Health insurance prices in Watauga County, NC (2026)
26 marketplace plans from 2 insurers. Cheapest plan $557/mo; typical Silver $828/mo. Official marketplace: HealthCare.gov (enter your ZIP for your real price and tax credit).
Plan year 2026 prices; 2027 prices will be added as soon as CMS publishes them. Monthly premium for one 40-year-old, before any tax credit (subsidy). Rating Area 3.
Tick 2 to 4 options anywhere on this page (an insurer's cheapest plan, any plan in the full list, or a health sharing program) and press Compare. You can mix insurance and health sharing, and share the link.
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Individual & family health insurance (marketplace / ACA plans)
Real insurance plans you buy yourself (not through a job), sold by companies like UnitedHealthcare, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ambetter (Centene), Oscar, Cigna, Molina and Anthem through HealthCare.gov or your state's marketplace.
Looking for Aetna? Aetna CVS Health left the ACA marketplace for 2026 (it sold plans in 17 states in 2025). Source: KFF
All plans here: Bronze $557–$695 (typical $650) · Silver $731–$871 (typical $828) · Gold $755–$893 (typical $863)
Insurers, sorted by typical Silver price
Every marketplace insurer must sell Silver and Gold plans; Bronze is optional, so Silver is the fair comparison. Typical = median monthly premium, age 40.
| Comparecheapest plan | Insurer | Plans | Cheapest plan | Typical Bronze | Typical Silver | Typical Gold | Cheapest plan name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | 8 | $557 | $564 | $737 | $769 | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Bronze Essential + No Referrals | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NCIndependent Blue Cross Blue Shield company | 18 | $624 | $663 | $844 | $876 | Blue Care Bronze Basic | 3 Free PCP | $25 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | Statewide Doctors |
All 26 plans in Watauga County, cheapest first
| Compare | Insurer | Plan | Metal | Network | Monthly | Deductible | Out-of-pocket max | Bad year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Bronze Essential + No Referrals | Bronze | HMO | $557 | $10,600 | $10,600 | $17,290 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Bronze Signature + No Referrals | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $564 | $7,500 | $10,000 | $16,765 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Bronze Premier + No Referrals | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $576 | $3,850 | $10,600 | $17,512 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Bronze Basic | 3 Free PCP | $25 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | Statewide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $624 | $7,000 | $10,600 | $18,084 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Bronze Basic | 3 Free PCP | $25 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | Nationwide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $643 | $7,000 | $10,600 | $18,315 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Bronze Standard | Statewide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $650 | $7,500 | $10,000 | $17,804 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Bronze Complete | $60 PCP | $20 Tier 1 Rx | Statewide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $658 | $4,000 | $10,600 | $18,494 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Bronze Standard | Nationwide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $669 | $7,500 | $10,000 | $18,022 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Bronze HSA Eligible | Integrated | Statewide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | HMO | $674 | $8,500 | $8,500 | $16,592 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Bronze Complete | $60 PCP | $20 Tier 1 Rx | Nationwide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $678 | $4,000 | $10,600 | $18,735 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Bronze HSA Eligible | Integrated | Nationwide Doctors | Expanded Bronze | PPO | $695 | $8,500 | $8,500 | $16,840 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Silver Essential + No Referrals | Silver | HMO | $731 | $6,100 | $9,000 | $17,772 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Silver Signature + No Referrals | Silver | HMO | $737 | $6,000 | $8,900 | $17,748 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Silver Premier + No Referrals | Silver | HMO | $753 | $400 | $10,200 | $19,233 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Gold Signature + No Referrals | Gold | HMO | $755 | $2,000 | $8,200 | $17,258 | |
| AmeriHealth Caritas Next | AmeriHealth Caritas Next Gold Premier + No Referrals | Gold | HMO | $784 | $850 | $8,500 | $17,908 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Silver Preferred | 3 Free PCP | $10 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | Statewide Doctors | Silver | HMO | $817 | $2,800 | $10,600 | $20,408 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Silver Standard | Statewide Doctors | Silver | HMO | $828 | $6,000 | $8,900 | $18,840 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Silver Preferred | 3 Free PCP | $10 Tier 1 Rx | Integrated | Nationwide Doctors | Silver | PPO | $842 | $2,800 | $10,600 | $20,710 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Silver Choice A | 3 Free PCP | $15 Tier 1 Rx | Statewide Doctors | Silver | HMO | $845 | $3,000 | $10,600 | $20,739 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Silver Standard | Nationwide Doctors | Silver | PPO | $852 | $6,000 | $8,900 | $19,119 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Gold Premier A | 3 Free PCP | $10 Tier 1 Rx | Statewide Doctors | Gold | HMO | $858 | $1,800 | $10,600 | $20,893 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Care Gold Standard A | Statewide Doctors | Gold | HMO | $868 | $2,000 | $8,200 | $18,621 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Silver Choice A | 3 Free PCP | $15 Tier 1 Rx | Nationwide Doctors | Silver | PPO | $871 | $3,000 | $10,600 | $21,051 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Gold Premier A | 3 Free PCP | $10 Tier 1 Rx | Nationwide Doctors | Gold | PPO | $884 | $1,800 | $10,600 | $21,209 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC | Blue Advantage Gold Standard A | Nationwide Doctors | Gold | PPO | $893 | $2,000 | $8,200 | $18,914 |
Deductibles and a bad year, by metal level
| Metal | Lowest | Typical* | Highest | Plans | Typical deductible | Typical out-of-pocket max | Typical bad year** |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $557 | $650 | $695 | 11 | $7,500 | $10,600 | $17,804 |
| Silver | $731 | $828 | $871 | 9 | $3,000 | $10,200 | $19,233 |
| Gold | $755 | $863 | $893 | 6 | $1,900 | $8,350 | $18,768 |
* Typical = median: half of plans cost less, half cost more. ** Bad year = 12 months of premium + the plan's in-network out-of-pocket maximum (median across plans). Out-of-network care and non-covered services are extra.