Ranked 14 of 15 states · median $828/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old hvac contractor in Arkansas pays a median $828/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 14th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $753 from Octave in Arkansas. On highest out-of-pocket maximum, Arkansas ranks 2 of 15 for this occupation.
Injury exposure means the number that matters is the out-of-pocket maximum, not the premium. A single ER visit and follow-up can hit that ceiling in one month, so these pages rank states by worst-case annual exposure rather than by monthly cost.
Occupational context: Refrigerant exposure; heat stress; attic and roof falls.
This is background for choosing a plan, not for pricing one. Since 2014 every Arkansas 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 hvac contractor or an accountant. Occupation changes the shopping criteria, nothing else.
Premium is set by rating area rather than by county, so counties in the same area price identically. Six counties from across Arkansas, cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old:
| County | Cheapest Silver @40 | Issuer | Deductible | Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boone | $753 | Octave | $6,000 | 4 |
| Cleburne | $753 | Octave | $6,000 | 4 |
| Cross | $753 | Octave | $6,000 | 4 |
| Garland | $753 | Octave | $6,000 | 4 |
| Izard | $753 | Octave | $6,000 | 4 |
| Lincoln | $753 | Octave | $6,000 | 4 |
All six fall in the same rating area, so they price identically at $753. Statewide the range still runs $753 to $879. Coverage by County publishes all 75 Arkansas counties individually.
| Arkansas — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $2,050 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $10,600 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $647 — Octave |
| Gold deductible | $5,900 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $753 — Octave |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $1,052 |
For a hvac contractor, the gap between $2,050 and $10,600 in annual out-of-pocket maximum is worth more than any premium difference on this page. One serious injury reaches that ceiling regardless of which plan you picked.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 3,900 plan records across 75 Arkansas counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Utah ($805), Texas ($807), North Carolina ($828). More expensive: Nebraska ($875).
Side-by-side: Arkansas vs Texas · Arkansas vs North Carolina · Arkansas vs Nebraska
A caveat on the table above: rating is by residence, not by job site. A hvac contractor living in Arkansas and working across a state line still buys Arkansas plans. A genuine permanent move does trigger a special enrollment period, but the plan year restarts with a fresh deductible.
Expense categories that typically apply to this trade: Tools, van, EPA certification, liability insurance. 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 Arkansas is $753 per month from Octave, with a state median of $828. 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: POS, PPO.
Arkansas ranks 14 of 15 states covered here, at a median $828 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 2026.
This occupation sits above the cliff in 3 of the 21 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 Heating, Air Conditioning, and Refrigeration Mechanics and Installers (SOC 49-9021) in Arkansas. 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 hvac contractor. 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 Arkansas specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for HVAC Contractors in Arkansas and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
The Arkansas market currently runs to 4 carriers over 75 counties. Carriers re-file every year, and for HVAC Contractors the question that actually decides your renewal is which of them are still there in November.
Nobody can tell you your 2027 Arkansas 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.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in Arkansas regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
All 75 counties in Arkansas sell a PPO, which is unusual and useful. For a hvac contractor covering ground, it is the plan type that travels best.
Nothing about 2027 is urgent yet, which is exactly why it is worth ten minutes now. Come November you will be choosing between Arkansas’s carriers under a deadline; today you can do it without one.
Give me a ZIP and I will tell you three things:
Two HVAC Contractors on opposite sides of Arkansas can be quoted very different premiums for the same plan. Your ZIP is what decides it.