Ranked 5 of 15 states · median $687/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old musician in Wisconsin pays a median $687/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 5th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $526 from Network Health in Calumet. On median Silver premium, Wisconsin ranks 5 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: Noise-induced hearing loss; repetitive strain; travel fatigue.
Two things get confused here constantly. Risk exposure decides what coverage you should buy. It does not decide what you are charged — Wisconsin carriers rate on age, ZIP, tobacco and family size, full stop. A musician 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 musician in one Wisconsin 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Portage | $623 | Aspirus | $6,000 | 2 |
| Vilas | $633 | Security | $6,000 | 2 |
| Grant | $643 | Dean | $3,500 | 2 |
| Clark | $673 | Security | $6,000 | 4 |
| Iron | $687 | Security | $6,000 | 2 |
| Ashland | $774 | Security | $6,000 | 3 |
The spread across just these six is $151/month — $1,809 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $526 to $1,062. Coverage by County publishes all 72 Wisconsin counties individually.
| Wisconsin — network and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $687 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $526 — Network Health (Calumet) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $1,062 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 12 — Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Aspirus, CareSource (Common Ground Healthcare), Dean |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO, POS, PPO |
| Counties with only one carrier | 1 of 72 |
Wisconsin has 12 carriers filing and 1 of 72 counties served by a single issuer. For a musician 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. 2,651 plan records across 72 Wisconsin counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: Ohio ($625), South Carolina ($636), Alabama ($680). More expensive: Michigan ($708), South Dakota ($725), Oklahoma ($731).
Side-by-side: Wisconsin vs South Carolina · Wisconsin vs Alabama · Wisconsin vs Michigan · Wisconsin vs South Dakota
This only matters if you can actually choose — you buy in the state where you live, not where you work. If you are a musician who moved this year, that move is a qualifying life event and opens a special enrollment period.
Deduction categories that generally fit this trade: Instruments, gear, studio time, touring travel. 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 Wisconsin is $526 per month from Network Health, with a state median of $687. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
It cannot happen on an exchange plan. Rating in Wisconsin uses four inputs only: age, ZIP code, tobacco use and how many people are on the policy. Trade, injury history and pre-existing conditions are all excluded from pricing by law.
Yes. Plan types filed for 2026: EPO, HMO, POS, PPO.
Wisconsin ranks 5 of 15 states covered here, at a median $687 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
This page compares states. For Wisconsin specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Musicians in Wisconsin and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.