Ranked 2 of 15 states · median $625/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old wedding planner 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 counties covered, Ohio ranks 6 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: Long standing hours; lifting; high-stress event days.
This is background for choosing a plan, not for pricing one. Since 2014 every Ohio exchange plan has been guaranteed issue and community rated: same age, same ZIP, same tobacco status means the same filed premium whether you are a wedding planner or an accountant. Occupation changes the shopping criteria, nothing else.
Premium is set by rating area, so a wedding planner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greene | $526 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 8 |
| Licking | $528 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 6 |
| Fayette | $538 | Oscar Health Insurance | $6,000 | 6 |
| Paulding | $538 | Molina Healthcare | $7,000 | 6 |
| Jackson | $544 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 6 |
| Guernsey | $566 | Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $7,500 | 5 |
The spread across just these six is $41/month — $486 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $482 to $924. Coverage by County publishes all 88 Ohio counties individually.
| Ohio — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 88 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 0 (0%) |
| Plan types available | HMO |
| PPO available on exchange | No |
| Carriers filing in the state | 11 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $482 — Butler |
Ohio has no PPO plans on the exchange at all. For a wedding planner covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 0 of 88 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. 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
This only matters if you can actually choose — you buy in the state where you live, not where you work. If you are a wedding planner 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 wedding planner, the categories that usually show up are: Travel, liability insurance, samples, software. 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 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. 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.
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 Wedding Planners in Ohio and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.