Ranked 11 of 15 states · median $805/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old architect in Utah pays a median $805/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 11th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $559 from Select Health in Davis. On counties covered, Utah ranks 15 of 15 for this occupation.
Work that crosses county and state lines makes network geography the binding constraint. A cheap HMO that only contracts in one metro is worthless 200 miles away, so these pages rank states by network reach and flag the ones with no PPO on the exchange at all.
Occupational context: Site-visit fall risk; prolonged screen and drafting strain.
This is background for choosing a plan, not for pricing one. Since 2014 every Utah exchange plan has been guaranteed issue and community rated: same age, same ZIP, same tobacco status means the same filed premium whether you are a architect or an accountant. Occupation changes the shopping criteria, nothing else.
Premium is set by rating area, so a architect in one Utah 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Duchesne | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 4 |
| Piute | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 2 |
| Washington | $885 | Select Health | $6,000 | 3 |
| Weber | $587 | Select Health | $5,900 | 4 |
| Daggett | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 4 |
| Millard | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 2 |
The spread across just these six is $298/month — $3,570 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $559 to $1,125. Coverage by County publishes all 29 Utah counties individually.
| Utah — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 29 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 1 (3%) |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO |
| PPO available on exchange | No |
| Carriers filing in the state | 6 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $559 — Davis |
Utah has no PPO plans on the exchange at all. For a architect covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 1 of 29 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. 699 plan records across 29 Utah counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Oklahoma ($731), Kansas ($765), Florida ($789). More expensive: Texas ($807), North Carolina ($828), Arkansas ($828).
Side-by-side: Utah vs Kansas · Utah vs Florida · Utah vs Texas · Utah vs North Carolina
A caveat on the table above: rating is by residence, not by job site. A architect living in Utah and working across a state line still buys Utah plans. A genuine permanent move does trigger a special enrollment period, but the plan year restarts with a fresh deductible.
If you file a Schedule C as a architect, the categories that usually show up are: Licensing, CAD software, E&O insurance, site travel. The health premium itself is normally an above-the-line deduction under IRC §162(l), which reduces AGI rather than requiring you to itemize. Your CPA should confirm it against your actual situation.
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 Utah is $559 per month from Select Health, with a state median of $805. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
No. Under the ACA, carriers cannot rate, decline, or exclude based on occupation or health history. Rates vary only by age, ZIP code, tobacco use and household size.
No. Only EPO and HMO plans were filed for 2026.
Utah ranks 11 of 15 states covered here, at a median $805 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
This page compares states. For Utah specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Architects in Utah and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.