Ranked 15 of 15 states · median $875/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old architect in Nebraska pays a median $875/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — the most expensive of the states covered here. The cheapest plan in the state is $640 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska in Burt. On counties covered, Nebraska ranks 4 of 15 for this occupation.
Coverage that only works where you sleep is not coverage if you spend the week elsewhere. The binding question is whether the plan pays out of area at all, and beyond emergencies many HMOs simply do not. States below are ordered by network reach, with the no-PPO states flagged.
Occupational context: Site-visit fall risk; prolonged screen and drafting strain.
Two things get confused here constantly. Risk exposure decides what coverage you should buy. It does not decide what you are charged — Nebraska carriers rate on age, ZIP, tobacco and family size, full stop. A architect with a bad back and a healthy 40-year-old office worker in the same county see the same number.
Premium is set by rating area, so a architect in one Nebraska county can pay materially more than one an hour away. Six counties from across the state, cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old:
| County | Cheapest Silver @40 | Issuer | Deductible | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hall | $755 | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska | $6,000 | 5 |
| Butler | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Dawson | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Hamilton | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Madison | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Rock | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
The spread across just these six is $22/month — $268 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $640 to $1,460. Coverage by County publishes all 93 Nebraska counties individually.
| Nebraska — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 93 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 (0%) |
| Plan types available | EPO, PPO |
| PPO available on exchange | Yes |
| Carriers filing in the state | 5 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $640 — Burt |
Nebraska has PPO plans available. For a architect covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 0 of 93 counties here are served by one carrier, so an HMO bought in one metro may leave you out of network for the rest of your route.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 5,902 plan records across 93 Nebraska counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Texas ($807), North Carolina ($828), Arkansas ($828).
Side-by-side: Nebraska vs North Carolina · Nebraska vs Arkansas
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether Nebraska is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a architect weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
Self-employed Architects in Nebraska typically deduct: Licensing, CAD software, E&O insurance, site travel. Health premiums sit separately, above the line under IRC §162(l), and only when neither you nor a spouse could have joined an employer plan — eligibility disqualifies you even if you declined the coverage.
If your household income is above the subsidy range, ACA is not automatically the answer. There are other categories of coverage that may fit, and they work very differently. That is a conversation, not a web page.
The cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Nebraska is $640 per month from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, with a state median of $875. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
It cannot happen on an exchange plan. Rating in Nebraska uses four inputs only: age, ZIP code, tobacco use and how many people are on the policy. Trade, injury history and pre-existing conditions are all excluded from pricing by law.
Yes. Plan types filed for 2026: EPO, PPO.
Nebraska ranks 15 of 15 states covered here, at a median $875 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
Above the cliff. At this income a single-person household receives no premium tax credit for 2026 and pays the full premium.
This occupation is above the cliff in all 21 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Architects, Except Landscape and Naval (SOC 17-1011) in Nebraska. BLS surveys wage and salary workers and excludes the self-employed, so it is a benchmark for the occupation in this state — not the income of a self-employed architect. Premium tax credit eligibility is set by household modified adjusted gross income and household size, not by occupation, so treat this as a reference point rather than a determination of what you qualify for.
Why the cliff is back. The enhanced premium tax credits expired on 31 December 2025. For plan year 2026 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $62,600 ends premium tax credit eligibility outright.
This page compares states. For Nebraska specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Architects in Nebraska and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Right now 5 carriers file plans across the 93 counties of Nebraska. Participation is reset annually, which is why Architects should check the roster in November rather than assume this year’s options carry over.
On price the only honest number today is national: the Peterson-KFF read of 2027 filings puts the median proposed rise near 15%, spanning −1% to 54%. Final Nebraska rates are not approved, so any precise 2027 figure quoted for this state is guesswork.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in Nebraska regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
Check before renewing: PPOs are sold in 34 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, not all. Whether yours has one decides how much out-of-network care is covered — usually a bigger question for Architects than the monthly figure.
Nothing about 2027 is urgent yet, which is exactly why it is worth ten minutes now. Come November you will be choosing between Nebraska’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Two Architects on opposite sides of Nebraska can be quoted very different premiums for the same plan. Your ZIP is what decides it.