New Mexico
Cheapest ACA plans in New Mexico for 2026
Cheapest Bronze plan in New Mexico, before subsidies: Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange in Bernalillo County at $390/month for a 40-year-old; Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange in Bernalillo County at $1,248/month for a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14). New Mexico runs its own SBE (beWellnm), expanded Medicaid in 2014, and funds state-level premium and cost-sharing assistance through the Health Care Affordability Fund plus a Native American Health Care Exchange Pilot.
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 | $390 | 66 |
| Gold | $465 | 680 |
| Silver | $524 | 921 |
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.
Bernalillo County
$390/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
Doña Ana County
$490/moMolina Healthcare of New Mexico, Inc. · Gold 1 On Exchange with Low Cost Generic Drugs
Santa Fe County
$533/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
Sandoval County
$390/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
San Juan County
$501/moMolina Healthcare of New Mexico, Inc. · Gold 1 On Exchange with Low Cost Generic Drugs
Valencia County
$390/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
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.
Bernalillo County
$1,248/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
Doña Ana County
$1,568/moMolina Healthcare of New Mexico, Inc. · Gold 1 On Exchange with Low Cost Generic Drugs
Santa Fe County
$1,705/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
Sandoval County
$1,248/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
San Juan County
$1,601/moMolina Healthcare of New Mexico, Inc. · Gold 1 On Exchange with Low Cost Generic Drugs
Valencia County
$1,248/moBlue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico · Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange
Subsidies: federal APTC plus state Health Care Affordability Fund layers
New Mexico does not operate a §1332 reinsurance waiver, but it does fund state-level premium and cost-sharing assistance through the Health Care Affordability Fund, plus a Native American Health Care Exchange Pilot that reduces out-of-pocket costs for enrolled Native American members. Combined programs:
- Federal Advance Premium Tax Credit (APTC). Households 100-400% FPL on the PY2026 standard ACA contribution curve, applied through beWellnm. The ARPA / IRA enhanced subsidies expired 2025-12-31 and are not in effect for 2026.
- Federal cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). Households 100-250% FPL enrolled in a Silver plan receive reduced deductibles, copays, and out-of-pocket maximums automatically.
- Health Care Affordability Fund. State-financed premium and cost-sharing assistance for lower-income beWellnm enrollees, layered on top of federal APTC / CSRs. Exact schedule is set by OSI and the NM Health Insurance Exchange and published on beWellnm during enrollment.
- Native American Health Care Exchange Pilot. Zero-cost-sharing and premium assistance pathway for enrolled Native American members on beWellnm.
New Mexico adopted Medicaid expansion effective January 1, 2014. Adults 19-64 up to 138% FPL qualify regardless of parental status or disability, so there is no coverage gap. Note: our site does not yet model the NM state subsidy or Native American pilot in displayed net premiums; consult beWellnm for exact subsidized price.
Catastrophic plans in New Mexico follow federal rules
beWellnm follows the federal ACA default for Catastrophic plans: eligibility is limited to enrollees under age 30, or at any age with a hardship / affordability exemption. The PY2026 federal auto-expansion applies. APTC does not apply to Catastrophic plans.
Tobacco surcharges follow the federal 1.5x default in New Mexico
New Mexico 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 NM Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) reviews rate filings under NMSA Chapter 59A. No NM-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 Mexico
4 carriers sell 2026 plans on beWellnm. 2,012 plans across 33 counties. Four carriers reach all 33 New Mexico counties on beWellnm for PY2026: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of New Mexico, UnitedHealthcare, Presbyterian Health Plan, and Molina. Presbyterian holds a strong share in central New Mexico.
| Carrier | On-exchange plans | Counties |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico | 561 | 33 |
| UnitedHealthcare of New Mexico, Inc. | 495 | 33 |
| Presbyterian Health Plan | 380 | 33 |
| Molina Healthcare of New Mexico, Inc. | 231 | 33 |
Enrollment
Open Enrollment for 2026 coverage on beWellnm 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: bewellnm.com.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ACA plan in New Mexico for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze-tier plan a 40-year-old can enroll in without paperwork is Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico Blue Community Bronze HMO? 603 - Off Exchange in Bernalillo County at $390 per month before subsidies. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Is New Mexico on Healthcare.gov?
No. New Mexico runs its own state-based exchange, beWellnm, operated by the New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange. It became a full SBE (on its own technology platform) for PY2022. Healthcare.gov does not serve New Mexico.
Has New Mexico expanded Medicaid?
Yes, effective January 1, 2014. Adults 19-64 up to 138% FPL qualify regardless of parental status or disability, so there is no coverage gap in New Mexico.
What is the New Mexico Health Care Affordability Fund?
The Health Care Affordability Fund is a state-financed program that layers additional premium and cost-sharing assistance on top of federal APTC / CSRs for lower-income beWellnm enrollees. The schedule is set jointly by the NM Office of Superintendent of Insurance and the NM Health Insurance Exchange and published on beWellnm during Open Enrollment.
What is the Native American Health Care Exchange Pilot?
A beWellnm pilot that provides zero-cost-sharing and additional premium assistance for enrolled Native American members. Tribal sovereignty and AI/AN-specific ACA provisions (including zero cost-sharing on-exchange) interact with this pilot; beWellnm's Native American Services team is the authoritative resource.
Does this site show the NM state subsidy in net-premium calculations?
Not yet. Our displayed net premiums currently reflect federal APTC only, using the PY2026 standard ACA contribution curve. For beWellnm's state subsidy and Native American Pilot pricing, use bewellnm.com directly during Open Enrollment.
Compare New Mexico with other states
- California (also prohibits tobacco surcharges entirely)
- Massachusetts (also prohibits tobacco surcharges entirely)
- New Jersey (also prohibits tobacco surcharges entirely)
- See all 51 jurisdictions side by side
Browse county pages in New Mexico
County-level pricing pages with the cheapest plan in each county.
Browse city pages in New Mexico
City-level pricing pages for major New Mexico cities.
Sources
- beWellnm for SBE enrollment, OEP dates, state subsidy, and APTC application.
- New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) for rate review, carrier filings, and consumer guidance.
- New Mexico Human Services Department: Medicaid for NM Medicaid eligibility and enrollment.
- KFF: New Mexico 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 context (NM plan data ingests via beWellnm separately).
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z. Full pricing pipeline + regulatory references at methodology; ACA terminology in the glossary.