New Hampshire
Cheapest ACA plans in New Hampshire for 2026
Cheapest Bronze plan in New Hampshire, before subsidies: Boston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500 in Belknap County at $317/month for a 40-year-old; Boston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500 in Belknap County at $1,013/month for a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14). New Hampshire participates in Healthcare.gov, expanded Medicaid as the Granite Advantage Health Care Program, 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $278 | 10 |
| Expanded Bronze | $317 | 145 |
| Silver | $388 | 145 |
| Gold | $417 | 125 |
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.
Hillsborough County
$317/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Rockingham County
$317/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Merrimack County
$317/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Strafford County
$317/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Grafton County
$324/moMatthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. · Anthem Bronze Pathway X Enhanced 7000/0 pct. ($0 Virtual PCP + $0 Select Drugs)
Cheshire County
$324/moMatthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. · Anthem Bronze Pathway X Enhanced 7000/0 pct. ($0 Virtual PCP + $0 Select Drugs)
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.
Hillsborough County
$1,013/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Rockingham County
$1,013/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Merrimack County
$1,013/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Strafford County
$1,013/moBoston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. · WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500
Grafton County
$1,035/moMatthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. · Anthem Bronze Pathway X Enhanced 7000/0 pct. ($0 Virtual PCP + $0 Select Drugs)
Cheshire County
$1,035/moMatthew Thornton Health Plan, Inc. · Anthem Bronze Pathway X Enhanced 7000/0 pct. ($0 Virtual PCP + $0 Select Drugs)
Subsidies: federal APTC only (no state premium subsidy)
New Hampshire does not fund a supplemental state premium subsidy or §1332 reinsurance waiver. Marketplace financial help is federal only:
- Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). Households 100-400% FPL on the PY2026 standard ACA contribution curve, applied through Healthcare.gov. 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.
New Hampshire adopted Medicaid expansion in 2014, today known as the Granite Advantage Health Care Program. Adults 19-64 up to 138% FPL qualify regardless of parental status or disability, so there is no coverage gap in New Hampshire. A §1115 work-requirement waiver was enjoined by the federal district court in July 2019 and is not in effect.
Catastrophic plans in New Hampshire follow federal rules
New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire
New Hampshire 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 NH Insurance Department reviews rate filings under RSA 420-G. No NH-specific cap below the federal 1.5x ceiling has been identified. Federal APTC does not offset the tobacco portion.
Carriers selling 2026 plans in New Hampshire
5 carriers sell 2026 plans on Healthcare.gov; 1 additional carrier offers off-exchange-only plans (not subsidy-eligible). 685 plans across 10 counties. Four carriers reach all 10 New Hampshire counties for PY2026: Ambetter (Celtic / Centene), Anthem, Harvard Pilgrim, and WellSense Health Plan. The denser Southern Tier counties (Hillsborough, Rockingham) typically see the widest plan counts.
Also selling off-exchange only
These carriers sell plans directly (not through Healthcare.gov). Off-exchange plans are not eligible for federal APTC or state subsidies.
| Carrier | Off-exchange plans |
|---|---|
| Anthem Health Plans of New Hampshire | 60 |
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 New Hampshire for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze-tier plan a 40-year-old can enroll in without paperwork is Boston Medical Center Health Plan, Inc. WellSense Clarity NH Bronze 6500 in Belknap County at $317 per month before subsidies. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Does New Hampshire use Healthcare.gov?
Yes. New Hampshire participates in the federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM), so enrollment and subsidy applications run through healthcare.gov. New Hampshire does not operate a state-based exchange for PY2026.
Has New Hampshire expanded Medicaid?
Yes. New Hampshire adopted ACA Medicaid expansion in 2014; the program today is called the Granite Advantage Health Care Program. Adults 19-64 up to 138% FPL qualify, so there is no coverage gap.
Is there a Medicaid work requirement in New Hampshire?
No. New Hampshire's §1115 work-requirement waiver was enjoined by the federal district court in July 2019 (part of the Stewart v. Azar / Philbrick v. Azar line of cases). The requirement is not enforced, and Granite Advantage eligibility follows standard expansion rules.
Which carriers sell Marketplace plans in New Hampshire?
PY2026 carriers typically include Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Hampshire, Ambetter from NH Healthy Families (Celtic / Centene), and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care. Exact lineup by county is visible on healthcare.gov during Open Enrollment.
Does New Hampshire have a state premium subsidy or reinsurance program?
No. New Hampshire does not currently fund a state premium subsidy or §1332 reinsurance waiver. Marketplace help is federal APTC and CSRs only, and the ARPA/IRA enhanced credits expired at the end of 2025.
Compare New Hampshire with other states
- Massachusetts (shares a border)
- Maine (shares a border)
- Vermont (shares a border)
- See all 51 jurisdictions side by side
Browse county pages in New Hampshire
County-level pricing pages with the cheapest plan in each county.
Browse city pages in New Hampshire
City-level pricing pages for major New Hampshire cities.
Carriers in New Hampshire
Per-carrier 2026 pricing pages with the cheapest plan from each carrier.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov for enrollment, OEP dates, and federal APTC / CSR application.
- New Hampshire Insurance Department for rate review, carrier filings, and consumer guidance.
- New Hampshire Medicaid: Granite Advantage for Granite Advantage Health Care Program eligibility and enrollment.
- KFF: New Hampshire 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.