Ranked 5 of 15 states · median $687/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old tattoo artist 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 highest out-of-pocket maximum, Wisconsin ranks 15 of 15 for this occupation.
Trade work concentrates cost into rare, expensive events rather than spreading it across the year. That inverts the usual shopping logic: a lower premium with a $9,200 ceiling is a worse deal than a higher premium with a $6,000 one, because the ceiling is what you actually hit. These rankings follow the ceiling.
Occupational context: Bloodborne pathogen exposure; chronic hand and back strain.
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 tattoo artist 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 tattoo artist 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozaukee | $575 | CareSource (Common Ground Healthcare) | $5,000 | 4 |
| Pierce | $602 | HealthPartners | $3,800 | 3 |
| Marathon | $623 | Aspirus | $6,000 | 4 |
| Oneida | $633 | Security | $6,000 | 2 |
| Crawford | $643 | Dean | $3,500 | 4 |
| Washburn | $656 | Medica | $3,500 | 3 |
The spread across just these six is $81/month — $968 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 — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $531 — Group Health Cooperative-SCW |
| Gold deductible | $1,500 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $526 — Network Health |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $735 |
For a tattoo artist, 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. 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
Read the comparison as context, not as a shopping list. Your county of residence determines what you can buy, and for a tattoo artist that is fixed unless you relocate. Where it is actionable is a move already in progress — that is a qualifying life event, and you have 60 days on either side of it.
Self-employed Tattoo Artists in Wisconsin typically deduct: Machines, inks, booth rental, licensing, autoclave. 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 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.
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, 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 Tattoo Artists in Wisconsin and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.