What health insurance costs in New York in 2026
Quick answer
A New York Marketplace Bronze plan is estimated at $593 to $822 a month at full price in 2026, and because New York does not price by age, that is the same for a 25-year-old and a 60-year-old; the statewide silver benchmark is about $817. A single adult earning $50,000 gets an estimated $402 a month in premium tax credit, bringing the lowest Bronze to about $191, while a single filer above $62,600 gets no federal credit. Lower-income adults are generally steered to the Essential Plan or Medicaid instead of a Marketplace plan.
A New York Marketplace Bronze plan is estimated at $593 to $822 a month at full price in 2026, Silver at $806 to $1,064, and the statewide silver benchmark that the tax credit is measured against is about $817. Those figures are the same at every age, because New York is one of the few states that does not charge older adults more. The credit is what changes the bill. A single adult earning $50,000 gets an estimated $402 a month, so the lowest Bronze plan costs about $191. At $60,000 the credit is about $319 and Bronze costs about $274. Above $62,600 a single filer gets no federal credit and pays $593 or more. Adults with lower incomes are generally covered by Medicaid or the state's Essential Plan rather than a Marketplace plan at all.
That makes New York unusual in both directions. A 27-year-old pays far more than the same person would in most states, and a 62-year-old often pays less. This guide walks through the prices, where the Essential Plan fits, what the tax credit does at common incomes, and when a private plan is worth a look.
Where these New York figures come from
New York runs its own marketplace, NY State of Health, so its plans are not in the federal CMS QHP Landscape PY2026 file (snapshot August 4, 2026) that prices the HealthCare.gov states county by county on this site. For New York we start from the 2026 statewide silver benchmark reported by KFF, about $817 a month, and build the Bronze, Silver and Gold ranges from the tier spreads seen across the HealthCare.gov states. They are statewide estimates. A plan in Manhattan can price differently from one in Buffalo or Albany, and NY State of Health lists the exact plans for each county. How we price explains the method in full, and the tool on this site applies it to your household once you enter a ZIP code, age and income.
Full price in New York: one number at every age
Most states use the federal age curve, which lets a 64-year-old be charged three times what a 21-year-old pays for the same plan. New York uses community rating instead: the premium for an individual plan depends on the plan and the county, not on the age of the person buying it. Here are the statewide estimates, before any tax credit.
| Tier | Age 21 | Age 40 | Age 50 | Age 60 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $593–$822 | $593–$822 | $593–$822 | $593–$822 |
| Silver | $806–$1,064 | $806–$1,064 | $806–$1,064 | $806–$1,064 |
| Gold | $812–$1,137 | $812–$1,137 | $812–$1,137 | $812–$1,137 |
| Silver benchmark | $817 | $817 | $817 | $817 |
Monthly, non-tobacco, statewide 2026 estimates built from the KFF benchmark. The New York cost page carries the same figures with the private ranges alongside.
Two consequences follow. First, the full price for a young adult is high. A 30-year-old in a neighbouring state such as Pennsylvania pays well under what New York's flat rate asks. Second, because the benchmark does not rise with age, the tax credit does not rise with age either. In most states a 60-year-old gets a far larger credit than a 40-year-old at the same income; in New York they get the same one. The trade is that the 60-year-old's starting price was never inflated, so the bill after the credit is often lower than it would be elsewhere. The guide to coverage at 60 shows how different that picture looks in age-rated states.
Families are priced differently too. New York sets premiums by coverage tier (individual, couple, parent and children, family) rather than adding up one price per person, so a family premium can come in below a simple per-person total. Treat the family figures below as a conservative estimate and confirm with NY State of Health.
The Essential Plan and Medicaid line
Before the Marketplace tax credit enters the picture, New York has two lower-cost programs that cover many lower-income adults.
- Medicaid. New York expanded Medicaid, so adults under 138% of the federal poverty level, which is $21,597 a year for one person and $44,367 for a family of four, are generally covered by Medicaid.
- The Essential Plan. New York's Essential Plan covers lawfully present adults above the Medicaid line and has carried no monthly premium in recent years. It has covered incomes up to 200% of the poverty level ($31,300 for one person) and, under a federal waiver, up to 250% ($39,125 for one person). New York has announced changes to the program in response to federal funding cuts that may bring the upper line back toward 200% during 2026, so check NY State of Health for the line in effect when you apply.
The Essential Plan is the reason most of the tax-credit examples below start at $40,000. Someone at $30,000 is generally directed to the Essential Plan rather than a subsidised Bronze plan, and enrollment in it runs all year rather than only during Open Enrollment.
| Household size | 100% of poverty level | 138% (Medicaid line in expansion states) | 400% (tax-credit limit) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $15,650 | $21,597 | $62,600 |
| 2 | $21,150 | $29,187 | $84,600 |
| 3 | $26,650 | $36,777 | $106,600 |
| 4 | $32,150 | $44,367 | $128,600 |
| 5 | $37,650 | $51,957 | $150,600 |
| 6 | $43,150 | $59,547 | $172,600 |
2025 HHS poverty guidelines for the 48 contiguous states and DC, which apply to 2026 coverage (Alaska and Hawaii are higher). Source: 90 FR 5917 and IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25.
The tax credit at common New York incomes
The premium tax credit is available to households between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty level. For 2026 coverage the 2025 poverty guidelines apply, so the 400% line is $62,600 for one person, $84,600 for two and $128,600 for four. The enhanced credits of 2021 through 2025 expired on December 31, 2025, which brought back the cliff: one dollar over the line and the federal credit is zero. Between 300% and 400% a household is expected to contribute 9.96% of income toward the benchmark plan, and the credit covers the rest.
Here is what that does in New York, using the statewide benchmark and the lowest estimated Bronze plan. The ages do not change the result, which is the New York difference.
| Household | Income | % of poverty level | Benchmark | Estimated credit | Lowest Bronze, full → after credit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single adult, any age | $40,000 | 256% | $817 | $530/mo | $593 → $63 |
| Single adult, any age | $50,000 | 319% | $817 | $402/mo | $593 → $191 |
| Single adult, any age | $60,000 | 383% | $817 | $319/mo | $593 → $274 |
| Single adult, any age | $70,000 | 447% | $817 | $0 | $593 → $593 |
| Couple | $60,000 | 284% | $1,634 | $1,161/mo | $1,186 → $25 |
| Couple | $80,000 | 378% | $1,634 | $970/mo | $1,186 → $216 |
| Couple | $90,000 | 426% | $1,634 | $0 | $1,186 → $1,186 |
| Family of four | $120,000 | 373% | $3,268 | $2,272/mo | $2,372 → $100 |
| Family of four | $130,000 | 404% | $3,268 | $0 | $2,372 → $2,372 |
Credit maths from HHS 2025 poverty guidelines and IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25; family figures add up one price per person and may run high, as explained above.
The cliff is steep in New York because the full price is high. A single adult who earns $62,000 pays roughly $296 for Bronze; one who earns $63,000 pays $593. A couple moving from $84,000 to $90,000 goes from about $249 a month to $1,186. A legitimate retirement or HSA contribution that keeps modified adjusted gross income under the line can be worth thousands of dollars a year, and the family-of-four cliff guide works through that decision. The tax credit guide covers how the credit is reconciled on your return. Confirm your own figures with your tax professional.
When a private plan is worth a look in New York
Private plans are medically underwritten. The application asks health questions, and the carrier can decline you, charge more, or exclude a condition. They are not ACA coverage. In return, healthy applicants are often quoted less than the lowest Bronze plan, and they can apply in any month. For New York our estimates run $179 to $604 a month for a healthy 40-year-old man and $210 to $648 for a woman, against $593 to $822 for Marketplace Bronze at full price.
| Age | Private, healthy man | Private, healthy woman | Marketplace Bronze, full price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 30 | $113–$477 | $185–$571 | $593–$822 |
| 40 | $179–$604 | $210–$648 | $593–$822 |
| 50 | $299–$672 | $281–$657 | $593–$822 |
| 60 | $449–$863 | $381–$790 | $593–$822 |
The carrier tables our advisors work from do not list New York yet, so the private ranges are built from neighbouring states. New York also regulates its individual market more tightly than most states, so the private options available at a New York address are narrower than elsewhere, and an advisor confirms what can be offered before any price is final.
Read the table with New York's flat pricing in mind. The gap is widest for young, healthy adults, because the Marketplace charges them the same as everyone else while underwritten plans price them low. By 60 the gap closes and the private range can sit above the Marketplace one. Then layer on the credit:
- Single, $50,000. Bronze after credit is about $191, and the plan covers pre-existing conditions without question. Most people here stay on the Marketplace.
- Single, 32, $75,000. No credit and Bronze at $593 or more with a deductible of several thousand dollars. A healthy applicant this age is the typical case where a private plan, if one is available, deserves a quote.
- Couple in their 50s, $90,000. No credit and about $1,186 a month for two Bronze plans. If either partner has an ongoing condition, the Marketplace plan is usually the right call, because nothing on it can be excluded.
The honest summary: the Marketplace with a tax credit often wins in New York, and it always wins for anyone with a pre-existing condition. A private plan is most often worth comparing for healthy, younger households above the 400% line. The underwriting guide shows what the health questions look like.
Open Enrollment and other dates
NY State of Health sets its own Open Enrollment window each fall, and it has typically run from mid-November through January 31, longer than the federal window. Outside it, you need a qualifying life event such as losing job-based coverage, a move, marriage or a new child. Medicaid and the Essential Plan accept applications all year. New York does not charge a state penalty for going uninsured, unlike neighbouring New Jersey, so the cost of a gap is the medical risk rather than a tax bill. If you have just lost a job, the lost-job guide compares COBRA with a Marketplace plan.
A short checklist for New Yorkers
- Find your income as a percentage of the poverty level. Under 138% points to Medicaid, the next band to the Essential Plan, and 400% is where the federal credit ends.
- Ignore age when you compare. Your Marketplace price will not drop because you are young or rise because you are older; your county and the plan set it.
- Price both sides. Enter your ZIP, age and income in the tool to see the estimated credit and the private range side by side, then check NY State of Health for the exact county plans.
- If anyone in the household has an ongoing condition, start on the Marketplace. Underwriting can exclude it or decline the application; the Marketplace cannot.
- Confirm the tax side. If you are near a line, or self-employed, have your tax professional check the estimate. The self-employed guide explains how the premium deduction interacts with the credit.
Questions people ask
How much is health insurance in New York per month in 2026?
At full price, a Marketplace Bronze plan is estimated at $593 to $822 a month, Silver at $806 to $1,064, and the statewide silver benchmark is about $817. New York does not price by age, so those figures apply to a 25-year-old and a 60-year-old alike. A tax credit lowers the bill for households up to 400% of the poverty level: a single adult at $50,000 typically pays about $191 for the lowest Bronze plan.
Do I get a tax credit in New York at $70,000?
It depends on household size. A single person at $70,000 is at 447% of the poverty level and gets no federal credit for 2026. A couple at $70,000 is at about 331% and gets an estimated $1,053 a month against the statewide benchmark, and a family of four at $70,000 is generally inside the credit range by a wide margin. Confirm with NY State of Health and your tax professional.
Who qualifies for the Essential Plan in New York?
Generally, lawfully present adults whose income is above the Medicaid line (138% of the poverty level) and up to the Essential Plan limit, which has been 250% of the poverty level under a federal waiver and may move back toward 200% during 2026. For one person, 200% is $31,300 and 250% is $39,125. The plan has carried no monthly premium in recent years and you can apply any time. Check NY State of Health for the current limit.
Sources: KFF 2026 benchmark premium for New York (statewide, second-lowest-cost Silver) with tier ranges scaled from the CMS QHP Landscape PY2026 Individual Medical file (data.healthcare.gov, snapshot August 4, 2026); HHS 2025 poverty guidelines (90 FR 5917) and IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25 for the credit maths; NY State of Health for enrollment, Essential Plan and Medicaid rules; private ranges estimated from the carrier rate tables our advisors quote from in neighbouring states. Figures are monthly, non-tobacco, statewide estimates and can change before Open Enrollment. This guide is general information, not tax advice; confirm with your tax professional.