Marketplace (ACA) plans

What it is

Marketplace plans are the ACA-regulated individual and family plans sold for your county. Every one covers the ten essential health benefits (hospitalization, prescriptions, maternity, mental health, and more), cannot deny you or charge more for preexisting conditions, and caps your annual in-network out-of-pocket costs. Plans are tiered Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum by how costs are shared — not by quality of care.

Who it fits

Almost everyone under 65 without employer coverage: freelancers, early retirees, people between jobs, and anyone whose income qualifies for a premium tax credit. Subsidies are the reason this is the default: below 400% of the federal poverty level, the credit can cut hundreds of dollars a month off the sticker price (for 2027 coverage, the enhanced credits remain expired as of this writing — see where the subsidy fight stands).

What it costs, in plain ranges

Unsubsidized sticker prices for 2026 rose sharply — a 40-year-old might see $450–$700 a month for a benchmark Silver plan depending on the state, and a 60-year-old roughly three times a 21-year-old's rate. With a subsidy, the same plans can run anywhere from $0 to a few hundred a month. The only number that matters is yours, which takes about a minute to see.

The honest catch

Networks. The affordable plans in many counties are HMOs with no out-of-network coverage, and carrier exits (Aetna left all ACA marketplaces January 1, 2026) can force plan changes at renewal. Always check that your doctors and prescriptions are in-network before enrolling — the enrollment flow lets you filter by both.

How it compares

Every other option on this site — COBRA, short-term plans, catastrophic plans, health sharing ministries — should be judged against the Marketplace plan you actually qualify for, subsidy included. Most of the time, that comparison ends the conversation.