Ranked 11 of 15 states · median $805/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old dentist 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 median Silver premium, Utah ranks 11 of 15 for this occupation.
Patient-facing and on-your-feet work produces steady, predictable claims — routine visits, refills, physical therapy, the occasional urgent care. That profile is decided by copay design and by whether your providers are in network, not by the sticker premium, so carrier count sits alongside cost below.
Occupational context: Chronic neck and back strain; repetitive hand injury; aerosol exposure.
None of that changes your price. ACA plans in Utah are community rated — premium varies by age, ZIP code, tobacco use and household size only. Your occupation cannot be used to rate you, decline you, or exclude a condition. What it changes is which plan design is the right bet.
Premium is set by rating area, so a dentist 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morgan | $602 | Select Health | $5,900 | 4 |
| Emery | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 4 |
| San Juan | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 2 |
| Davis | $559 | Select Health | $5,900 | 4 |
| Box Elder | $602 | Select Health | $5,900 | 4 |
| Duchesne | $798 | Select Health | $6,000 | 4 |
The spread across just these six is $239/month — $2,865 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 and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $805 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $559 — Select Health (Davis) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $1,125 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 6 — BridgeSpan Health, Imperial Health Plan of the Southwest, Molina Healthcare, Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO |
| Counties with only one carrier | 1 of 29 |
Utah has 6 carriers filing and 1 of 29 counties served by a single issuer. For a dentist 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. 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
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether Utah is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a dentist weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
Deduction categories that generally fit this trade: Malpractice insurance, chair and equipment, lab fees, licensing. Note the ordering problem with health premiums: the §162(l) deduction lowers your AGI, and your AGI is what sets your premium tax credit, so the two calculate against each other. That is a CPA conversation and worth having before you enroll, not after.
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.
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 20 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Dentists, General (SOC 29-1021) in Utah. 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 dentist. 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 Utah specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Dentists in Utah and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Right now 6 carriers file plans across the 29 counties of Utah. Participation is reset annually, which is why Dentists should check the roster in November rather than assume this year’s options carry over.
Nobody can tell you your 2027 Utah 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 Utah 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 Utah marketplace — not in any of its 29 counties. Every plan is an HMO, EPO or POS, which for a dentist working across a wide area is the binding constraint, not price.
Because Utah sells no PPO in any of its 29 counties, the thing that will decide your 2027 experience is which network your providers sit in — and that is far easier to check now than during the rush.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Two Dentists on opposite sides of Utah can be quoted very different premiums for the same plan. Your ZIP is what decides it.