I would suggest that the ACA Premium Tax Credit subsidies are a natural evolution of our society’s desire to achieve equal opportunity and security for all regardless of income or employment.
Covered California
Posts on the development and implementation of the California health insurance market place, application, account, enrollment, termination.
Ways to Reduce Your Health Insurance Premiums
Another powerful strategy to save on monthly health insurance premiums is the split family members into different plans. Covered California makes splitting family members into different groups very easy. From your Enrollment Dashboard select Manage Groups. Then at the bottom of the page click on Add a Group. Then drag the family members into different groups.
Can You Save Money Moving from Silver to Bronze?
Another alternative is the Bronze HDHP. While the monthly premium is essentially the same as the Bronze 60 at $231 a month, the MOOP is much lower at $7,200. When we total the annual premiums plus the MOOP, the Bronze HDHP saves this consumer $4,808 or 32.5 percent over the Silver 70 health plan.
Bronze, Minimum Coverage Plans Health Savings Account Eligible
Unfortunately, the IRS has not issued any guidance for the 2026 tax year with respect to expanded definition of health plans eligible for a Health Savings Account. The language clearly states that the health plan must be purchased through a Marketplace Exchange like Covered California. That would seem to preclude Bronze 60 and Minimum Coverage plans bought off-exchange, direct from the insurance company, as being eligible for the HSA contribution deduction.
Review of Health Plan Options through Covered California, 2026
The Bronze 60 plan may be a good option for people who are looking to save money and do not use health care services on a regular basis. The Bronze 60 has unlimited office and urgent care visits at $60. You get three specialist visits at $95. Lab tests are unlimited at $50. All other health care services are subject to the medical deductible of $5,800. The Bronze 60 has a maximum out-of-pocket amount of $9,800.
Deconstructing Covered California 2026 Income Table
New for 2026 is an orange band on top of the table. This is the income range that California will provide additional subsidy to help lower health insurance premiums for low income families and individuals. The extra subsidy will be provided to incomes up to 165 percent of the federal poverty level. There is a new 165% column indicating the maximum annual income that the subsidy is eligible for.
Blue Shield Off-Exchange Health Plans, 2026
Blue Shield also offers some plans not offered through Covered California. The Silver 2600 is a High Deductible Health Plan and is Health Savings Account compliant. After you have received $2,600 in health care services, remaining services and prescription medications are subject to 35 percent coinsurance. When the deductible plus coinsurance equals $7,350, you have met your maximum out-of-pocket annual amount.
Covered California Monthly Premiums May Not Increase for 2026
If the enhanced subsidy lapses, and Covered California must return to the pre-2021 subsidy curve, the consumer responsibility for health insurance increases. For the individual estimating $50,000, based on 2025 federal poverty level, they are still 343 percent FPL, but the consumer responsibility percentage increases from 7.08 percent to 9.78 percent*. (*Consumer Responsibility from IRS 2020 form 8962 instructions.)
Social Security, Taxes, and ACA Health Insurance Subsidies
The main takeaway is that the calculations for the ACA health insurance income estimates are separate from determining the tax on Social Security benefits. Specifically, all the Social Security income is included on the Covered California application as income, but only ½ is used for the combined income calculation of Social Security income taxes.
New Trump Rules for Covered California
The underlying rational for the new rules is that CMS perceives consumers to be cheating the system. With no evidence presented, CMS believes that consumers are receiving subsidies and health insurance they are not entitled to. They accuse individuals, families, and agents of committing fraud. Again, they present no evidence to support their supposition. The focus of CMS is to save money and if people are denied health insurance and health care, that is simply collateral damage to achieving the goal of less federal expenditures. The new rules are meant to save money and help the health insurance companies.
