Ranked 2 of 15 states · median $625/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old personal chef in Ohio pays a median $625/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 2th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $482 from Oscar Health Insurance in Butler. On highest out-of-pocket maximum, Ohio ranks 9 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: Burns and cuts; prolonged standing; heat exposure.
None of that changes your price. ACA plans in Ohio 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 personal chef 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawrence | $545 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 4 |
| Muskingum | $566 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 5 |
| Knox | $658 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $5,000 | 3 |
| Geauga | $489 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 7 |
| Clermont | $495 | Oscar Health Insurance | $6,000 | 8 |
| Seneca | $497 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 7 |
The spread across just these six is $169/month — $2,026 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $482 to $924. Coverage by County publishes all 88 Ohio counties individually.
| Ohio — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $482 — Oscar Health Insurance |
| Gold deductible | $2,000 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $482 — Oscar Health Insurance |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $674 |
For a personal chef, 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. 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 personal chef 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.
Self-employed Personal Chefs in Ohio typically deduct: Ingredients, knives and equipment, vehicle, licensing. Health premiums sit separately, above the line under IRC §162(l), and only when neither you nor a spouse could have joined an employer plan — eligibility disqualifies you even if you declined the coverage.
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 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. Ohio exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a personal chef pays exactly what anyone else of the same age in the same ZIP pays. Occupation is not on the application as a rating factor.
No. Only HMO plans were filed for 2026.
Ohio ranks 2 of 15 states covered here, at a median $625 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
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 Personal Chefs in Ohio and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.