Health · ACA marketplace · USA
Health insurance, explained and compared
Marketplace health plans are the most transparent insurance in America — every plan and premium is published by CMS. Learn how the pricing works, then try a real comparison below.
Try it — real 2026 data
Compare real marketplace premiums
These are actual 2026 plan premiums from CMS public data — not examples. Pick a county, a metal level, and an age. This site demonstrates a limited set of issuers; the apps carry every plan.
Source: CMS QHP Landscape PY2026, Individual Market Medical (public data), snapshot 2026-07-09. Full-price monthly premiums before premium tax credits — most enrollees qualify for subsidies and pay less. Cheapest plan per issuer shown. Educational information, not insurance advice.
Learn
Metal levels: what you pay vs. what the plan pays
Marketplace plans come in metal tiers set by law. The metal is about cost sharing — every tier covers the same essential health benefits.
Bronze
Plan pays ~60%
Lowest premiums, highest deductibles. Good if you rarely use care and want protection from catastrophes.
Silver
Plan pays ~70%
The benchmark tier. If your income qualifies, cost-sharing reductions make Silver pay like Gold or Platinum — often the best value.
Gold
Plan pays ~80%
Higher premiums, lower deductibles. Sensible if you use care regularly or take ongoing prescriptions.
Platinum
Plan pays ~90%
Highest premiums, lowest out-of-pocket costs. Offered in fewer counties — check availability where you live.
How pricing works
Only five things can change your premium
- 1
Age
Premiums follow a federal age curve — a 64-year-old can be charged at most 3× a 21-year-old. Try changing the age in the demo above and watch it.
- 2
Location
Each state is divided into rating areas. The same plan can cost differently one county over — that's why the demo asks for your county.
- 3
Tobacco use
Insurers may charge tobacco users up to 50% more (some states ban this).
- 4
Family size
Premiums add up per covered person, with caps for many children.
- 5
Plan category
The metal tier and network type (HMO/PPO/EPO). Health status is never allowed to affect your price, and pre-existing conditions are covered.
What you see on this page is the full sticker price. Roughly 9 in 10 marketplace enrollees receive premium tax credits based on income — the apps estimate your subsidized price for your actual situation.
iOS & Android
Every plan, every county, your real price
This page demonstrates three issuers per county. The paid mobile apps carry the complete marketplace — every issuer, every plan, subsidy estimates, and refreshed prices for all insurance domains.
- All plans, not a sample — e.g. every one of Miami-Dade's 189 plans
- Subsidy-aware — your estimated price after tax credits
- Every domain — health is one of twelve in the hub
- Free to browse, subscribe to unlock — you are the customer, never the product