Bronze, silver or gold for 2027
Pick your plan after the credit, not before. Your premium tax credit is a fixed dollar amount set by the second-lowest-cost silver plan in your county, and you can spend it on any metal level. Because of how silver plans are priced, that often makes gold cheaper than silver and bronze free.
Gold under silver is common
In CMS’s 2026 plan data for the 2,055 counties on HealthCare.gov, the cheapest gold plan cost less than the benchmark silver plan in 1,104 of them, and less than the cheapest silver plan in 899. In Harris County, Texas, for example, a 40-year-old’s cheapest gold plan was $501.60 a month and the benchmark silver $592.05.
The reason is cost-sharing reductions. People under 250% of the poverty line who buy silver get lower deductibles and copays, and since 2018 insurers have recovered that cost by raising silver premiums, a practice known as silver loading. A higher benchmark means a bigger credit for everyone, and gold and bronze plans don’t carry the extra cost.
What a 34-year-old in Harris County pays in 2027
At 2026 prices, with the 2027 credit rules:
| Income | Credit | Cheapest bronze | Cheapest silver | Cheapest gold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 (188%) | about $408/mo | $0 | about $149/mo | about $69/mo |
| $48,000 (301%) | about $154/mo | about $202/mo | about $403/mo | about $323/mo |
At $48,000 the gold plan costs about $80 a month less than the cheapest silver and covers more of each bill. At $30,000 the answer is less obvious: silver costs more than gold, but silver at that income carries cost-sharing reductions that gold doesn’t.
Cost-sharing reductions, 2027
Silver plans bought by people under 250% of the poverty line are upgraded automatically. The upgrade shows up as a lower deductible, lower copays and a lower out-of-pocket maximum.
| Income (% of poverty line) | Silver plan pays on average | 2027 out-of-pocket limit, one person | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| 100% to 150% | 94% | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| 150% to 200% | 87% | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| 200% to 250% | 73% | $9,600 | $19,200 |
| Any other plan | 60% (bronze) to 80% (gold) | $12,000 | $24,000 |
Under 200% of the poverty line, a silver plan that pays 87% or 94% is better coverage than gold and often costs little more. Between 200% and 250% the upgrade is small, so compare silver and gold on price.
When bronze is the right call
Bronze has the lowest premium and the highest deductible, often close to the $12,000 out-of-pocket limit. It suits people who rarely see a doctor and could pay that limit if something serious happened. Starting in 2026, every bronze plan on the marketplace counts as HSA-eligible, so you can put money into a health savings account and lower the income the marketplace counts.
Run your own numbers in the 2027 subsidy calculator, which prices the cheapest bronze, silver and gold in your county after the credit.
Sources: CMS individual market plan file on data.healthcare.gov, plan year 2026; CMS 2027 premium adjustment percentage guidance (January 29, 2026) for out-of-pocket limits; 45 CFR 156.420 (cost-sharing reduction plan variations); Pub. L. 119-21, section 71307; IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26.
Questions people ask
Should I pick silver if my income is under 250% of the poverty line?
Usually, yes. Below 250% of the poverty line, silver plans come with cost-sharing reductions that cut deductibles and copays, and below 200% the reduced out-of-pocket limit for 2027 is $4,000 for one person instead of $12,000. Only silver plans carry those reductions.
Why is gold sometimes cheaper than silver?
Insurers price the cost of the silver-plan discounts into silver premiums. That raises the benchmark silver price, which raises everyone's credit, and leaves gold plans that cover more but cost less.