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By age

Health insurance cost by age in 2026

A 21-year-old pays an average $492 per month for a benchmark Silver plan. A 64-year-old pays $1,372. Here is what every age in between actually costs in 2026, before any subsidies.

The full age table

National 2026 averages, full price (no subsidies), non-tobacco rate, weighted across every county. Silver is the benchmark plan, the second-lowest-cost Silver used to set premium tax credits. The Bronze, Gold and Platinum columns are the cheapest plan of that metal level available in the average county, which is the figure CMS itself publishes.

AgeAge factorBronzeSilverGoldPlatinum
211.000x$363$492$506$817
251.006x$366$495$509$826
301.124x$408$553$566$901
351.199x$436$590$604$949
401.250x$454$615$629$983
451.400x$509$689$702$1,082
501.707x$620$840$852$1,281
552.104x$763$1,035$1,047$1,538
602.537x$920$1,248$1,259$1,817
64+2.789x$1,012$1,372$1,383$1,976

Derived from the CMS Health Insurance Exchange public use files for plan year 2026, public domain. Snapshot 2026-09-06. National benchmark at 40: $615.

The ACA 3:1 age band rule

Pre-ACA insurers could charge older adults five or six times what they charged young adults. The 2010 law capped the ratio at 3 to 1. The default age curve is set federally and applies to most marketplace plans, so a 64-year-old typically pays three times the 21-year-old base rate for the same plan.

Three states (New York, Vermont, and Massachusetts) use community rating instead, meaning all adults pay the same rate regardless of age. That is part of why Vermont premiums look high: the young adult rate carries a portion of the older-adult risk.

Turning 26: the aging-off-parents plan moment

  1. You lose dependent coverage on the last day of the month you turn 26 (some plans extend to year-end).
  2. That triggers a 60-day Special Enrollment Period for marketplace coverage.
  3. Compare an employer plan if available, marketplace Silver with subsidy, COBRA continuation, or Medicaid if income qualifies.
  4. A typical marketplace Silver plan for a 26-year-old earning $40,000 runs $50 to $130 a month after the premium tax credit.
See SEP and enrollment guide ->

Age 50+: managing rising premiums before Medicare

The decade between 55 and 65 is the most expensive stretch of pre-Medicare healthcare. A 60-year-old on the benchmark Silver plan pays an average $1,248 per month before subsidies. Three strategies that move the bill:

Strategy 1

HDHP plus HSA

A High Deductible Health Plan cuts premium by 25 to 35 percent. Pair it with an HSA that allows $4,300 (single) or $8,550 (family) plus a $1,000 catch-up after 55, all triple-tax-free.

Strategy 2

Stay below the cliff

For pre-retirees with flexible income (consulting, brokerage withdrawals), keeping MAGI below 400 percent FPL preserves the subsidy. The dollar gap between $62,599 and $63,001 can exceed $700 a month.

Strategy 3

Spousal coverage

If a spouse has employer coverage, joining their plan often beats two marketplace plans. Run the math both ways at every open enrollment, especially if employer subsidies cover dependents.

Common questions

Why does health insurance cost so much more at 60 than at 30?

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ACA rules let insurers charge a 64-year-old up to three times what they charge a 21-year-old for the same plan, the so-called 3:1 age band rule. The curve is graduated, and the ratios in the 2026 filings work out at roughly 1.12 times the 21-year-old rate at 30, 1.25 at 40, 1.71 at 50 and 2.54 at 60. They come out slightly under the federal default curve because a few states, notably New York and Vermont, community-rate instead.

What happens when I turn 26 and age off my parent's plan?

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You qualify for a 60-day Special Enrollment Period starting the day you lose dependent coverage. Options include enrolling in your employer plan if offered, buying a marketplace plan (often subsidised at typical young-adult incomes), staying on a parent's plan via COBRA for up to 36 months, or qualifying for Medicaid in expansion states. A marketplace Silver plan for a 26-year-old earning $40,000 typically costs around $50 to $130 per month after subsidies.

How much do children pay for health insurance?

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Children under 15 are billed at a flat ACA-defined rate of about 0.765 times the 21-year-old base premium for marketplace plans, and that single child rate applies regardless of how young the child is. Dependents 15 to 20 step up gradually toward the adult curve. CHIP and Medicaid often cover children for free or at very low cost in households up to 200 to 300 percent FPL.

Is it worth buying a Bronze plan at age 60?

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It depends on health and savings buffer. At 60 the cheapest Bronze plan available in the average county runs about $920 a month, against $1,248 for the benchmark Silver, with a deductible near $7,500 and an out-of-pocket maximum of $10,600. If you can absorb a high-deductible bad year, Bronze plus an HSA-style emergency fund saves several hundred a month. If a chronic condition or planned procedure is likely, Gold or a CSR Silver plan usually wins on total cost.

How does income interact with age for subsidies?

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A 60-year-old at 200 percent FPL ($31,300 single) often pays less out of pocket than a 30-year-old at 500 percent FPL ($78,250 single) because the older enrollee gets a much larger premium tax credit. Subsidies are calculated against the benchmark Silver plan, which scales with age, so older lower-income households benefit most.

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Reader questions

A cost on this page that still does not add up?

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We cannot tell you what you will pay or what a plan will cover, and none of this is insurance or financial advice. Your plan documents, your insurer and the official marketplace are the authority on coverage. Eligibility, subsidy and enrollment decisions belong with a licensed agent, the marketplace, or the insurer.