North Carolina
Cheapest ACA plans in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for 2026
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
Chapel Hill is in Orange County, North Carolina. 4 carriers sell 2026 ACA plans on Healthcare.gov for residents of Orange County, and the cheapest Bronze plan a 40-year-old can enroll in starts at $460/month before any subsidy. Carriers are licensed and rated at the county level, so the plans below cover everyone in Orange County, including Chapel Hill.
Cheapest plans by metal tier
Lowest 2026 monthly premium for a single 40-year-old in Chapel Hill (Orange County), 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 in Orange County |
|---|---|---|
| Expanded Bronze | $460 | 16 |
| Bronze | $573 | 1 |
| Silver | $603 | 16 |
| Gold | $633 | 11 |
The actual cheapest Bronze plan in Chapel Hill
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Blue Home Bronze Basic | 3 Free PCP | $25 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | with UNC Health Alliance
$460/moFor a family of four (two 40-year-olds and two kids under 14): Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Blue Home Bronze Basic | 3 Free PCP | $25 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | with UNC Health Alliance at $1,470/month before subsidies.
Carriers selling 2026 plans in Chapel Hill
4 carriers sell 2026 plans on Healthcare.gov for Orange County residents. 65 plans total in Orange County.
| Carrier | On-exchange plans |
|---|---|
| Ambetter | 15 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 13 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina | 9 |
| Cigna | 7 |
What you'll actually pay in Chapel Hill
Estimated monthly net premium for the cheapest Bronze plan above ($460/mo before subsidy) on Healthcare.gov, after federal APTC. APTC is computed against the Orange Countybenchmark Silver per 26 USC §36B. Approximate; exact net varies by plan's EHB% and child-rate structure.
Single 40-year-old
| Annual income | FPL % | Federal APTC | Cheapest Bronze net |
|---|---|---|---|
| $25,000 | 160% | $513/mo | $0/mo |
| $40,000 | 256% | $323/mo | $137/mo |
| $60,000 | 383% | $112/mo | $348/mo |
| $100,000 | 639% | — | $460/mo |
Family of 4 (two 40-year-olds, two children)
| Annual income | FPL % | Federal APTC | Cheapest Bronze net |
|---|---|---|---|
| $40,000 | 124% | — | Medicaid likely |
| $80,000 | 249% | $1,390/mo | $80/mo |
| $130,000 | 404% | — | $1,470/mo |
| $200,000 | 622% | — | $1,470/mo |
FPL = Federal Poverty Level. APTC = Advance Premium Tax Credit (the federal subsidy). Off-exchange and Catastrophic plans are not APTC-eligible. Enter your real income on the home page to see plan-specific net premium with the per-plan EHB-percent cap applied.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest ACA plan in Chapel Hill, North Carolina for 2026?
The cheapest Bronze plan a 40-year-old can enroll in is Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Blue Home Bronze Basic | 3 Free PCP | $25 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | with UNC Health Alliance at $460 per month before subsidies. Plans sell through Healthcare.gov. Chapel Hill is in Orange County, North Carolina; carriers are licensed and rated at the county level. Data refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z.
How does Chapel Hill's 2026 ACA pricing compare to other North Carolina cities?
Cheapest Bronze for a 40-year-old in Chapel Hill is $460 per month before subsidies. For comparison: Charlotte at $447/mo; Raleigh at $446/mo; Greensboro at $422/mo. Different cities can have different cheapest plans because plans are sold per county and carrier participation varies by jurisdiction.
Does North Carolina use Healthcare.gov?
Yes. North Carolina participates in the federally-facilitated Marketplace (FFM) and is in fact the largest Healthcare.gov state by Marketplace enrollment, with roughly one million or more enrollees. Enrollment and subsidy applications run through healthcare.gov.
Has North Carolina expanded Medicaid?
Yes, effective December 1, 2023. House Bill 76 was a bipartisan deal signed by Gov. Roy Cooper earlier in 2023 that tied expansion to certificate-of-need reforms. Adults 19-64 up to 138% FPL qualify; roughly 600,000 residents have been added to Medicaid rolls since implementation.
What was North Carolina House Bill 76?
HB 76 was the 2023 bipartisan legislation that authorized Medicaid expansion in North Carolina as part of a broader deal that included reforms to the state's certificate-of-need hospital regulations. Implementation began December 1, 2023, making NC one of the most recent expansion states.
More North Carolina pricing
- Statewide North Carolina pricing and metal tiers
- Charlotte pricingcheapest Bronze $447/mo
- Raleigh pricingcheapest Bronze $446/mo
- Greensboro pricingcheapest Bronze $422/mo
Sources
- HealthCare.gov for enrollment, OEP dates, and federal APTC / CSR application.
- North Carolina Department of Insurance for rate review, carrier filings, and consumer guidance.
- NC Department of Health and Human Services: Medicaid Expansion for NC Medicaid expansion eligibility and enrollment.
- KFF: North Carolina State Health Facts for Medicaid expansion, enrollment, and benchmark premium context.
Plan year 2026, last refreshed 2026-04-19T08:08:55.462Z. Full pricing pipeline + regulatory references at methodology; ACA terminology in the glossary.