Head-to-head, from CMS Plan Year 2026 data.
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Alabama is the cheaper of the two: a 40-year-old pays about $680/month for the median Silver plan, versus $708 — a difference of $28/month (4%) before subsidies.
| Alabama | Michigan | |
|---|---|---|
| Median Silver @40 | $680 | $708 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $583 | $385 |
| Most expensive county @40 | $1,124 | $1,048 |
| Age 27 | $478 | $316 |
| Age 60 | $1,238 | $818 |
| Carriers | 4 | 7 |
| Counties | 67 | 83 |
| 1-carrier counties | 7 | 0 |
| Plan types | EPO, PPO | EPO, HMO, PPO |
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits; not a quote or an offer of coverage.
This page sets two states against each other. For county-by-county carriers, plan data and help actually enrolling, I publish a page for each state on Coverage by County: Alabama or Michigan. There is also a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment periods.
Put your ZIP code in and I will show you the carriers filing in your county, what the cheapest plan costs, and what you would actually pay after any help you qualify for. No cost, and you talk to me — not a call center.
An Alabama-to-Michigan move triggers a 60-day special enrollment period, so the 7 carriers filing in Michigan are open to you outside the usual window. The catch is on both ends — you normally need to have carried qualifying coverage for a day or more in the 60 days before moving, and moves made for treatment or travel are excluded.
Your plan will not come with you. Marketplace coverage is sold state by state, so the Alabama policy ends and a Michigan application begins — new network, new premium, even if the name on the card stays the same.
Oscar Insurance Company and UnitedHealthcare write on both sides of the line — Alabama fields 4 carriers in total, Michigan fields 7. Keeping the same insurer smooths the admin and changes little else, since the network is rebuilt per state.
PPO availability is total on both sides, 67 counties in Alabama and 83 in Michigan. If you expect to keep needing care in both, that plan type is the reason this pairing is more workable than most.
Only one of the two can be your plan state. Marketplace eligibility runs on primary residence, so if you file from Alabama the Michigan care is the out-of-network half, and the reverse if you file from Michigan.
State averages hide enormous county-level spread. Whichever of Alabama or Michigan you are in, your ZIP is what sets your premium.