California
Cheapest ACA plans in California for 2026
Cheapest Bronze plan in California, before subsidies: L.A. Care Bronze 60 HMO in Los Angeles County at $347/month for a 40-year-old; L.A. Care Bronze 60 HMO in Los Angeles County at $1,108/month for a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14). Federal APTC plus the Covered California state subsidy can drive both numbers to $0 for households below 150% of the Federal Poverty Level.
You may pay $0/month with a stacked subsidy
Cheapest plans by metal tier
Lowest 2026 monthly premium for a single 40-year-old, on-exchange, before any subsidy. Per-age figures derived from the CMS QHP Landscape file using the HHS standardized age-rating curve (45 CFR 147.102).
| Tier | Cheapest age 40 monthly | Plans statewide |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $268 | 186 |
| Expanded Bronze | $347 | 341 |
| Silver | $392 | 222 |
| Gold | $442 | 256 |
| Platinum | $481 | 222 |
The actual cheapest plan in major counties
Same data the search returns: carrier, plan name, monthly premium, individual deductible, individual MOOP. Computed for a single 40-year-old, before any subsidy. Catastrophic plans excluded because adults 30+ typically need a hardship-exemption certificate to enroll.
Los Angeles County
$347/moL.A. Care · Bronze 60 HMO
Orange County
$417/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
San Diego County
$421/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
Santa Clara County
$492/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
Sacramento County
$507/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
San Francisco County
$564/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
The actual cheapest plan for a family of four
Two 40-year-old adults and two kids in the 0-14 age band, before any subsidy. Carrier, plan name, premium, deductible, and MOOP exactly as the search would return them.
Los Angeles County
$1,108/moL.A. Care · Bronze 60 HMO
Orange County
$1,332/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
San Diego County
$1,347/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
Santa Clara County
$1,574/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
Sacramento County
$1,621/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
San Francisco County
$1,804/moKaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. · Bronze 60 HDHP HMO
Subsidies stack: federal APTC + California PSP
Two subsidy layers apply for eligible Covered California enrollees, in this order:
- Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). Households 100-400% FPL. The PY2026 contribution curve uses the standard ACA percentages with a hard 400% FPL cliff. The ARPA / IRA enhanced subsidies expired 2025-12-31 and are not in effect for 2026.
- Covered California Premium Subsidy Program (PSP). Households 100-165% FPL. At 100-150% FPL, benchmark Silver costs $0; at 150-165% FPL, household contribution is 3.19% to 3.91% of income for benchmark Silver. PSP applies to non-Catastrophic on-exchange plans only.
Catastrophic plans for adults 30+
California applies its own affordability standard for Catastrophic enrollment by adults 30 and over. Federal law restricts Catastrophic to under-30s by default. The federal 2026 expansion lets older adults enroll automatically when premiums exceed an affordability threshold; California has not adopted that automatic expansion. Adults 30+ in California must apply for a Covered California hardship-exemption certificate before enrolling, judged against California's own affordability standard.
For most 30+ shoppers, this means the cheapest plan you can actually enroll in is Bronze, not Catastrophic. The cheapest-plan tables above show Bronze as the practical floor for this audience.
Tobacco surcharges are illegal in California
Federal ACA permits up to a 1.5x premium multiplier for tobacco use. California Insurance Code §10112.45 prohibits this in the individual market: insurers cannot charge tobacco users more than non-users. Smokers and non-smokers see the same price for the same plan.
Carriers selling 2026 plans in California
11 carriers sell 2026 plans on Covered California; 1 additional carrier offers off-exchange-only plans (not subsidy-eligible). 2,340 plans across 58 counties. Off-exchange plans aren't eligible for federal APTC or California PSP.
| Carrier | On-exchange plans | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| California Physicians' Service, dba Blue Shield of California | 441 | 58 |
| Anthem Blue Cross (DMHC) | 345 | 58 |
| Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. | 238 | 58 |
| Health Net of California | 82 | 13 |
| Western Health Advantage | 40 | 8 |
| Molina Healthcare of California, Inc | 35 | 6 |
| Chinese Community Health Plan | 12 | 2 |
| Inland Empire Health Plan | 10 | 2 |
| L.A. Care | 10 | 1 |
| Sharp Health Plan | 9 | 1 |
| County of Santa Clara dba Valley Health Plan | 5 | 1 |
Also selling off-exchange only
These carriers sell plans directly (not through Covered California). Off-exchange plans are not eligible for federal APTC or state subsidies.
| Carrier | Off-exchange plans |
|---|---|
| Sutter Health Plan | 172 |
Enrollment
Open Enrollment for 2026 coverage runs November 1, 2025 through January 31, 2026 (longer than the federal window, which closes January 15). Enroll by December 15 for a January 1 effective date; December 16 through January 15 for February 1; January 16 through January 31 for March 1. Special Enrollment is available year-round for qualifying life events.
Direct enrollment: coveredca.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ACA plan in California for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze-tier plan a 40-year-old can enroll in without paperwork is L.A. Care Bronze 60 HMO in Los Angeles County at $347 per month before subsidies. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Does California have a state premium subsidy on top of the federal APTC?
Yes. The Covered California Premium Subsidy Program for 2026 covers households between 100 and 165 percent of the Federal Poverty Level. At 100 to 150 percent FPL, the benchmark Silver plan costs zero dollars. At 150 to 165 percent FPL, household contribution is between 3.19 and 3.91 percent of income for benchmark Silver. The state subsidy adds on top of the federal Advance Premium Tax Credit, not in place of it.
Are tobacco surcharges allowed in California ACA plans?
No. California prohibits tobacco-use surcharges in the individual market. The federal ACA permits up to a 1.5x tobacco premium multiplier; California Insurance Code section 10112.45 overrides that and bars insurers from rating premiums on tobacco use.
Can a 30-year-old enroll in a Catastrophic plan in California?
Only with a Covered California hardship-exemption certificate. Federal law restricts Catastrophic to under-30s by default. The federal 2026 expansion lets older adults enroll automatically when premiums exceed an affordability threshold; California has not adopted that automatic expansion. Adults 30 and over in California must apply for the Covered California hardship exemption before enrolling, with eligibility judged against California's own affordability standard.
Can I use Healthcare.gov to enroll in California?
No. California runs Covered California (coveredca.com), an independent state-based exchange that has operated since 2014. California is not on the federal Healthcare.gov platform.
Compare California with other states
- Colorado (also stacks a state subsidy on top of federal APTC)
- Connecticut (also stacks a state subsidy on top of federal APTC)
- Maryland (also stacks a state subsidy on top of federal APTC)
- See all 51 jurisdictions side by side
Browse county pages in California
County-level pricing pages with the cheapest plan in each county.
Browse city pages in California
City-level pricing pages for major California cities.
Sources
- Covered California 2026 Individual Rates and program documents for state subsidy formula and OEP dates.
- CMS QHP Landscape Individual Medical 2026 for plan availability, premiums, and metal tiers.
- California Insurance Code §10112.45 for the tobacco-surcharge prohibition.
- 45 CFR 147.102 for the HHS standardized age-rating curve.
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z. Full pricing pipeline + regulatory references at methodology; ACA terminology in the glossary.