Ranked 2 of 17 states · median $625/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old massage therapist in Ohio pays a median $625/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 2th of 17 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $482 from Oscar Health Insurance in Butler. On median Silver premium, Ohio ranks 2 of 17 for this occupation.
Patient-facing and standing work means steady, predictable utilization — regular visits, prescriptions, physical therapy. Copay structure and network breadth drive real annual cost more than the headline premium, so these pages rank states on median premium and carrier count together.
Occupational context: Chronic hand, wrist, and shoulder overuse injury.
Two things get confused here constantly. Risk exposure decides what coverage you should buy. It does not decide what you are charged — Ohio carriers rate on age, ZIP, tobacco and family size, full stop. A massage therapist with a bad back and a healthy 40-year-old office worker in the same county see the same number.
Premium is set by rating area, so a massage therapist in one Ohio 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greene | $526 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 8 |
| Licking | $528 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 6 |
| Fayette | $538 | Oscar Health Insurance | $6,000 | 6 |
| Paulding | $538 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 6 |
| Jackson | $544 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 6 |
| Guernsey | $566 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 5 |
The spread across just these six is $41/month — $486 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $482 to $924. Coverage by County publishes all 88 Ohio counties individually.
| Ohio — network and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $625 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $482 — Oscar Health Insurance (Butler) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $924 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 11 — Ambetter from Buckeye, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Antidote Health Plan of Ohio, CareSource |
| Plan types available | HMO |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 of 88 |
Ohio has 11 carriers filing and 0 of 88 counties served by a single issuer. For a massage therapist 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. 9,038 plan records across 88 Ohio counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Indiana ($558). More expensive: South Carolina ($636), Alabama ($680), Wisconsin ($687).
Side-by-side: Ohio vs Indiana · Ohio vs South Carolina · Ohio vs Alabama
A caveat on the table above: rating is by residence, not by job site. A massage therapist living in Ohio and working across a state line still buys Ohio 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: Table, oils, room rental, licensing, 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 BLS median wage for Massage Therapists in Ohio is $50,430 a year (May 2024). Starting pay — the 10th percentile — is about $35,610. The middle half earn $45,620 to $58,640, and the top 10% more than $65,820. BLS counts about 2,480 people doing this work for an employer in Ohio. The self-employed are not in the BLS survey, so this is the going rate for the work, not your own number.
The cheapest Silver plan for a 40-year-old in Ohio is $482 per month from Oscar Health Insurance, with a state median of $625. 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 HMO plans were filed for 2026.
Ohio ranks 2 of 17 states covered here, at a median $625 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 2027.
This occupation is below the cliff in all 23 states reported.
What this figure is. It is the median annual wage BLS reports for Massage Therapists (SOC 31-9011) in Ohio. 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 massage therapist. 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 2027 the 400% FPL limit applies again, so household income above $63,840 ends premium tax credit eligibility outright.
This page compares states. For Ohio specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Massage Therapists in Ohio and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
Ohio has 11 carriers filing across 88 counties right now. That list is rebuilt every year, so what you can choose from in November may not match what you see today — and for a massage therapist buying your own cover, who stays matters more than the headline rate.
Rate filings for 2027 point to roughly a 15% median increase nationally, from −1% at one end to 54% at the other. Ohio has finalised: insurers were approved for an average 16.3% increase for 2027. Your own premium still turns on your plan and county.
Mark November 1, 2026 to open and December 15 to act. That second date guarantees cover from January 1 in Ohio regardless of how the current litigation over the enrollment window resolves.
There is still no PPO on the Ohio marketplace — not in any of its 88 counties. Every plan is an HMO, EPO or POS, which for a massage therapist working across a wide area is the binding constraint, not price.
Because Ohio sells no PPO in any of its 88 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.
Enter a ZIP and a licensed agent will tell you three things:
Coverage for Massage Therapists is priced county by county across Ohio. Enter your ZIP and a licensed agent will show you what is on the table.
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