Ranked 1 of 15 states · median $558/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old engineer in Indiana pays a median $558/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — the cheapest of the states covered here. The cheapest plan in the state is $440 from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Daviess. On counties covered, Indiana ranks 5 of 15 for this occupation.
Coverage that only works where you sleep is not coverage if you spend the week elsewhere. The binding question is whether the plan pays out of area at all, and beyond emergencies many HMOs simply do not. States below are ordered by network reach, with the no-PPO states flagged.
Occupational context: Sedentary strain; site-visit exposure depending on discipline.
None of that changes your price. ACA plans in Indiana 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 engineer in one Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shelby | $469 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 4 |
| Johnson | $474 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 5 |
| Harrison | $482 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 2 |
| Cass | $493 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
| Sullivan | $497 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
| Lagrange | $509 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
The spread across just these six is $40/month — $475 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $440 to $699. Coverage by County publishes all 92 Indiana counties individually.
| Indiana — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 92 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 (0%) |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO, POS |
| PPO available on exchange | No |
| Carriers filing in the state | 5 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $440 — Daviess |
Indiana has no PPO plans on the exchange at all. For a engineer covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 0 of 92 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. 4,429 plan records across 92 Indiana counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Nothing on this list is cheaper. More expensive: Ohio ($625), South Carolina ($636), Alabama ($680).
Side-by-side: Indiana vs Ohio · Indiana vs South Carolina
This only matters if you can actually choose — you buy in the state where you live, not where you work. If you are a engineer who moved this year, that move is a qualifying life event and opens a special enrollment period.
Expense categories that typically apply to this trade: PE licensing, software, professional dues, site travel. Premiums are generally deductible above the line under IRC §162(l) when no employer plan is available to you or your spouse — a question for your CPA, not your agent.
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 Indiana is $440 per month from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, with a state median of $558. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
No. Indiana exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a engineer pays exactly what anyone else of the same age in the same ZIP pays. Occupation is not on the application as a rating factor.
No. Only EPO and HMO and POS plans were filed for 2026.
Indiana ranks 1 of 15 states covered here, at a median $558 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
This page compares states. For Indiana specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Engineers in Indiana and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.