Louisiana
Cheapest ACA plans in Louisiana for 2026
Cheapest Bronze plan in Louisiana, before subsidies: CHRISTUS Health Plan CHRISTUS Value Bronze in Bossier County at $402/month for a 40-year-old; CHRISTUS Health Plan CHRISTUS Value Bronze in Bossier County at $1,286/month for a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14). Louisiana uses Healthcare.gov, expanded Medicaid in 2016 via Gov. Edwards executive order, and relies on federal APTC with no state premium wraparound.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded Bronze | $402 | 554 |
| Bronze | $405 | 244 |
| Silver | $542 | 754 |
| Gold | $605 | 666 |
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.
East Baton Rouge County
$424/moHMO Louisiana · Community Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Orleans County
$405/moHMO Louisiana · Signature Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Jefferson County
$405/moHMO Louisiana · Signature Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Caddo County
$402/moCHRISTUS Health Plan · CHRISTUS Value Bronze
St. Tammany County
$405/moHMO Louisiana · Signature Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Lafayette County
$504/moHMO Louisiana · Blue POS 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
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.
East Baton Rouge County
$1,356/moHMO Louisiana · Community Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Orleans County
$1,294/moHMO Louisiana · Signature Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Jefferson County
$1,294/moHMO Louisiana · Signature Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Caddo County
$1,286/moCHRISTUS Health Plan · CHRISTUS Value Bronze
St. Tammany County
$1,294/moHMO Louisiana · Signature Blue 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Lafayette County
$1,610/moHMO Louisiana · Blue POS 90/70 $9900 with 2 $0 PCP Virtual Visits HSA Eligible
Subsidies: federal APTC only (no state premium subsidy)
Louisiana does not fund a supplemental state premium subsidy or §1332 reinsurance waiver. Marketplace help is federal only:
- Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). Households 100-400% FPL on the PY2026 standard ACA contribution curve. The ARPA / IRA enhanced subsidies expired 2025-12-31 and are not in effect for 2026, so the hard 400% FPL cliff is back.
- Federal cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). Households 100-250% FPL enrolled in a Silver plan receive reduced deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums automatically.
Louisiana expanded Medicaid effective July 1, 2016 via executive order signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards shortly after he took office. Louisiana was the first Deep South state to expand. Adults 19-64 up to 138% FPL qualify, so there is no coverage gap in Louisiana.
Catastrophic plans in Louisiana follow federal rules
Louisiana follows the federal ACA default: Catastrophic plans are available to enrollees under age 30, or at any age with a hardship / affordability exemption. The PY2026 federal auto-expansion applies: adults 30+ automatically qualify when the lowest-cost Bronze plan exceeds the affordability threshold. APTC does not apply to Catastrophic plans.
Tobacco surcharges follow the federal 1.5x default in Louisiana
Louisiana applies the federal ACA default (45 CFR 147.102): carriers may charge tobacco users up to 50% more than non-users (a 1.5-to-1 rate ratio). The Louisiana Department of Insurance reviews rate filings under La. R.S. Title 22. No Louisiana-specific cap below the federal 1.5x ceiling has been identified. Federal APTC does not offset the tobacco portion of the premium.
Carriers selling 2026 plans in Louisiana
6 carriers sell 2026 plans on Healthcare.gov. 2,488 plans across 64 counties. Louisiana Blue (the rebranded Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana) anchors the statewide individual market across all 64 parishes. UnitedHealthcare, Ambetter (Celtic), HMO Louisiana, CHRISTUS Health Plan, and AmeriHealth Caritas Next compete in specific metros and parishes. Louisiana uses parishes rather than counties as its county-equivalent FIPS jurisdictions.
| Carrier | On-exchange plans | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| UnitedHealthcare | 624 | 48 |
| HMO Louisiana | 590 | 64 |
| Louisiana Health Service & Indemnity Company | 512 | 64 |
| Ambetter | 352 | 22 |
| CHRISTUS Health Plan | 108 | 8 |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Louisiana, Inc. | 32 | 4 |
Enrollment
Open Enrollment for 2026 coverage runs November 1, 2025 through January 15, 2026. Enroll by December 15 for a January 1 effective date; December 16 through January 15 takes effect February 1. Special Enrollment is available year-round for qualifying life events.
Direct enrollment: healthcare.gov.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ACA plan in Louisiana for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze-tier plan a 40-year-old can enroll in without paperwork is CHRISTUS Health Plan CHRISTUS Value Bronze in Bossier County at $402 per month before subsidies. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Does Louisiana use Healthcare.gov?
Yes. Louisiana participates in the federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), so enrollment and subsidy applications run through healthcare.gov. Louisiana does not operate a state-based exchange.
Has Louisiana expanded Medicaid?
Yes, effective July 1, 2016. Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards signed an executive order directing Medicaid expansion shortly after he took office, making Louisiana the first Deep South state to expand. Adults 19-64 with income up to 138% FPL qualify regardless of parental status or disability, so there is no coverage gap.
Why does Louisiana have parishes instead of counties?
Louisiana is the only US state that uses parishes as its county-equivalent subdivision, a legacy of its French and Spanish colonial heritage. For ACA and FIPS purposes, parishes function identically to counties and each has a unique FIPS code.
Which carriers offer Louisiana plans on Healthcare.gov?
For PY2026, expect Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (the dominant statewide carrier), with Ambetter (Celtic), UnitedHealthcare, AmeriHealth Caritas Next, CHRISTUS, and HMO Louisiana competing in specific metros and parishes. Vantage Health Plan exited the LA individual market for PY2026. Parish-level availability varies.
Does Louisiana have a state premium subsidy on top of federal APTC?
No. Louisiana does not fund a state premium assistance program or §1332 reinsurance waiver. The only financial help for Marketplace enrollees is federal APTC and CSRs, and the ARPA/IRA enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025.
Compare Louisiana with other states
- Texas (shares a border)
- Arkansas (shares a border)
- Mississippi (shares a border)
- See all 51 jurisdictions side by side
Browse county pages in Louisiana
County-level pricing pages with the cheapest plan in each county.
Browse city pages in Louisiana
City-level pricing pages for major Louisiana cities.
Carriers in Louisiana
Per-carrier 2026 pricing pages with the cheapest plan from each carrier.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov for enrollment, OEP dates, and federal APTC / CSR application.
- Louisiana Department of Insurance for rate review, carrier filings, and consumer guidance.
- Louisiana Department of Health: Medicaid for Medicaid eligibility and expansion enrollment.
- KFF: Louisiana State Health Facts for Medicaid expansion, enrollment, and benchmark premium context.
- CMS 2026 OEP National Snapshot for federal Marketplace enrollment context.
- CMS QHP Landscape Individual Medical 2026 for plan availability, premiums, and metal tiers.
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z. Full pricing pipeline + regulatory references at methodology; ACA terminology in the glossary.