Ranked 5 of 15 states · median $687/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old wedding planner 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 counties covered, Wisconsin ranks 10 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.
Worth being clear about what this does and does not affect: a carrier in Wisconsin cannot ask what you do for a living, cannot charge a wedding planner 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 wedding planner 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bayfield | $656 | Medica | $3,500 | 3 |
| Buffalo | $683 | Medica | $3,500 | 4 |
| Eau Claire | $731 | Security | $6,000 | 3 |
| Waupaca | $526 | Network Health | $6,000 | 3 |
| Marinette | $541 | CareSource (Common Ground Healthcare) | $5,000 | 2 |
| Florence | $564 | HealthPartners | $3,800 | 3 |
The spread across just these six is $205/month — $2,459 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 — network reach | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Counties in the state | 72 |
| Counties with only one carrier | 1 (1%) |
| Plan types available | EPO, HMO, POS, PPO |
| PPO available on exchange | Yes |
| Carriers filing in the state | 12 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $526 — Calumet |
Wisconsin has PPO plans available. For a wedding planner covering distance, that single fact outweighs premium: 1 of 72 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. 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
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether Wisconsin is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a wedding planner weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
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 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. Wisconsin exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a wedding planner 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, 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 Wedding Planners in Wisconsin and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.