Ranked 6 of 15 states · median $708/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old videographer in Michigan pays a median $708/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — 6th of 15 on cost. The cheapest plan in the state is $385 from Ambetter from Meridian in Genesee. On counties covered, Michigan ranks 7 of 15 for this occupation.
Coverage that only works where you sleep is not coverage if you spend the week elsewhere. The binding question is whether the plan pays out of area at all, and beyond emergencies many HMOs simply do not. States below are ordered by network reach, with the no-PPO states flagged.
Occupational context: Heavy gear lifting; location and travel exposure.
Worth being clear about what this does and does not affect: a carrier in Michigan cannot ask what you do for a living, cannot charge a videographer 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 videographer in one Michigan 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gratiot | $633 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 4 |
| Iosco | $645 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 4 |
| Isabella | $681 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 4 |
| Gogebic | $769 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 2 |
| Ontonagon | $769 | Blue Care Network of Michigan | $5,800 | 2 |
| Hillsdale | $445 | Ambetter from Meridian | $7,000 | 6 |
The spread across just these six is $324/month — $3,893 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $385 to $1,048. Coverage by County publishes all 83 Michigan counties individually.
| Michigan — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 83 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 (0%) |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO, PPO |
| PPO available on exchange | Yes |
| Carriers filing in the state | 7 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $385 — Genesee |
Michigan has PPO plans available. For a videographer covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 0 of 83 counties here are served by one carrier, so an HMO bought in one metro may leave you out of network for the rest of your route.
Source: CMS Plan Year 2026 Qualified Health Plan Landscape file. 3,383 plan records across 83 Michigan counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Cheaper for the same coverage: South Carolina ($636), Alabama ($680), Wisconsin ($687). More expensive: South Dakota ($725), Oklahoma ($731), Kansas ($765).
Side-by-side: Michigan vs Alabama · Michigan vs Wisconsin · Michigan vs South Dakota · Michigan vs Oklahoma
This only matters if you can actually choose — you buy in the state where you live, not where you work. If you are a videographer who moved this year, that move is a qualifying life event and opens a special enrollment period.
If you file a Schedule C as a videographer, the categories that usually show up are: Cameras, drones, editing suite, vehicle, 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 Michigan is $385 per month from Ambetter from Meridian, with a state median of $708. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
No. Michigan exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a videographer 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, HMO, PPO.
Michigan ranks 6 of 15 states covered here, at a median $708 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
This page compares states. For Michigan specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Videographers in Michigan and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.