Short answer: an off-exchange Blue Cross Blue Shield plan is an ACA plan bought outside the marketplace: the same price as on it, with no tax credit. For 2027, Anthem’s cheapest off-exchange Silver plan for a 40-year-old costs $470 to $649 a month, with a $3,500 to $7,200 deductible. A private plan with no deductible starts at about $210 to $350. (Reviewed by Daniel Griffin, licensed independent advisor, NPN #22052447.)
Every Blue Plan for Your ZIP Code
Enter your ZIP code and age to see every plan the Blue company sells where you live, at the full price you pay off the marketplace, priced for your household, next to a private plan with no deductible.
Why Most Healthy Buyers Skip the Blue Plan
You pay full price
Off the marketplace there is no tax credit, and being healthy does not lower an ACA premium.
The deductible comes first
The cheapest Blue plans carry deductibles up to $11,700. You pay for most care until you reach it.
A private plan costs less
No deductible, from about $210 to $350 a month at 40. It asks health questions and pays set amounts for covered care.
A licensed agent here sells Blue plans and recommends one when you really need it: an ongoing condition, a pregnancy, or an income under the tax-credit line ($63,840 a year for one person). Otherwise, start with the private quote.
“I don’t know why I was paying so much for my BCBS plan. I wasn’t even using it, maybe because the brand has such a big network, but now I pay half as much and I don’t have a deductible.”
Philip C., who left a Blue Cross plan for a private plan
“I switched off my BCBS private plan and went to United, and now I don’t pay anything when I go to the doctor.”
Lourdes V., now on a private plan with the UnitedHealthcare network
Real clients, in their own words (all 14 client reviews). Each is one client’s experience: your price depends on your age, location and health, and a lower premium can mean different coverage.
Blue or Private at 40, State by State
For a healthy household above the tax-credit line ($63,840 a year for one person for 2027 coverage), the comparison that matters is the full off-exchange price against a private plan. The private plans a licensed agent here places use the UnitedHealthcare or PHCS PPO network and are underwritten by Freedom Life Insurance Company of America. The fixed-indemnity plans among them have no deductible: they pay a set dollar amount for each covered doctor visit, test or day in the hospital, starting with the first one.
| State, age 40 | Cheapest Anthem Bronze | Cheapest Anthem Silver | Private, no deductible, from | Private range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $441 | $476 | $350* | $350–$445 |
| Georgia | $448 | $649 | $210 | $210–$415 |
| Indiana | $420 | $474 | $270 | $270–$350 |
| Nevada | $410 | $470 | $210 | $210–$415 |
| Ohio | $488 | $579 | $245 | $245–$385 |
| Virginia | $411 | $505 | $300 | $300–$445 |
| Wisconsin | $536 | $602 | $300 | $300–$440 |
Private estimates come from the same rate table as the ZIP check below, averaged for men and women, and assume good health. The low end of each range is the main private plan, which has no deductible. They are not an offer: the health questions decide the price. *Colorado: no deductible for day-to-day care.
Healthy, and earning too much for a tax credit?
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The Details
Every table, source and caveat behind the numbers above, for anyone who wants all of it.
Anthem’s 2027 off-exchange prices at 40, by state
Anthem is the Blue company in seven of the states served here. The cheapest off-exchange plan of each metal level anywhere in the state, for a 40-year-old who does not use tobacco, with that plan’s deductible:
| State | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $441 $7,500 deductible | $476 $4,400 deductible | – |
| Georgia | $448 $10,600 deductible | $649 $4,500 deductible | – |
| Indiana | $420 $11,700 deductible | $474 $7,000 deductible | $804 $2,200 deductible |
| Nevada | $410 $7,800 deductible | $470 $7,200 deductible | $734 $750 deductible |
| Ohio | $488 $11,700 deductible | $579 $4,500 deductible | $905 $2,500 deductible |
| Virginia | $411 $8,700 deductible | $505 $3,500 deductible | $531 $1,250 deductible |
| Wisconsin | $536 $5,000 deductible | $602 $4,700 deductible | $802 $2,500 deductible |
Monthly premiums for the Off-Marketplace plans in Anthem’s own quotes, October 24, 2026. Men and women pay the same. On the federal age curve a 60-year-old pays 2.12 times the age-40 price and a 64-year-old 2.35 times. Anthem lists no off-exchange Gold plan in Colorado and Georgia for 2027. Each state’s page has the prices by age and by rating area.
Prices at every age, and what a private plan trades away
The cheapest off-exchange Anthem Silver plan in each state, by age:
| State | 21 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado | $372 | $423 | $476 | $665 | $1,011 | $1,117 |
| Georgia | $508 | $577 | $649 | $908 | $1,379 | $1,525 |
| Indiana | $371 | $421 | $474 | $662 | $1,006 | $1,112 |
| Nevada | $368 | $417 | $470 | $657 | $998 | $1,103 |
| Ohio | $453 | $514 | $579 | $809 | $1,229 | $1,359 |
| Virginia | $395 | $449 | $505 | $706 | $1,073 | $1,186 |
| Wisconsin | $471 | $535 | $602 | $841 | $1,278 | $1,413 |
The private plan estimate for the same ages (the low end is the plan with no deductible):
| State | 21 | 30 | 40 | 50 | 60 | 64 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colorado* | $235–$270 | $260–$310 | $350–$445 | $480–$580 | $650–$750 | $735–$835 |
| Georgia | $130–$280 | $155–$320 | $210–$415 | $325–$540 | $480–$700 | $535–$755 |
| Indiana | $210–$235 | $230–$265 | $270–$350 | $355–$435 | $480–$545 | $520–$580 |
| Nevada | $130–$275 | $155–$315 | $210–$415 | $325–$535 | $480–$690 | $535–$745 |
| Ohio | $195–$260 | $210–$295 | $245–$385 | $315–$490 | $415–$630 | $445–$675 |
| Virginia | $220–$295 | $245–$340 | $300–$445 | $415–$580 | $570–$760 | $625–$820 |
| Wisconsin | $220–$290 | $245–$335 | $300–$440 | $415–$570 | $570–$750 | $625–$805 |
Monthly, one person, non-tobacco. Anthem prices follow the federal age curve, checked against Anthem’s own quotes. The ZIP check below prices your own age and household, spouse and children included.
What the lower price trades away:
- Health questions. Private plans are medically underwritten. Your answers decide whether you are accepted and at what price, and a condition you already have can be excluded.
- Set payments, not the whole bill. A fixed-indemnity plan pays its listed amount for each service. If the bill is larger, you pay the rest, so ask for the benefit schedule before you apply.
- Fewer benefits. Most private plans leave out maternity care, and some leave out mental health care, substance-use treatment or prescriptions.
- No tax credit, and not ACA coverage. In return, a private plan can start in any month, without waiting for Open Enrollment.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield have a no-deductible plan?
A few. For 2027, Anthem’s “Heart Healthy” Bronze plans in Wisconsin have a $0 medical deductible. They are sold in 13 of the state’s 16 rating areas, from $573 a month at 40, and carry a $12,000 out-of-pocket maximum, so copays and coinsurance still count up to that.
In the 2026 federal plan data, Blue plans with a $0 in-network deductible, mostly copay plans, were sold in six of the states served here. A $0 deductible is rare, so only six states appear below. In Alabama, Indiana, Kansas, Michigan, Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Utah, the Blue company sells individual plans too, but every one of them has a deductible. Colorado, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada and Virginia run their own exchanges and are not in the federal data; Anthem’s 2027 quotes for Colorado, Georgia, Nevada and Virginia include no $0-deductible plan. Mississippi has no Blue company selling individual plans. The cheapest $0-deductible Blue plan in each of the six, at age 40:
| State | Plan | Metal level | Age 40, 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arkansas | Gold Value | Gold | $666 |
| Florida | BlueSelect Bronze 2139 | Expanded Bronze | $546 |
| South Carolina | BlueEssentials Bronze 6 | Expanded Bronze | $454 |
| Tennessee | BlueCross B19E | Expanded Bronze | $587 |
| Texas | Blue Advantage Plus Silver 605 | Silver | $739 |
| Wisconsin | Anthem Heart Healthy Bronze Pathway/Lean 0 Med Ded | Expanded Bronze | $456 |
2026 CMS plan landscape for the HealthCare.gov states, checked against the insurers’ own benefit summaries; the 2027 file is not published yet. A $0 deductible does not mean $0 cost: these plans charge copays for visits and emergency care, and their out-of-pocket maximums run $6,300 to $10,600. Tennessee’s keeps a separate deductible for specialty drugs.
Blue Deductible Options in Every State
Every Blue company sells a range of deductibles. For each state served here: the lowest and highest deductible on a Blue individual plan, what the lowest-deductible plan costs at 40, and the cheapest plan with its deductible. In every state, the lower deductible costs more each month.
| State | Deductibles offered | Lowest deductible, age 40 | Cheapest plan, age 40 | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | $750 to $8,500 | $750 deductible: from $814 | $416, with a $8,500 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Arkansas | $0 to $7,500 | $0 deductible: from $666 | $452, with a $7,500 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Colorado | $2,800 to $10,800 | $2,800 deductible: from $513 | $441, with a $7,500 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
| Florida | $0 to $10,125 | $0 deductible: from $546 | $489, with a $10,125 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Georgia | $2,800 to $12,000 | $2,800 deductible: from $732 | $448, with a $10,600 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
| Illinois | Not in the federal plan data: Illinois runs its own exchange. The ZIP check below prices the Blue plans for your county. | |||
| Indiana | $2,000 to $11,700 | $2,000 deductible: from $819 | $420, with a $11,700 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
| Kansas | $700 to $8,500 | $700 deductible: from $770 | $482, with a $8,000 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Maryland | Not in the federal plan data: Maryland runs its own exchange. The ZIP check below prices the Blue plans for your county. | |||
| Michigan | $1,450 to $10,600 | $1,450 deductible: from $774 | $345, with a $10,600 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Mississippi | No Blue company sells individual plans | |||
| Nebraska | $1,000 to $10,500 | $1,000 deductible: from $704 | $494, with a $6,000 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Nevada | $750 to $12,000 | $750 deductible: from $734 | $410, with a $7,800 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
| North Carolina | $1,800 to $8,500 | $1,800 deductible: from $613 | $446, with a $7,000 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Ohio | $2,500 to $11,700 | $2,500 deductible: from $905 | $488, with a $11,700 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
| Oklahoma | $1,000 to $10,600 | $1,000 deductible: from $624 | $483, with a $10,600 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| South Carolina | $0 to $10,600 | $0 deductible: from $454 | $336, with a $10,600 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| South Dakota | $1,750 to $8,300 | $1,750 deductible: from $670 | $489, with a $7,200 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Tennessee | $0 to $10,600 | $0 deductible: from $587 | $466, with a $10,600 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Texas | $0 to $10,600 | $0 deductible: from $739 | $355, with a $5,000 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Utah | $2,000 to $9,000 | $2,000 deductible: from $724 | $474, with a $9,000 deductible | 2026 plan data |
| Virginia | $1,000 to $8,700 | $1,000 deductible: from $576 | $411, with a $8,700 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
| Wisconsin | $0 to $8,000 | $0 deductible: from $573 | $536, with a $5,000 deductible | 2027 Anthem quotes |
Monthly premiums for a 40-year-old, the lowest anywhere in the state, in-network deductibles, catastrophic plans left out. Off-exchange versions cost the same as these plans. The 2026 figures are replaced when the 2027 federal data is published.
Why an off-exchange Blue plan is rarely the right call
A licensed agent here sells Blue plans, and still points most healthy buyers somewhere else. The reasons:
- You pay full price. Off the marketplace there is no tax credit, and ACA premiums are the same for everyone your age in your area, healthy or not. A healthy buyer pays the same as someone with years of claims.
- The deductible comes first. The cheapest Blue plans carry deductibles as high as $11,700, so apart from preventive care and some copays, you pay for your own care until you reach it. The main private plan has no deductible at all.
- The price climbs with age. At 60 the cheapest off-exchange Anthem Silver plan costs $998 to $1,379 a month, against a private estimate of $415 to $760.
- Often no PPO. Many Blue individual plans are HMOs or EPOs: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas sold no individual PPO for 2026, and every off-exchange Anthem plan in Georgia for 2027 is an HMO. The private plans use the UnitedHealthcare or PHCS PPO network.
- You wait for a window. A Blue plan can be bought only during Open Enrollment or after a qualifying life event. A private plan can start any month.
The private side has its own rules, set out below: health questions, set payments rather than the whole bill, and no maternity care on most plans. For a healthy household above the tax-credit line, though, it is usually the smarter buy.
When you really need the Blue plan
Keep an ACA plan, Blue or otherwise, if anyone in the household has a condition that needs ongoing care, is pregnant or planning to be, or would face a bill that a set payment would not come close to, such as major surgery. And if your income is under the tax-credit line, buy the same Blue plan on the marketplace instead: the credit can cut the price sharply, and buying off-exchange gives it up. A licensed agent here sells both and will tell you if you are one of these cases. If you are not, start with the private quote.
What off-exchange and “private” BCBS plans are
Every Blue Cross and Blue Shield company sells its individual ACA plans two ways: on the marketplace (HealthCare.gov or a state exchange) and off it. Federal rules make an insurer charge the same premium for the same plan in both places, so buying off-exchange is not a discount; it gives up the tax credit. Off-exchange plans still cover pre-existing conditions, maternity care and the other essential health benefits, and they can be bought only during Open Enrollment, which starts November 1, or after a qualifying life event such as losing job coverage. A few are sold only off the marketplace, such as Anthem’s Silver Pathway 4500 in Ohio.
A search for a “private BCBS plan” usually means one of these off-exchange plans, and it is still an ACA plan. A private plan in the other sense, priced on your health instead of your age and income, comes from a different kind of policy, covered further down.
The Blue company in each state
Each state has its own Blue Cross and Blue Shield company, and Anthem’s quotes cover only its seven. The company selling individual plans in each state served here:
| State | Blue company | Where it sells |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama | All 67 counties (2026) |
| Arkansas | Arkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield | All 75 counties (2026) |
| Colorado | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | All 9 rating areas for 2027 |
| Florida | Florida Blue | All 67 counties (2026) |
| Georgia | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | All 16 rating areas for 2027 |
| Illinois | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Illinois | On Get Covered Illinois’s 2026 insurer list |
| Indiana | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | 16 of 17 rating areas for 2027 (none in area 16) |
| Kansas | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas; Blue KC | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas in 103 of 105 counties; Blue KC in Johnson and Wyandotte counties (2026) |
| Maryland | CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield | On Maryland Health Connection’s 2026 insurer list |
| Michigan | Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and its HMO, Blue Care Network | All 83 counties (2026) |
| Mississippi | None: no Blue company sells individual ACA plans | – |
| Nebraska | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska | All 93 counties (2026) |
| Nevada | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | All 4 rating areas for 2027 |
| North Carolina | Blue Cross NC | All 100 counties (2026) |
| Ohio | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | All 17 rating areas for 2027 |
| Oklahoma | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma | All 77 counties (2026) |
| South Carolina | BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina | All 46 counties (2026) |
| South Dakota | Wellmark Blue Cross and Blue Shield | 42 of 66 counties (2026) |
| Tennessee | BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee | All 95 counties (2026) |
| Texas | Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas | All 254 counties (2026) |
| Utah | Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah | 16 of 29 counties (2026) |
| Virginia | Anthem HealthKeepers; CareFirst in Northern Virginia | All 12 rating areas for 2027; Anthem not in Fairfax, Arlington or Alexandria |
| Wisconsin | Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | 13 of 16 rating areas for 2027 (none in areas 2, 13, 14) |
2027 rating areas from Anthem’s quotes; counties from the 2026 CMS plan landscape and the state exchanges’ 2026 insurer lists. Each Blue Cross and Blue Shield company is an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. The ZIP check below shows the plans for your own county.
Common Questions
Should I buy an off-exchange BCBS plan?
Usually not, if you are healthy and earn too much for a tax credit. You pay the full price and a deductible of up to $11,700 before the plan pays for most care. A licensed agent here recommends it when someone in the household has an ongoing condition or a pregnancy; otherwise a private plan with no deductible starts at about $210 to $350 a month at 40, depending on the state.
What is an off-exchange BCBS plan?
An ACA plan from a Blue Cross Blue Shield company bought outside HealthCare.gov or a state exchange. It costs the same as the marketplace version and covers the same benefits, but no tax credit applies, so it fits people who earn too much for one.
How much does a private BCBS plan cost per month?
For 2027, Anthem’s cheapest off-exchange plans for a 40-year-old start at $410 a month for Bronze and $470 for Silver, depending on the state, and cost about 2.12 times as much at 60. Bronze deductibles run as high as $11,700.
Does Blue Cross Blue Shield have a plan with no deductible?
A few. Anthem’s 2027 Heart Healthy Bronze plans in Wisconsin have a $0 medical deductible, from $573 a month at 40, with a $12,000 out-of-pocket maximum. Private fixed-indemnity plans also have no deductible and usually cost less, but they pay set amounts rather than the whole bill.
Is off-exchange cheaper than the marketplace?
No. The same plan has the same premium either way. The marketplace is cheaper for anyone who qualifies for a tax credit, which for 2027 coverage stops at $63,840 a year for one person and $132,000 for a family of four.
Sources
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Off-Marketplace plan quotes for every 2027 rating area in Colorado, Georgia, Indiana, Nevada, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin, October 24, 2026.
- CMS plan landscape file, 2026, for the HealthCare.gov states.
- 45 CFR 156.255(b): the same premium inside and outside the exchange.
- HealthCare.gov: tax credit income limits.
- Freedom Life Insurance Company of America, PremierAdvantage and HealthAccess III fixed indemnity plan brochures.
General information, not a quote or an offer of coverage. Prices can change before enrollment, and the insurer’s final rate applies. Medically underwritten coverage is not available in every state, and acceptance depends on health history. Daniel Griffin is a licensed independent insurance agent, NPN #22052447, not tied to any single carrier and not affiliated with the U.S. government.