Ranked 15 of 15 states · median $875/mo · CMS PY2026
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A 40-year-old occupational therapist 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 median Silver premium, Nebraska ranks 15 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: Lifting and transfer injuries; repetitive strain.
Worth being clear about what this does and does not affect: a carrier in Nebraska cannot ask what you do for a living, cannot charge a occupational therapist more than a librarian of the same age in the same ZIP, and cannot exclude anything you were already treated for. Occupation only tells you which plan structure to shop for.
Premium is set by rating area, so a occupational therapist 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keya Paha | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Pierce | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Wayne | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Chase | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Garden | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Lincoln | $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 and cost | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Median Silver premium @40 | $875 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $640 — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska (Burt) |
| Most expensive Silver @40 | $1,460 |
| Carriers filing in the state | 5 — Ambetter Health, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Medica, Oscar |
| Plan types available | EPO, PPO |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 of 93 |
Nebraska has 5 carriers filing and 0 of 93 counties served by a single issuer. For a occupational 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. 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
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether Nebraska is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a occupational therapist weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
Deduction categories that generally fit this trade: Licensing, equipment, malpractice insurance, CE. 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 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 Occupational Therapists (SOC 29-1122) 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 occupational 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 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 Occupational Therapists in Nebraska and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.
← Occupational Therapists in all 21 states · All occupations
The Nebraska market currently runs to 5 carriers over 93 counties. Carriers re-file every year, and for Occupational Therapists the question that actually decides your renewal is which of them are still there in November.
On price the only honest number today is national: the Peterson-KFF read of 2027 filings puts the median proposed rise near 15%, spanning −1% to 54%. Final Nebraska rates are not approved, so any precise 2027 figure quoted for this state is guesswork.
Enrollment opens November 1, 2026. Treat December 15 as the deadline: it guarantees January 1 cover on every marketplace, Nebraska included. Conflicting end dates get quoted because a 2025 rule shortened the window and a court vacated it in June 2026, appeal pending — enrol by the 15th and the argument is irrelevant to you.
Check before renewing: PPOs are sold in 34 of Nebraska’s 93 counties, not all. Whether yours has one decides how much out-of-network care is covered — usually a bigger question for Occupational Therapists than the monthly figure.
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:
Rates for Occupational Therapists in Nebraska are set by county, not by occupation. Start with your ZIP and I will show you the plans actually filed where you live.