ACA plans available
30
Plan year 2026
CMS Marketplace county · plan year 2026
Lowndes, Alabama ACA premiums
County-level marketplace aggregates from CMS Public Use Files. Listed rates are age-27 premiums unless noted.
Data updated 2026-08-30
- $557
- Silver avg/mo
- 30
- ACA plans
- 2
- Issuers
- +21.3%
- YoY premium
Silver avg $557/mo
Lowndes, Alabama has 30 ACA marketplace plans from 2 issuers (plan year 2026). Average Silver premium is $557/mo; Bronze averages $432/mo and Gold $648/mo. Figures are CMS Marketplace Public Use File county aggregates for age-27 rates.
- County Silver corpus place #1627 of 2055 (highest = #1)
- Benchmark (2nd-lowest Silver) $521/mo
- Plan year 2026 CMS PUF
Silver rank is not plan-count rank
According to CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, Lowndes, Alabama ranks #1,627 of 2,055 counties by listed Silver average ($557/mo) and #1,575 of 2,055 by plan count (30 plans).
- #1,627 of 2,055
- Silver average among 2,055 counties
- $557
- Listed Silver average /mo
- #1,575 of 2,055
- Plan count among 2,055 counties
- 30
- Listed ACA plans in this county
Highest listed Silver average = #1. Most listed plans = #1. County of residence still governs which plans CMS files for that FIPS.
Lowndes, Alabama offers 30 ACA marketplace plans from 2 issuers for plan year 2026. Bronze plans start at $362/mo and Silver plans start at $508/mo (age 27 listed rates). Use the tables below to compare premiums, deductibles, and issuers across all metal tiers.
$557
Avg Silver Premium/mo
$521
Benchmark Premium/mo
+21.3%
Year-over-Year Change
$5,192
Avg Deductible
Lower-premium band
Lowndes in the lower-premium third
$557/mo Silver avg sits in the bottom third of tracked federal-marketplace counties. Corpus place #1627 of 2055 (highest Silver = #1).
Floor-to-ceiling Silver runs $508–$598/mo. Plan book is thin (30 plans) relative to other tracked counties. EPO is the most common network type in Lowndes, with PPO rounding out the alternatives.
Source: CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, plan year 2026. Informational only; confirm options at HealthCare.gov. How we place counties.
Premiums by Metal Level
Bronze-tier cards fold CMS Expanded Bronze into Bronze (same population as county_trends and methodology). Plan rows and the premium-vs-deductible chart below keep the CMS source label.
Bronze
9 plans$432/mo avg
$362 - $516
Silver
11 plans$557/mo avg
$508 - $598
Gold
9 plans$648/mo avg
$582 - $709
Catastrophic plan available: avg $332/mo (1 plan) - only for individuals under 30 or with a hardship exemption.
Benchmark premium & subsidies
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Lowndes is $521/mo for a 27-year-old. This is the amount used to calculate your premium tax credit. If your expected contribution (based on income) is less than the benchmark, you receive a subsidy for the difference.
Issuers in market
2
Some competition
Benchmark Silver
$521 /mo
Sets your subsidy ceiling
Avg deductible
$5,192
Across all metal tiers
D
Marketplace Access Score
44/100
Lowndes
Based on benchmark premium, plan and issuer counts, and average deductible across 2,055 tracked ACA marketplace counties, not plan quality, network adequacy, or provider access.
Affordability B+
$521/mo
Benchmark Silver premium; rank #1627 of 2055 tracked counties (cheapest first)
Plan Choice F
30 plans
ACA marketplace plan count; rank #1575 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Issuer Competition F
2 issuers
Distinct marketplace issuers; rank #1829 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Cost Predictability F
$5,192
Average deductible across tracked plans; rank #736 of 2055 tracked counties (lowest first)
Lowndes ACA plans by premium and deductible
Each marker is the Lowndes average for one metal tier, monthly premium (age 27) plotted against the average annual deductible, both computed directly from this county's plans. The classic ACA tradeoff is visible: lower-premium Bronze tiers carry the highest deductibles, while Gold and Platinum invert it.
Lowndes ACA marketplace plans: premium vs deductible
How Lowndes's Silver premium compares nationwide
2,055 federal-marketplace counties with a tracked Silver average, banded by monthly premium.
Lowndes vs 2,055 tracked counties
Average Silver premium (age 27), CMS Marketplace Public Use Files
$557 1627th of 2055 higher than 427 of 2,055 counties
Counties, banded by average Silver premium
Each bar is a $1-wide band; taller bars hold more counties. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source CMS Marketplace Public Use Files · 2026-08-30
Issuers in Lowndes
| Issuer | Plans | Avg Premium (Age 27) |
|---|---|---|
| Ambetter of Alabama | 18 | $558/mo |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | 12 | $512/mo |
All Plans in Lowndes
| Plan Name | Metal | Type | Premium (27) | Premium (40) | Deductible | OOP Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Protect Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Catastrophic | PPO | $331.70 | $404.50 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| Blue Saver Bronze Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $362.14 | $441.62 | $8,500 | $10,600 |
| Blue Standardized Bronze Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $364.86 | $444.93 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Blue HSA Bronze Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $395.05 | $481.75 | $7,200 | $7,200 |
| Everyday Bronze Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $429.79 | $524.11 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $430.23 | $524.65 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Everyday Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $447.26 | $545.42 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $447.72 | $545.98 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Elite Bronze Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $496.23 | $605.14 | $0 | $10,500 |
| Elite Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $516.41 | $629.74 | $0 | $10,500 |
| Blue Statewide Silver EPO Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $508.04 | $619.54 | $3,500 | $9,450 |
| Blue Standardized Statewide Silver EPO Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $520.98 | $635.32 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Blue Cross Select Silver Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | PPO | $522.37 | $637.02 | $5,000 | $10,600 |
| Blue Standardized Silver Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | PPO | $526.24 | $641.74 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Standard Silver Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $557.84 | $680.26 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Focused Silver Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $564.29 | $688.13 | $6,300 | $8,400 |
| Enhanced Diabetes Care Silver with $0 Drug Options Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $574.99 | $701.19 | $5,000 | $8,650 |
| Standard Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $580.52 | $707.92 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Blue Value Silver Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | PPO | $583.52 | $711.58 | $3,700 | $10,600 |
| Focused Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $587.23 | $716.11 | $6,300 | $8,400 |
| Enhanced Diabetes Care Silver with $0 Drug Options + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $598.37 | $729.70 | $5,000 | $8,650 |
| Standard Gold Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $581.75 | $709.43 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Standard Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $605.41 | $738.28 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Complete Gold Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $613.73 | $748.42 | $1,450 | $7,500 |
| Complete Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $638.68 | $778.85 | $1,450 | $7,500 |
| Blue Standardized Gold Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Gold | PPO | $642.35 | $783.32 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Elite Gold Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $670.03 | $817.07 | $0 | $6,500 |
| Blue Cross Select Gold Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Gold | PPO | $674.63 | $822.69 | $850 | $6,000 |
| Elite Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $697.27 | $850.30 | $0 | $6,500 |
| Blue Value Gold Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Gold | PPO | $708.96 | $864.56 | $750 | $6,000 |
Silver Premium Trend (2022-2026)
| Year | Avg Premium | Min | Max | Plans | Issuers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $503/mo | $486 | $521 | 2 | 1 |
| 2023 | $466/mo | $446 | $519 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | $442/mo | $407 | $533 | 11 | 2 |
| 2025 | $454/mo | $426 | $494 | 8 | 2 |
| 2026 | $557/mo | $508 | $598 | 11 | 2 |
What this means for Lowndes
Use Lowndes's own numbers here, not a national average, before you enroll.
- $557/mo Silver average sits in the bottom third of tracked counties nationally -- a subsidized Silver plan can already beat Bronze on total cost here. See how subsidies work
- 30 plans from 2 issuers puts Lowndes in the thinnest third of tracked counties -- check the rest of Alabama for more options. All of Alabama
Averages and tercile bands are CMS Marketplace Public Use File aggregates for this county; your actual premium depends on your age, household income, and chosen plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Lowndes's Silver premium in the lower band?
Lowndes ranks #1627 of 2055 tracked federal-marketplace counties by average Silver premium (highest = #1; CMS PUF sort). Local Silver avg is $557/mo. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
Why does Lowndes carry a thin ACA plan book?
Lowndes lists 30 marketplace plans from 2 issuers - a bottom-third inventory vs other tracked counties (plan year 2026).
What is the cheapest health insurance plan in Lowndes?
The lowest-premium plan in Lowndes starts at $362/mo (Bronze tier, age 27). Silver plans start at $508/mo. Actual premiums vary by age and may be reduced by premium tax credits.
What is the benchmark premium for Lowndes?
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Lowndes is $521/mo for a 27-year-old. This amount determines how much premium tax credit subsidy you may be eligible for.
Why did Lowndes premiums rise +21.3% year-over-year?
The average age-27 premium in Lowndes changed by +21.3% between plan years 2025 and 2026, measured across Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Catastrophic plans. Premium trends are tracked from 2022 to 2026.
How limited is issuer competition in Lowndes?
Only 2 issuers sell marketplace plans in Lowndes (Ambetter of Alabama and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama). Narrow competition often correlates with higher benchmark premiums.
Which insurance companies offer plans in Lowndes?
There are 2 insurance issuers offering ACA marketplace plans in Lowndes, including Ambetter of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama. Competition among issuers affects plan variety and pricing. More issuers generally mean more choices and potentially lower premiums.
Disclaimer
This page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute insurance or financial advice. Premiums shown are for a 27-year-old non-tobacco user unless otherwise noted. Your actual premium depends on age, location, tobacco use, and subsidy eligibility. Visit HealthCare.gov for official enrollment. Source: CMS Marketplace PUF, PY2026.
Read our methodology - how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.
Counties With a Similar Benchmark Premium
The closest counties nationwide to Lowndes, AL's $521/mo benchmark premium.
One of 2,054 counties nationwide with a tracked benchmark premium, 5 are shown here.
Nationwide counties with similar marketplace profiles
Two CMS Marketplace peer sets for Lowndes, AL, both outside AL so the neighborhoods are not state containment (the similar-premium list above may still include same-state rating-area siblings). Peers are drawn from counties with ≥20 plans, the rankings-scale corpus.
Similar benchmark premium
Nearest other-state counties by benchmark premium ($521/mo here).
Similar issuer competition
Nearest other-state counties by issuer count (2 here).
Data sources
Data sourced from the CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files. See our methodology for details. Retrieved and formatted by PlainHealthPlan
PlainHealthPlan is rendered directly from CMS Health Insurance Marketplace Public Use Files, no number is typed in by an editor. Plan and premium figures for this county come from the live CMS Marketplace PUF aggregates. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.