2026 Coverage Guides

Health insurance costs, state by state

Every state's marketplace is different — different carriers, different prices, different rules. All 23 states we serve now have a 2026 cost guide — real figures from public rate filings on what people actually pay, written by a licensed agent.

2026 health insurance guides by state

Blue vs. new blood

Alabama

~$583/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (BCBS)

Blue Cross wins on price in nearly every county, but Oscar's 2026 arrival makes it a four-carrier race. 91% of enrollees pay ~$126/mo after subsidies. Read the Alabama guide →

Steepest 2026 jump

Arizona

+46.3%average 2026 rate increase — highest we serve

Rates spiked and BCBSAZ went HMO-only, but Imperial still sells silver from ~$438 in Tucson and AHCCCS covers to 138% of poverty year-round. Read the Arizona guide →

Silver is a trap here

Arkansas

46%state-mandated load on 2026 silver plans

Arkansas inflates silver on purpose, so bronze (~$447 via Octave) and gold often beat it after subsidies — and ARHOME delivers Medicaid through marketplace plans. Read the Arkansas guide →

Largest ACA market

Florida

~$550–860/mo unsubsidized silver, age 40

The nation's biggest marketplace. Ambetter, Health First, and Florida Blue lead on price — and premiums roughly doubled for subsidized enrollees this year. Read the Florida guide →

State-run exchange

Georgia

~$89/mo average cost for subsidized enrollees

Georgia Access replaced HealthCare.gov, and 89% of enrollees get subsidies averaging $688/month. The carrier spread tops $540/month. Read the Georgia guide →

Honest silver prices

Indiana

~$440/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (Anthem)

One of the cheapest silver markets we serve — and no silver-load games, since Indiana spreads CSR costs across all tiers. HIP covers adults to 138% of poverty. Read the Indiana guide →

Gentlest increase here

Iowa

+15.3%average 2026 rate increase — mildest we serve

A tight three-way race at the bottom (Oscar $452, Ambetter $459, Wellmark $487), Avera new for 2026, Medica leaving after it. Read the Iowa guide →

Price order scrambled

Kansas

−6.1%BCBS of Kansas City’s 2026 rate CUT

One carrier cut rates while Ambetter jumped 33.7% — so 2025's cheapest is 2026's trap. Oscar leads KC (~$565), Ambetter leads Wichita. No Medicaid expansion. Read the Kansas guide →

Enroll via kynect

Kentucky

~$617/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (WellCare)

Kentucky's own exchange, three all-HMO carriers, and a WellCare-vs-Anthem call where an $82 premium gap buys a $2,700 lower deductible. Read the Kentucky guide →

Widest price spread

Louisiana

$438monthly gap between cheapest & priciest silver

Christus sells silver at ~$611 while the statewide Blue PPO runs ~$1,049 — and Ambetter reaches only 22 of 64 parishes. A third of enrollees pay under $10. Read the Louisiana guide →

Three carriers left

Michigan

~$472/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (Ambetter)

Seven carriers remain after three exits; Oscar held its increase to +9.3% while the Blues took 23–24%. Healthy Michigan covers adults to 138% of poverty. Read the Michigan guide →

Big jump, big subsidies

Mississippi

$718average monthly subsidy — among the largest in the US

Stickers rose 43.4% and Molina repriced 60%, but new entrant Oscar sells silver at ~$630 and 26% of enrollees pay under $10. No Medicaid expansion. Read the Mississippi guide →

Deepest lineup

Missouri

8carriers competing for 2026 — most we profile

Oscar leads at ~$620, BCBS-KC actually cut rates 4.1%, and voter-approved expansion covers adults to 138% of poverty. A different winner in every metro. Read the Missouri guide →

$1 apart, $2,115 apart

Montana

~$662/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (CO-OP)

The CO-OP and Blue Cross differ by $1 in premium and $2,115 in deductible — and PacificSource leaves after 2026. Expansion is now permanent. Read the Montana guide →

Ten-carrier market

Nevada

10carriers on Nevada Health Link — most we serve

The deepest lineup anywhere plus a brand-new public option (Battle Born plans) and reinsurance. SelectHealth leads at ~$517. Read the Nevada guide →

Cheapest silver we track

New Hampshire

~$389/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (WellCare)

The lowest silver price — and lowest deductible ($1,714) — of all 23 states we serve, but lean subsidies mean stickers matter here. Read the New Hampshire guide →

Medicaid expanded

North Carolina

~+28%average 2026 rate increase

Rates jumped, but NC's 2023 Medicaid expansion gives lower-income households a safety valve. Blue Cross NC covers all 100 counties. Read the North Carolina guide →

Calmest market we serve

North Dakota

+8.1%average 2026 increase — smallest of our 23 states

Reinsurance, a stable three-carrier field, Sanford silver at ~$484 — and benchmark benefits that now cover weight-loss meds and cap insulin costs. Read the North Dakota guide →

Two exits coming

Oklahoma

~$618/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (CommunityCare)

CommunityCare pairs the cheapest silver with a +7.9% increase while Medica and Mending exit after 2026 — and SoonerCare expansion covers adults to 138% of poverty. Read the Oklahoma guide →

Enroll via Pennie

Pennsylvania

~$684/mo statewide average, age 40

Jefferson (~$488) rules the southeast, UPMC the west — and every uninsured child in PA can get CHIP regardless of income. Read the Pennsylvania guide →

Big, stable market

South Carolina

587K2026 enrollees — a top-10 marketplace

All six carriers returned, BCBS pairs the cheapest silver (~$550) with the smallest increase, and 30% pay under $10 — but no Medicaid expansion. Read the South Carolina guide →

Gold may beat silver

Texas

+35%2026 benchmark increase — biggest since 2018

A new state rule loads 40% onto silver plans, making gold the sleeper pick in much of the state. Cheapest silvers start near $540. Read the Texas guide →

Most affordable here

Virginia

~$430/mo cheapest silver, age 40 (Sentara)

Virginia's own marketplace, expanded Medicaid, and some of the lowest silver prices of any state we serve. The Sentara-vs-Kaiser call is the key decision. Read the Virginia guide →

Licensed in 23 states: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, MI, MS, MO, MT, NV, NH, NC, ND, OK, PA, SC, TX, VA — with a 2026 cost guide for every one of them above.

Don't see your state — or don't want to read?

Skip the research. A licensed agent can compare every 2026 plan filed in your county for your exact age, household, and income — free, in about 10 minutes.

No cost. No pressure. No obligation to enroll.

Important: These guides are for general information and reflect approximate 2026 figures from public sources; they are not quotes, and submitting information or speaking with a licensed insurance agent does not guarantee enrollment, eligibility, savings, approval, or specific benefits. There is no obligation to enroll. Smooth Health Solutions is not connected with or endorsed by the U.S. government, the federal Medicare program, CMS, HealthCare.gov, or any state marketplace or government agency. Plan availability, benefits, premiums, and eligibility vary by plan, carrier, location, and individual circumstances.