Benchmark $474/mo · ranked 3 of 21 · median wage $49,280
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The benchmark premium for a 40-year-old in Indiana is $474 a month for 2026, ranking 3 of 21 states published here. BLS reports a median annual wage of $49,280 for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors in Indiana.
Below the cliff. At this income a single-person household remains eligible for a premium tax credit in 2026.
This occupation sits above the cliff in 2 of the 21 states reported and below it in the other 19, so the answer changes with the state.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors (SOC 21-1018) in Indiana. 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 counselor. 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.
Benchmark premium and median wage for this occupation, ranked by premium.
| # | State | Benchmark @40 | Median wage | vs cliff |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Maryland | $414 | $57,820 | below |
| 2 | Virginia | $455 | $58,410 | below |
| 3 | Indiana | $474 | $49,280 | below |
| 4 | Nevada | $497 | $59,470 | below |
| 5 | Ohio | $513 | $56,990 | below |
| 6 | Michigan | $523 | $59,530 | below |
| 7 | Colorado | $557 | $59,190 | below |
| 8 | South Carolina | $564 | $50,720 | below |
| 9 | Oklahoma | $604 | $58,610 | below |
| 10 | Wisconsin | $611 | $62,470 | below |
| 11 | Georgia | $615 | $55,320 | below |
| 12 | North Carolina | $638 | $56,470 | below |
| 13 | Utah | $640 | $65,920 | above |
| 14 | Alabama | $645 | $48,880 | below |
| 15 | Illinois | $646 | $59,570 | below |
| 16 | South Dakota | $655 | $53,400 | below |
| 17 | Texas | $661 | $60,630 | below |
| 18 | Kansas | $670 | $57,760 | below |
| 19 | Florida | $683 | $56,830 | below |
| 20 | Nebraska | $710 | $64,410 | above |
| 21 | Arkansas | $774 | $49,990 | below |
This page compares states. For Indiana specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — that is published on Coverage by County. To check whether a plan actually covers your hospital, see Plans By City.
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.
One of Indiana’s 5 carriers is leaving. Cigna exits the individual market entirely on January 1, 2027, so if you are a counselor covered by them the question is not whether you switch but whether you choose the switch yourself.
Nobody can tell you your 2027 Indiana premium yet. Filings nationally cluster around a 15% median increase, with the full spread running −1% to 54% — and until this state signs off, a specific local number is invention.
The window opens November 1, 2026, and December 15 is the date worth writing down — it is what secures January 1 cover in Indiana 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 Indiana marketplace — not in any of its 92 counties. Every plan is an HMO, EPO or POS, which for a counselor 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 in August than in the second week of December.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
The sticker price is rarely what Counselors in Indiana end up paying. Start with a ZIP and I will work out your actual number.