Ranked 14 of 17 states · median $807/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old barber in Texas pays a median $807/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 14th of 17 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $540 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas in Cameron. On median Silver premium, Texas ranks 14 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 Texas 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 Texas 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dimmit | $700 | UnitedHealthcare | $6,000 | 2 |
| La Salle | $700 | UnitedHealthcare | $6,000 | 3 |
| Kaufman | $705 | WellPoint | $6,000 | 3 |
| Titus | $705 | CHRISTUS | $6,000 | 3 |
| Navarro | $707 | Baylor Scott and White | $6,000 | 4 |
| Chambers | $720 | UnitedHealthcare | $6,000 | 4 |
The spread across just these six is $20/month — $242 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $540 to $1,409. Coverage by County publishes all 254 Texas counties individually.
| Texas — network and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $807 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $540 — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (Cameron) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $1,409 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 15 — Ambetter from Superior HealthPlan, Baylor Scott and White, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, CHRISTUS |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO, POS |
| Counties with only one carrier | 7 of 254 |
Texas has 15 carriers filing and 7 of 254 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. 13,013 plan records across 254 Texas counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Mississippi ($773), Florida ($789), Utah ($805). More expensive: North Carolina ($828), Arkansas ($828), Nebraska ($875).
Side-by-side: Texas vs Florida · Texas vs Utah · Texas vs North Carolina · Texas vs Arkansas
Read the comparison as context, not as a shopping list. Your county of residence determines what you can buy, and for a barber that is fixed unless you relocate. Where it is actionable is a move already in progress — that is a qualifying life event, and you have 60 days on either side of it.
Self-employed Barbers in Texas typically deduct: Chair rental, clippers, products, licensing. 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 BLS median wage for Barbers in Texas is $36,400 a year (May 2024). Starting pay — the 10th percentile — is about $27,310. The middle half earn $29,150 to $64,140, and the top 10% more than $94,350. BLS counts about 3,920 people doing this work for an employer in Texas. 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 Texas is $540 per month from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, with a state median of $807. 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 and POS plans were filed for 2026.
Texas ranks 14 of 17 states covered here, at a median $807 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 Texas. 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 Texas specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Barbers in Texas and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Texas loses a carrier this cycle: Cigna is out of the ACA individual market from January 1, 2027, leaving 14 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 Texas 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 Texas 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 Texas marketplace — not in any of its 254 counties. Every plan is an HMO, EPO or POS, which for a barber working across a wide area is the binding constraint, not price.
You already know you are changing plans — Cigna is 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 Texas end up paying. Start with a ZIP and a licensed agent will work out your actual number.
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