Short answer: private health insurance in Ohio comes in two forms. The marketplace plans are themselves sold by private companies: eleven insurers file plans on HealthCare.gov for 2026, led by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in all 88 counties. They come with tax credits and no health questions. Medically underwritten plans are the other form: they ask about your health, can decline you and get no credit, but a healthy buyer can often pay less, and one can start in any month. (Reviewed by Daniel Griffin, licensed independent advisor, NPN #22052447.)
Who Sells Marketplace Plans in Ohio
| Insurer (2026) | Counties where it sells |
|---|---|
| Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | All 88 |
| CareSource | All 88 |
| MedMutual | All 88 |
| Molina Healthcare | 80 of 88 |
| Ambetter from Buckeye Health Plan | 72 of 88 |
| Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | 51 of 88 |
| Oscar | 44 of 88 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 42 of 88 |
| Paramount | 6 of 88 |
| SummaCare | 4 of 88 |
From the CMS Plan Year 2026 landscape file. Every Ohio county has at least three marketplace insurers in 2026. Insurers filing under more than one company name are counted once here.
What Ohio Plans Cost Before a Tax Credit
The average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Ohio was $513 a month in 2026, before any tax credit (KFF). County by county, that benchmark ran from $483 in Butler County and 2 others to $669 in Knox County. The cheapest Silver plan anywhere in Ohio cost $395 at age 27, $482 at 40 and $1,023 at 60; the priciest Silver plan for a 40-year-old cost $924.
Off-Exchange Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Prices in Ohio, 2027
Anthem sells individual plans off the marketplace in 17 of Ohio’s 17 rating areas for 2027. They are ACA plans at a flat price: no health questions, and no tax credit. The lowest price anywhere in the state, by age:
| Age | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | $382 | $453 | $708 |
| 30 | $434 | $514 | $804 |
| 40 | $488 | $579 | $905 |
| 50 | $682 | $809 | $1,265 |
| 60 | $1,037 | $1,229 | $1,922 |
| 64 | $1,146 | $1,359 | $2,124 |
The cheapest of each, by rating area, for a 40-year-old:
| Area | Counties | Bronze from | Silver from | Gold from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Lucas and 2 more | $488 | $579 | $905 |
| 2 | Allen, Auglaize, Hancock, Hardin and 4 more | $531 | $630 | $985 |
| 3 | Champaign, Clark, Darke, Greene and 4 more | $510 | $605 | $946 |
| 4 | Butler, Hamilton, Warren | $499 | $591 | $924 |
| 5 | Adams, Brown, Clermont, Clinton and 1 more | $518 | $614 | $960 |
| 6 | Erie, Huron, Ottawa, Sandusky and 2 more | $508 | $602 | $942 |
| 7 | Crawford, Richland | $582 | $690 | $1,079 |
| 8 | Marion, Morrow | $588 | $697 | $1,090 |
| 9 | Delaware, Fairfield, Fayette, Franklin and 6 more | $590 | $700 | $1,094 |
| 10 | Gallia, Jackson, Lawrence, Pike and 3 more | $612 | $725 | $1,134 |
| 11 | Ashtabula, Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake and 1 more | $499 | $591 | $924 |
| 12 | Ashland, Medina, Portage, Summit | $520 | $617 | $965 |
| 13 | Columbiana, Mahoning, Trumbull | $491 | $583 | $911 |
| 14 | Holmes, Wayne | $518 | $614 | $960 |
| 15 | Carroll, Stark | $534 | $633 | $990 |
| 16 | Belmont, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison and 7 more | $562 | $666 | $1,041 |
| 17 | Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Washington | $624 | $740 | $1,156 |
Monthly, non-tobacco, from the Off-Marketplace plans on shop.anthem.com, quoted October 24, 2026. Men and women pay the same. Other ages follow the federal age curve, checked against Anthem’s own quotes. Prices can change before enrollment, and the insurer’s final rate applies. If you qualify for a tax credit, the same plans cost less through the marketplace.
The cheapest of these carry real deductibles: $11,700 on the $488-a-month Bronze and $4,500 on the $579-a-month Silver. For a healthy buyer who earns too much for a tax credit, that is full price plus a deductible, and a licensed agent here recommends an off-exchange Anthem plan only when you really need ACA coverage, such as for an ongoing condition or a pregnancy. A private plan with no deductible starts at about $245 a month for a 40-year-old in Ohio (private estimates run $245–$385); it asks health questions and pays set amounts instead. Why most healthy buyers skip the Blue plan: off-exchange Blue Cross Blue Shield plans compared.
Who Should Look Beyond the Ohio Marketplace
For 2027 coverage the tax credit stops at $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four. At Ohio’s 2026 benchmark, a single 40-year-old just over that line pays $6,156 a year, about 10% of income, before the 2027 increase. That is where a healthy household can save with a medically underwritten plan, which is priced on health, not income. It is not ACA coverage: it can decline you and usually excludes pre-existing conditions and maternity care. Leaving a job? See COBRA alternatives.
Networks: What to Check in Ohio
No 2026 marketplace plan in Ohio is a PPO; the choice is HMO plans. Outside an emergency most of them pay nothing out of network, so check your doctors in the specific plan’s network.
Healthy, in Ohio, and paying full price?
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2027 in Ohio
Ohio’s approved 2027 rates are an average 16.3% higher than 2026 (enrollment-weighted, reported Oct 15, 2026). CareSource leaves Ohio’s marketplace after 2026; anyone on its plans needs a new one for January. Open Enrollment on HealthCare.gov runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; choose by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. Medically underwritten plans are not tied to that calendar. health insurance in Ohio · self-employed in Ohio · Ohio plans compared.
Checking an Agent or a Plan in Ohio
The Ohio Department of Insurance licenses agents and insurers in Ohio: look up anyone selling you a plan, and get the insurer’s name and the list of what is not covered before you pay.
Common Questions
What is private health insurance in Ohio?
Two things. 11 private insurers sell Ohio marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov for 2026, with tax credits and no health questions; Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield sells in every county. Medically underwritten plans ask health questions, can decline you, get no tax credit and can start in any month.
Who should buy a medically underwritten plan in Ohio?
A healthy household that gets little or no tax credit: for 2027 coverage there is none above $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Anyone with a real health history, or planning a pregnancy, is usually better protected on the marketplace.
Are there PPO plans on the Ohio marketplace?
No. Every 2026 marketplace plan in Ohio is an HMO plan, so check your doctors in the specific plan’s network.
Which insurers are leaving Ohio’s marketplace for 2027?
CareSource leaves Ohio’s marketplace after 2026; anyone on its plans needs a new one for January.
Sources
- KFF benchmark premiums, Ohio, 2026.
- CMS plan landscape file, Ohio, 2026.
- Ohio 2027 rates and exits (Plans By State, from regulators and ACASignups.net).
- HealthCare.gov: tax credit income limits.
- Ohio Department of Insurance.
Full-price filed rates before tax credits, not quotes. Underwritten plans are not sold in every state and acceptance depends on health history.