.
City projections
A selected city is mapped to every pricing and availability group that intersects its city geography. If options differ within the city, each group appears as a separate row with its applicable counties and ZIPs.
2026-dollar projection
Future years reprice each Marketplace-covered household member at future ages using 2026 ACA plans, prices, and subsidy rules. MAGI remains fixed in 2026 dollars. These are planning estimates, not forecasts.
Projection endpoint
The graph models ACA premiums through each person's last assumed ACA month. Medicare is assumed to begin on the first day of the month a person turns 65; for a birthday on the first day of a month, it is assumed to begin the month before. Actual eligibility and enrollment timing can differ.
Data and sources
Plan data was last updated September 20, 2026. Sources include CMS 2026 Federal Marketplace and State-Based Exchange Public Use Files, IRS 2026 premium-tax-credit guidance, CMS geographic rating areas, and Census place geography. Results are for planning, not enrollment or a binding quote.

Market coverage

Cities in this market group

Counties represented across these cities

ZIPs represented across these cities