Ranked 15 of 15 states · median $875/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old engineer in Nebraska pays a median $875/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — the most expensive of the states covered here. The cheapest plan in the state is $640 from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska in Burt. On counties covered, Nebraska ranks 4 of 15 for this occupation.
Work that crosses county and state lines makes network geography the binding constraint. A cheap HMO that only contracts in one metro is worthless 200 miles away, so these pages rank states by network reach and flag the ones with no PPO on the exchange at all.
Occupational context: Sedentary strain; site-visit exposure depending on discipline.
None of that changes your price. ACA plans in Nebraska 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 Nebraska 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dixon | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Harlan | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Merrick | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Sherman | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Banner | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Deuel | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
The spread across just these six is $48/month — $582 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $640 to $1,460. Coverage by County publishes all 93 Nebraska counties individually.
| Nebraska — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 93 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 (0%) |
| Plan types available | EPO, PPO |
| PPO available on exchange | Yes |
| Carriers filing in the state | 5 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $640 — Burt |
Nebraska has PPO plans available. For a engineer covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 0 of 93 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. 5,902 plan records across 93 Nebraska counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Texas ($807), North Carolina ($828), Arkansas ($828).
Side-by-side: Nebraska vs North Carolina · Nebraska vs Arkansas
Read the comparison as context, not as a shopping list. Your county of residence determines what you can buy, and for a engineer 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 Engineers in Nebraska typically deduct: PE licensing, software, professional dues, site travel. 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 cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Nebraska is $640 per month from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, with a state median of $875. 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.
Yes. Plan types filed for 2026: EPO, PPO.
Nebraska ranks 15 of 15 states covered here, at a median $875 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 21 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Industrial Engineers (SOC 17-2112) in Nebraska. 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 engineer. 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 Nebraska specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Engineers in Nebraska and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Right now 5 carriers file plans across the 93 counties of Nebraska. Participation is reset annually, which is why Engineers should check the roster in November rather than assume this year’s options carry over.
Rate filings for 2027 point to roughly a 15% median increase nationally, from −1% at one end to 54% at the other. Nebraska has not finalised, so treat exact local 2027 pricing as unavailable rather than unknown.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in Nebraska regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
PPO availability is patchy here: 34 of 93 Nebraska counties. For Engineers the county you are rated in, not the state, decides whether out-of-area care is paid for.
Nothing about 2027 is urgent yet, which is exactly why it is worth ten minutes now. Come November you will be choosing between Nebraska’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Coverage for Engineers is priced county by county across Nebraska. Enter your ZIP and I will show you what is on the table.