ACA plans available
54
Plan year 2026
CMS Marketplace county · plan year 2026
Shelby, 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
- $588
- Silver avg/mo
- 54
- ACA plans
- 4
- Issuers
- +22.1%
- YoY premium
Silver avg $588/mo
Shelby, Alabama has 54 ACA marketplace plans from 4 issuers (plan year 2026). Average Silver premium is $588/mo; Bronze averages $451/mo and Gold $672/mo. Figures are CMS Marketplace Public Use File county aggregates for age-27 rates.
- County Silver corpus place #1418 of 2055 (highest = #1)
- Benchmark (2nd-lowest Silver) $535/mo
- Plan year 2026 CMS PUF
Silver rank is not plan-count rank
According to CMS Marketplace Public Use Files, Shelby, Alabama ranks #1,418 of 2,055 counties by listed Silver average ($588/mo) and #572 of 2,055 by plan count (54 plans).
- #1,418 of 2,055
- Silver average among 2,055 counties
- $588
- Listed Silver average /mo
- #572 of 2,055
- Plan count among 2,055 counties
- 54
- 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.
Shelby, Alabama offers 54 ACA marketplace plans from 4 issuers for plan year 2026. Bronze plans start at $361/mo and Silver plans start at $513/mo (age 27 listed rates). Use the tables below to compare premiums, deductibles, and issuers across all metal tiers.
$588
Avg Silver Premium/mo
$535
Benchmark Premium/mo
+22.1%
Year-over-Year Change
$5,073
Avg Deductible
Lower-premium band
Shelby in the lower-premium third
$588/mo Silver avg sits in the bottom third of tracked federal-marketplace counties. Corpus place #1418 of 2055 (highest Silver = #1).
Floor-to-ceiling Silver runs $513–$669/mo. The local market is heavily EPO-dominated -- shoppers who specifically want a PPO network have only a handful of plans to choose from here.
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
17 plans$451/mo avg
$361 - $566
Silver
21 plans$588/mo avg
$513 - $669
Gold
15 plans$672/mo avg
$583 - $758
Catastrophic plan available: avg $355/mo (1 plan) - only for individuals under 30 or with a hardship exemption.
Benchmark premium & subsidies
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Shelby is $535/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
4
Competitive market
Benchmark Silver
$535 /mo
Sets your subsidy ceiling
Avg deductible
$5,073
Across all metal tiers
C+
Marketplace Access Score
61/100
Shelby
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-
$535/mo
Benchmark Silver premium; rank #1418 of 2055 tracked counties (cheapest first)
Plan Choice B
54 plans
ACA marketplace plan count; rank #572 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Issuer Competition C
4 issuers
Distinct marketplace issuers; rank #898 of 2055 tracked counties (most first)
Cost Predictability D
$5,073
Average deductible across tracked plans; rank #893 of 2055 tracked counties (lowest first)
Shelby ACA plans by premium and deductible
Each marker is the Shelby 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.
Shelby ACA marketplace plans: premium vs deductible
How Shelby's Silver premium compares nationwide
2,055 federal-marketplace counties with a tracked Silver average, banded by monthly premium.
Shelby vs 2,055 tracked counties
Average Silver premium (age 27), CMS Marketplace Public Use Files
$588 1418th of 2055 higher than 636 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 Shelby
| Issuer | Plans | Avg Premium (Age 27) |
|---|---|---|
| Ambetter of Alabama | 18 | $559/mo |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | 14 | $544/mo |
| UnitedHealthcare | 13 | $551/mo |
| Oscar Insurance Company | 9 | $624/mo |
All Plans in Shelby
| Plan Name | Metal | Type | Premium (27) | Premium (40) | Deductible | OOP Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Blue Protect Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Catastrophic | PPO | $354.76 | $432.62 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| UHC Bronze Essential (No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Bronze | EPO | $361.23 | $440.51 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| UHC Bronze Standard (No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $382.70 | $466.69 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Blue Saver Bronze Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $387.32 | $472.32 | $8,500 | $10,600 |
| Blue Standardized Bronze Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $390.22 | $475.86 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| UHC Bronze Standard+ (Dental + Vision, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $397.88 | $485.20 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| UHC Bronze Copay Focus $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $400.23 | $488.07 | $0 | $10,600 |
| Blue HSA Bronze Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $422.51 | $515.24 | $7,200 | $7,200 |
| Everyday Bronze Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $430.53 | $525.02 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $430.97 | $525.56 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Everyday Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $448.04 | $546.37 | $8,450 | $10,150 |
| Standard Expanded Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $448.50 | $546.93 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Elite Bronze Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $497.10 | $606.19 | $0 | $10,500 |
| Elite Bronze + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $517.31 | $630.84 | $0 | $10,500 |
| Bronze Classic Standard Oscar Insurance Company | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $517.76 | $631.39 | $7,500 | $10,000 |
| Bronze Classic 4700 Oscar Insurance Company | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $526.97 | $642.62 | $4,700 | $9,800 |
| Bronze Simple Chronic Care CKM Oscar Insurance Company | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $537.30 | $655.22 | $5,500 | $10,150 |
| Bronze Elite + PCP Saver Plus Oscar Insurance Company | Expanded Bronze | EPO | $565.81 | $689.99 | $0 | $10,600 |
| Blue Saver Silver EPO Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $512.59 | $625.08 | $4,000 | $9,450 |
| Blue Standardized Silver EPO Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $535.02 | $652.44 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Blue Statewide Silver EPO Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $543.36 | $662.60 | $3,500 | $9,450 |
| Blue Standardized Statewide Silver EPO Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $557.20 | $679.49 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Blue Cross Select Silver Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | PPO | $558.69 | $681.30 | $5,000 | $10,600 |
| Standard Silver Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $558.81 | $681.45 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Blue Standardized Silver Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | PPO | $562.83 | $686.35 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Focused Silver Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $565.27 | $689.33 | $6,300 | $8,400 |
| Enhanced Diabetes Care Silver with $0 Drug Options Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $576.00 | $702.41 | $5,000 | $8,650 |
| Standard Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $581.53 | $709.16 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| UHC Silver Standard (No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | EPO | $587.71 | $716.69 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Focused Silver + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $588.25 | $717.35 | $6,300 | $8,400 |
| UHC Silver Value ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | EPO | $590.56 | $720.16 | $3,500 | $8,900 |
| UHC Silver Copay Focus $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | EPO | $596.25 | $727.11 | $0 | $10,150 |
| Enhanced Diabetes Care Silver with $0 Drug Options + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Silver | EPO | $599.42 | $730.97 | $5,000 | $8,650 |
| UHC Silver Value+ ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, Dental + Vision, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | EPO | $605.74 | $738.68 | $3,500 | $8,900 |
| UHC Silver Copay Focus+ $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, Dental + Vision, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Silver | EPO | $611.43 | $745.62 | $0 | $10,150 |
| Blue Value Silver Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Silver | PPO | $624.08 | $761.05 | $3,700 | $10,600 |
| Silver Classic Standard Oscar Insurance Company | Silver | EPO | $663.05 | $808.57 | $6,000 | $8,900 |
| Silver Simple Oscar Insurance Company | Silver | EPO | $668.45 | $815.15 | $6,300 | $9,300 |
| Silver Simple Chronic Care CKM Oscar Insurance Company | Silver | EPO | $668.95 | $815.76 | $5,900 | $10,150 |
| Standard Gold Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $582.77 | $710.67 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Standard Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $606.46 | $739.56 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Complete Gold Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $614.80 | $749.73 | $1,450 | $7,500 |
| Complete Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $639.80 | $780.21 | $1,450 | $7,500 |
| UHC Gold Standard (No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | EPO | $648.08 | $790.31 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| UHC Gold Advantage ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $5 Tier 2 Rx, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | EPO | $650.52 | $793.29 | $750 | $8,000 |
| UHC Gold Advantage+ ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $5 Tier 2 Rx, Dental + Vision, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | EPO | $666.40 | $812.65 | $750 | $8,000 |
| UHC Gold Copay Focus $0 Indiv Med Ded ($0 Virtual Urgent Care, $5 Tier 2 Rx, No Referrals) UnitedHealthcare | Gold | EPO | $669.34 | $816.23 | $0 | $7,000 |
| Elite Gold Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $671.19 | $818.50 | $0 | $6,500 |
| Blue Standardized Gold Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Gold | PPO | $687.01 | $837.78 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Elite Gold + Vision + Adult Dental Ambetter of Alabama | Gold | EPO | $698.48 | $851.78 | $0 | $6,500 |
| Blue Cross Select Gold Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Gold | PPO | $721.53 | $879.88 | $850 | $6,000 |
| Gold Simple Oscar Insurance Company | Gold | EPO | $733.44 | $894.41 | $3,300 | $9,950 |
| Gold Classic Standard Oscar Insurance Company | Gold | EPO | $737.96 | $899.92 | $2,000 | $8,200 |
| Blue Value Gold Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | Gold | PPO | $758.25 | $924.66 | $750 | $6,000 |
Silver Premium Trend (2022-2026)
| Year | Avg Premium | Min | Max | Plans | Issuers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $456/mo | $428 | $532 | 9 | 2 |
| 2023 | $517/mo | $441 | $558 | 10 | 2 |
| 2024 | $544/mo | $464 | $642 | 18 | 3 |
| 2025 | $470/mo | $431 | $512 | 15 | 3 |
| 2026 | $588/mo | $513 | $669 | 21 | 4 |
What this means for Shelby
Use Shelby's own numbers here, not a national average, before you enroll.
- $588/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
- 54 plans from 4 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 Shelby's Silver premium in the lower band?
Shelby ranks #1418 of 2055 tracked federal-marketplace counties by average Silver premium (highest = #1; CMS PUF sort). Local Silver avg is $588/mo. See /methodology#corpus-placement.
How many ACA plans compete in Shelby?
Shelby carries 54 ACA plans from 4 issuers, putting it in the densest third of county inventories nationwide.
What is the cheapest health insurance plan in Shelby?
The lowest-premium plan in Shelby starts at $361/mo (Bronze tier, age 27). Silver plans start at $513/mo. Actual premiums vary by age and may be reduced by premium tax credits.
What is the benchmark premium for Shelby?
The benchmark (second-lowest Silver) premium in Shelby is $535/mo for a 27-year-old. This amount determines how much premium tax credit subsidy you may be eligible for.
Why did Shelby premiums rise +22.1% year-over-year?
The average age-27 premium in Shelby changed by +22.1% 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 Shelby?
The average annual deductible across all plans in Shelby is $5,073, and the average out-of-pocket maximum is $9,064. 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 Shelby's crowded market?
There are 4 insurance issuers offering ACA marketplace plans in Shelby, including Ambetter of Alabama, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama, 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 Shelby, AL's $535/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 Shelby, 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 ($535/mo here).
Similar issuer competition
Nearest other-state counties by issuer count (4 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.