Health Insurance Cost Estimator 2026
For 2026 the enhanced subsidies are gone and the 400% subsidy cliff is back. A 40-year-old earning $60,000 pays about $498 a month for the benchmark silver plan — earn over $62,600 and the credit drops to $0. Enter your age and income and see your real number.
Estimate Your Health Insurance Cost
Premiums are priced by age using the federal age curve — a 64-year-old pays three times the rate of a 21-year-old for the same plan.
Use your expected 2026 household income (modified adjusted gross income). This is what your subsidy is based on.
Everyone in your tax household, including dependents. A bigger household raises the poverty line and can increase your credit.
Insurers may charge tobacco users more — federal law allows up to 50%, and state rules vary. This estimator applies a 15% surcharge estimate.
| Estimate | Amount |
|---|---|
| Benchmark silver premium before subsidy (per month) | |
| Estimated premium tax credit (per month) | |
| Your estimated premium (per month) | |
| Your estimated premium (per year) | |
| Your income vs. the federal poverty level |
This estimator prices the benchmark (second-lowest-cost silver) plan for one adult at the age you enter, using the KFF national average benchmark premium. Family pricing on the marketplace adds each member’s own age-based premium — children ages 0–14 are priced at a 0.765 factor, and only the three oldest children under 21 are charged. Your actual premium depends on your state, ZIP code, and insurer.
How the 2026 Estimate Works
Two numbers decide what you pay on the marketplace: the full price of the benchmark silver plan where you live, and the share of income the IRS says you can afford. If the benchmark costs more than that share, the premium tax credit pays the difference. For 2026, both halves of that equation moved against buyers — insurers raised benchmark premiums about 26% on average (KFF), and the enhanced credits that softened the blow from 2021 through 2025 expired on December 31, 2025.
| Household income (% of poverty level) | You pay toward the benchmark plan (2026) |
|---|---|
| Under 100% | No premium tax credit (Medicaid may apply — see below) |
| 100% to 133% | 2.10% of income |
| 133% to 150% | 3.14% rising to 4.19% of income |
| 150% to 200% | 4.19% rising to 6.60% of income |
| 200% to 250% | 6.60% rising to 8.44% of income |
| 250% to 300% | 8.44% rising to 9.96% of income |
| 300% to 400% | 9.96% of income |
| Over 400% | Full price — the subsidy cliff is back |
What the benchmark premium looks like by age
Age pricing follows the federal default age curve, so every age is a fixed multiple of the 21-year-old rate (1.000). Applied to the 2026 average benchmark premium of $611 a month for a 40-year-old (KFF), before any subsidy:
| Age | Age-curve factor | Benchmark premium (per month) |
|---|---|---|
| 21 | 1.000 | $478 |
| 27 | 1.048 | $501 |
| 30 | 1.135 | $543 |
| 40 | 1.278 | $611 |
| 50 | 1.786 | $854 |
| 60 | 2.714 | $1,298 |
| 64 | 3.000 | $1,434 |
- The cliff, in dollars: for a single person, 400% of the poverty level is $62,600 in 2026 (for a family of four it is $128,600). Earn $62,600 and you can still get a credit; earn $62,601 and the credit is zero. There is no gradual phase-out.
- Under 100% of the poverty level: there is no premium tax credit below 100% FPL. In states that expanded Medicaid, most adults qualify for Medicaid up to 138% of FPL instead. In non-expansion states, people below 100% can fall into the coverage gap.
- Silver plans carry a hidden extra: if your income is between 100% and 250% of the poverty level and you choose a silver plan, cost-sharing reductions also lower your deductible and copays — at 100–150% of FPL a silver plan covers roughly 94% of costs instead of 70%. This estimator prices premiums only.
- The credit follows the benchmark, not your plan: the tax credit is calculated from the benchmark silver plan, but you can apply it to any metal tier. Pick a cheaper bronze plan and your monthly bill can be lower than this estimate; pick gold and it will be higher.
Frequently Asked Questions