Ranked 15 of 15 states · median $875/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old painter 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 highest out-of-pocket maximum, Nebraska ranks 8 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: Solvent and VOC inhalation; ladder falls; shoulder strain.
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 painter 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nuckolls | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Valley | $778 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Brown | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Frontier | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Kimball | $826 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 5 |
| Scotts Bluff | $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 — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $685 — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska |
| Gold deductible | $2,000 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $640 — Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $895 |
For a painter, the gap between $0 and $0 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. 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
A caveat on the table above: rating is by residence, not by job site. A painter living in Nebraska and working across a state line still buys Nebraska plans. A genuine permanent move does trigger a special enrollment period, but the plan year restarts with a fresh deductible.
If you file a Schedule C as a painter, the categories that usually show up are: Sprayers, ladders, paint, van, liability insurance. The health premium itself is normally an above-the-line deduction under IRC §162(l), which reduces AGI rather than requiring you to itemize. Your CPA should confirm it against your actual situation.
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. Nebraska exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a painter pays exactly what anyone else of the same age in the same ZIP pays. Occupation is not on the application as a rating factor.
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.
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 Painters in Nebraska and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.