Ranked 11 of 17 states · median $773/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old barber in Mississippi pays a median $773/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 11th of 17 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $598 from Oscar Health Plan in DeSoto. On median Silver premium, Mississippi ranks 11 of 17 for this occupation.
Patient-facing and standing work means steady, predictable utilization — regular visits, prescriptions, physical therapy. Copay structure and network breadth drive real annual cost more than the headline premium, so these pages rank states on median premium and carrier count together.
Occupational context: Repetitive shoulder/wrist strain; prolonged standing; chemical exposure.
This is background for choosing a plan, not for pricing one. Since 2014 every Mississippi 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 barber or an accountant. Occupation changes the shopping criteria, nothing else.
Premium is set by rating area, so a barber in one Mississippi 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $684 | Ambetter from Magnolia Health | $6,000 | 3 |
| Copiah | $704 | Cigna Healthcare | $4,000 | 4 |
| Panola | $630 | Oscar Health Plan | $6,300 | 4 |
| Lee | $653 | Ambetter from Magnolia Health | $6,000 | 4 |
| Jackson | $655 | Cigna Healthcare | $4,000 | 4 |
| Perry | $661 | Ambetter from Magnolia Health | $6,000 | 4 |
The spread across just these six is $74/month — $890 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $598 to $913. Coverage by County publishes all 82 Mississippi counties individually.
| Mississippi — network and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $773 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $598 — Oscar Health Plan (DeSoto) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $913 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 5 — Ambetter from Magnolia Health, Cigna Healthcare, Molina Healthcare, Oscar Health Plan |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 of 82 |
Mississippi has 5 carriers filing and 0 of 82 counties served by a single issuer. For a barber with an established provider relationship, that carrier count is the number that decides whether you keep your doctor.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 2,834 plan records across 82 Mississippi counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Oklahoma ($731), Kansas ($765), Tennessee ($773). More expensive: Florida ($789), Utah ($805), Texas ($807).
Side-by-side: Mississippi vs Kansas · Mississippi vs Tennessee · Mississippi vs Florida · Mississippi vs Utah
A caveat on the table above: rating is by residence, not by job site. A barber living in Mississippi and working across a state line still buys Mississippi 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 barber, the categories that usually show up are: Chair rental, clippers, products, licensing. 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 BLS median wage for Barbers in Mississippi is $24,110 a year (May 2024). Starting pay — the 10th percentile — is about $17,210. The middle half earn $19,110 to $44,980, and the top 10% more than $72,700. BLS counts about 60 people doing this work for an employer in Mississippi. The self-employed are not in the BLS survey, so this is the going rate for the work, not your own number.
The cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Mississippi is $598 per month from Oscar Health Plan, with a state median of $773. 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.
Mississippi ranks 11 of 17 states covered here, at a median $773 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
Below the cliff. At this income a single-person household remains eligible for a premium tax credit in 2027.
This occupation sits above the cliff in 1 of the 19 states reported and below it in the other 18, so the answer changes with the state.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Barbers (SOC 39-5011) in Mississippi. 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 barber. 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 2027 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $63,840 ends premium tax credit eligibility outright.
This page compares states. For Mississippi specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Barbers in Mississippi and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Mississippi loses two carriers this cycle: Cigna and Molina are out of Mississippi’s individual market from January 1, 2027, leaving 3 filing here. For Barbers that is a forced decision, and a better one made in November than in January.
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 Mississippi rates are not approved, so any precise 2027 figure quoted for this state is guesswork.
The window opens November 1, 2026, and December 15 is the date worth writing down — it is what secures January 1 cover in Mississippi and everywhere else. You will find later dates quoted; they stem from a 2025 rule that was vacated in June 2026 and is under appeal.
There is still no PPO on the Mississippi marketplace — not in any of its 82 counties. Every plan is an EPO or HMO, which for a barber working across a wide area is the binding constraint, not price.
If you are with Cigna or Molina, you already know you are changing plans — both are leaving. The only real question is whether you pick the replacement or the marketplace picks it for you, and that is a much easier decision made now than in the second week of December.
Enter a ZIP and a licensed agent will tell you three things:
The sticker price is rarely what Barbers in Mississippi end up paying. Start with a ZIP and a licensed agent will work out your actual number.
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