ACA plans available
62
Plan year 2026
CMS Marketplace county · plan year 2026
Santa Cruz, Arizona ACA premiums
County-level marketplace aggregates from CMS Public Use Files. Listed rates are age-27 premiums unless noted.
Data updated 2026-08-30
- $457
- Silver avg/mo
- 62
- ACA plans
- 5
- Issuers
- +28.2%
- YoY premium
Silver avg $457/mo
Santa Cruz, Arizona has 62 ACA marketplace plans from 5 issuers (plan year 2026). Average Silver premium is $457/mo; Bronze averages $385/mo and Gold $539/mo. Figures are CMS Marketplace Public Use File county aggregates for age-27 rates.
- County Silver corpus place #1988 of 2055 (highest = #1)
- Benchmark (2nd-lowest Silver) $368/mo
- Plan year 2026 CMS PUF
Silver rank is not plan-count rank
According to CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, Santa Cruz, Arizona ranks #1,988 of 2,055 counties by listed Silver average ($457/mo) and #324 of 2,055 by plan count (62 plans).
- #1,988 of 2,055
- Silver average among 2,055 counties
- $457
- Listed Silver average /mo
- #324 of 2,055
- Plan count among 2,055 counties
- 62
- 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.
Santa Cruz, Arizona offers 62 ACA marketplace plans from 5 issuers for plan year 2026. Bronze plans start at $308/mo and Silver plans start at $359/mo (age 27 listed rates). Use the tables below to compare premiums, deductibles, and issuers across all metal tiers.
$457
Avg Silver Premium/mo
$368
Benchmark Premium/mo
+28.2%
Year-over-Year Change
$5,405
Avg Deductible
Lower-premium band
Santa Cruz in the lower-premium third
$457/mo Silver avg sits in the bottom third of tracked federal-marketplace counties. Corpus place #1988 of 2055 (highest Silver = #1).
Floor-to-ceiling Silver runs $359–$569/mo. Every plan sold in Santa Cruz is HMO -- there's no alternative network type in this county, so weigh HMO's referral rules and out-of-network coverage before enrolling.
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
21 plans$385/mo avg
$308 - $500
Silver
22 plans$457/mo avg
$359 - $569
Gold
19 plans$539/mo avg
$423 - $696
Benchmark premium & subsidies
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Santa Cruz is $368/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
5
Competitive market
Benchmark Silver
$368 /mo
Sets your subsidy ceiling
Avg deductible
$5,405
Across all metal tiers
B
Marketplace Access Score
72/100
Santa Cruz
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 A+
$368/mo
Benchmark Silver premium; rank #1988 of 2055 tracked counties (cheapest first)
Plan Choice A-
62 plans
ACA marketplace plan count; rank #324 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Issuer Competition B+
5 issuers
Distinct marketplace issuers; rank #485 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Cost Predictability F
$5,405
Average deductible across tracked plans; rank #469 of 2055 tracked counties (lowest first)
Santa Cruz ACA plans by premium and deductible
Each marker is the Santa Cruz 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.
Santa Cruz ACA marketplace plans: premium vs deductible
How Santa Cruz's Silver premium compares nationwide
2,055 federal-marketplace counties with a tracked Silver average, banded by monthly premium.
Santa Cruz vs 2,055 tracked counties
Average Silver premium (age 27), CMS Marketplace Public Use Files
$457 1988th of 2055 higher than 67 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 Santa Cruz
| Issuer | Plans | Avg Premium (Age 27) |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | 17 | $395/mo |
| Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | 16 | $475/mo |
| UnitedHealthcare | 14 | $479/mo |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | 10 | $550/mo |
| Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. | 5 | $377/mo |
All Plans in Santa Cruz
| Plan Name | Metal | Type | Premium (27) | Premium (40) | Deductible | OOP Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UHC Bronze Essential ($0 Virtual Urgent Care) UnitedHealthcare | Bronze | HMO | $364.06 | $443.96 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| Imperial Standard Bronze Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $307.64 | $375.16 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Bronze Simple Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $317.73 | $387.46 | $9,000 | $10,600 |
| Bronze Classic Standard Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $333.24 | $406.38 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Buena Salud Bronce Simple Para Diabetes Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $338.88 | $413.26 | $5,500 | $10,150 |
| Bronze Simple Breathe Easy with Enhanced COPD Benefits Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $339.84 | $414.43 | $5,500 | $10,150 |
| Bronze Simple Chronic Care CKM Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $345.46 | $421.27 | $5,500 | $10,150 |
| Bronze Elite + PCP Saver Plus Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $356.99 | $435.34 | $0 | $10,150 |
| UHC Bronze Standard UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $383.27 | $467.39 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Everyday Bronze Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $384.65 | $469.07 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $386.27 | $471.04 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Everyday Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $394.72 | $481.35 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $396.38 | $483.37 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| UHC Bronze Standard+ (Dental + Vision) UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $398.71 | $486.22 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| UHC Bronze Copay Focus $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care) UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $403.48 | $492.03 | $0 | $10,600 |
| Choice Bronze HSA Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $417.62 | $509.28 | $7,250 | $7,250 |
| UHC Bronze Copay Focus+ $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, Dental + Vision) UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $418.93 | $510.87 | $0 | $10,600 |
| AZ Blue AdvanceHealth Bronze Focus (4 Free PCP Visits) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $419.33 | $511.36 | $10,150 | $10,150 |
| Choice Bronze HSA + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $428.56 | $522.61 | $7,250 | $7,250 |
| AZ Blue StandardHealth Bronze Focus Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $447.20 | $545.34 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| AZ Blue Portfolio Bronze HSA Focus Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $499.73 | $609.41 | $7,100 | $7,100 |
| Imperial Standard Silver Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $358.97 | $437.75 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Imperial Preferred Silver Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $368.14 | $448.94 | $7,500 | $9,500 |
| Silver Simple PCP Saver Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $402.28 | $490.56 | $5,750 | $9,400 |
| Silver Classic Standard Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $402.66 | $491.03 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Silver Simple Diabetes Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $408.39 | $498.01 | $6,500 | $10,000 |
| AZ Blue ACA StandardHealth Silver with Health Choice Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Silver | HMO | $410.63 | $500.75 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Silver Simple Chronic Care CKM Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $411.98 | $502.39 | $5,900 | $10,150 |
| Silver Simple Specialist Saver with COPD Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $412.63 | $503.19 | $6,500 | $9,600 |
| Silver Simple Women's Health with Menopause Benefits Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $414.00 | $504.86 | $6,000 | $10,150 |
| Silver Elite Saver Plus Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Silver | HMO | $435.31 | $530.85 | $0 | $8,500 |
| Standard Silver Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Silver | HMO | $467.49 | $570.09 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Complete Silver Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Silver | HMO | $472.57 | $576.28 | $5,950 | $8,850 |
| UHC Silver Standard UnitedHealthcare | Silver | HMO | $477.92 | $582.81 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| UHC Silver Advantage ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $8 Tier 2 Rx) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | HMO | $479.13 | $584.28 | $4,500 | $10,150 |
| Standard Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Silver | HMO | $479.73 | $585.02 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Complete Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Silver | HMO | $484.94 | $591.36 | $5,950 | $8,850 |
| UHC Silver Copay Focus $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | HMO | $490.73 | $598.42 | $0 | $10,600 |
| UHC Silver Advantage+ ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $8 Tier 2 Rx, Dental + Vision) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | HMO | $494.41 | $602.91 | $4,500 | $10,150 |
| UHC Silver Copay Focus+ $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, Dental + Vision) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | HMO | $506.01 | $617.06 | $0 | $10,600 |
| AZ Blue AdvanceHealth Silver Focus (4 Free PCP Visits) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Silver | HMO | $552.92 | $674.26 | $7,200 | $7,200 |
| AZ Blue StandardHealth Silver Focus Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Silver | HMO | $563.18 | $686.78 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| AZ Blue EverydayHealth Silver Focus (1 Free PCP Visit) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Silver | HMO | $568.81 | $693.64 | $7,500 | $9,200 |
| Imperial Standard Gold Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. | Gold | HMO | $423.27 | $516.16 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Imperial Preferred Gold Imperial Insurance Companies, Inc. | Gold | HMO | $428.91 | $523.04 | $1,000 | $8,000 |
| Gold Simple Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Gold | HMO | $443.04 | $540.27 | $3,300 | $9,950 |
| Gold Classic Standard Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Gold | HMO | $446.01 | $543.89 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Gold Simple Diabetes Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Gold | HMO | $448.29 | $546.67 | $2,000 | $9,800 |
| Gold Classic Oscar Health Plan, Inc. | Gold | HMO | $452.14 | $551.37 | $3,500 | $7,750 |
| Standard Gold Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Gold | HMO | $511.15 | $623.33 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Standard Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Gold | HMO | $524.54 | $639.65 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Complete Gold Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Gold | HMO | $533.08 | $650.07 | $1,450 | $7,500 |
| Complete Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Gold | HMO | $547.03 | $667.09 | $1,450 | $7,500 |
| UHC Gold Standard UnitedHealthcare | Gold | HMO | $558.05 | $680.52 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| UHC Gold Advantage ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $3 Tier 2 Rx) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | HMO | $565.14 | $689.17 | $1,250 | $8,000 |
| Elite Gold Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Gold | HMO | $575.51 | $701.81 | $0 | $6,500 |
| UHC Gold Advantage+ ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $3 Tier 2 Rx, Dental + Vision) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | HMO | $580.58 | $708.00 | $1,250 | $8,000 |
| UHC Gold Copay Focus $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $3 Tier 2 Rx) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | HMO | $580.89 | $708.38 | $0 | $7,800 |
| Elite Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health | Gold | HMO | $590.57 | $720.18 | $0 | $6,500 |
| AZ Blue AdvanceHealth Gold Focus (4 Free PCP Visits) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Gold | HMO | $660.90 | $805.94 | $4,800 | $4,800 |
| AZ Blue EverydayHealth Gold Focus (1 Free PCP Visit) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Gold | HMO | $680.93 | $830.37 | $1,475 | $8,000 |
| AZ Blue StandardHealth Gold Focus Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona | Gold | HMO | $695.83 | $848.54 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
Silver Premium Trend (2022-2026)
| Year | Avg Premium | Min | Max | Plans | Issuers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $326/mo | $287 | $454 | 19 | 2 |
| 2023 | $342/mo | $290 | $449 | 19 | 2 |
| 2024 | $335/mo | $251 | $449 | 23 | 4 |
| 2025 | $342/mo | $264 | $489 | 18 | 4 |
| 2026 | $457/mo | $359 | $569 | 22 | 5 |
What this means for Santa Cruz
Use Santa Cruz's own numbers here, not a national average, before you enroll.
- $457/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
- 62 plans from 5 issuers here -- see how that stacks up against the cheapest counties nationwide. See cheapest counties
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 Santa Cruz's Silver premium in the lower band?
Santa Cruz ranks #1988 of 2055 tracked federal-marketplace counties by average Silver premium (highest = #1; CMS PUF sort). Local Silver avg is $457/mo. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How many ACA plans compete in Santa Cruz?
Santa Cruz carries 62 ACA plans from 5 issuers, putting it in the densest third of county inventories nationwide.
What is the cheapest health insurance plan in Santa Cruz?
The lowest-premium plan in Santa Cruz starts at $308/mo (Bronze tier, age 27). Silver plans start at $359/mo. Actual premiums vary by age and may be reduced by premium tax credits.
What is the benchmark premium for Santa Cruz?
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Santa Cruz is $368/mo for a 27-year-old. This amount determines how much premium tax credit subsidy you may be eligible for.
Why did Santa Cruz premiums rise +28.2% year-over-year?
The average age-27 premium in Santa Cruz changed by +28.2% between plan years 2025 and 2026, measured across Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and Catastrophic plans. Premium trends are tracked from 2022 to 2026.
What is the average deductible and out-of-pocket maximum in Santa Cruz?
The average annual deductible across all plans in Santa Cruz is $5,405, and the average out-of-pocket maximum is $9,025. Bronze plans generally have higher deductibles but lower premiums, while Gold and Platinum plans have lower deductibles but higher monthly costs.
Which issuers compete in Santa Cruz's crowded market?
There are 5 insurance issuers offering ACA marketplace plans in Santa Cruz, including Oscar Health Plan, Inc., Ambetter from Arizona Complete Health, UnitedHealthcare, and others. 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 Santa Cruz, AZ's $368/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 Santa Cruz, AZ, both outside AZ 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 ($368/mo here).
Similar issuer competition
Nearest other-state counties by issuer count (5 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.