Ranked 1 of 15 states · median $558/mo · CMS PY2026
Licensed Independent Agent · NPN #22052447 · 21 States
A 40-year-old welder in Indiana pays a median $558/month for a Silver plan before subsidies — the cheapest of the states covered here. The cheapest plan in the state is $440 from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in Daviess. On highest out-of-pocket maximum, Indiana ranks 4 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: Fume inhalation, arc eye, and burn risk; hearing loss.
Worth being clear about what this does and does not affect: a carrier in Indiana cannot ask what you do for a living, cannot charge a welder 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 welder in one Indiana 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | $482 | Ambetter Health | $6,000 | 2 |
| Miami | $493 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
| Allen | $506 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
| Wabash | $509 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
| Martin | $440 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
| Marshall | $452 | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | $7,000 | 3 |
The spread across just these six is $69/month — $824 a year for the same metal tier. Statewide the range runs $440 to $699. Coverage by County publishes all 92 Indiana counties individually.
| Indiana — worst-case exposure | 2026 |
|---|---|
| Lowest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Highest annual out-of-pocket maximum | $0 |
| Cheapest Gold plan @40 | $570 — Ambetter Health |
| Gold deductible | $2,000 |
| Cheapest Silver @40 | $440 — Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield |
| Cheapest Silver @50 | $615 |
For a welder, 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. 4,429 plan records across 92 Indiana counties. Full-price filed rates before premium tax credits — verify at enrollment.
Nothing on this list is cheaper. More expensive: Ohio ($625), South Carolina ($636), Alabama ($680).
Side-by-side: Indiana vs Ohio · Indiana vs South Carolina
Cross-state numbers are useful for understanding whether Indiana is treating you well, not for arbitrage. You cannot buy an out-of-state exchange plan. If you are a welder weighing a relocation for other reasons, the premium difference is a real line item worth putting in the decision.
Deduction categories that generally fit this trade: Welding rig, consumables, PPE, truck, certification. Note the ordering problem with health premiums: the §162(l) deduction lowers your AGI, and your AGI is what sets your premium tax credit, so the two calculate against each other. That is a CPA conversation and worth having before you enroll, not after.
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 Indiana is $440 per month from Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, with a state median of $558. Both figures are full price before premium tax credits; most buyers pay less after subsidies.
No. Indiana exchange plans are guaranteed issue and community rated, so a welder 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 EPO and HMO and POS plans were filed for 2026.
Indiana ranks 1 of 15 states covered here, at a median $558 per month. Indiana is cheapest at $558 and Nebraska is most expensive at $875.
This page compares states. For Indiana specifically — county-by-county carriers, plan data and enrollment help — I publish that on Coverage by County, including a page written for Welders in Indiana and a blog covering deductibles, subsidies and special enrollment.