When you work for yourself, no job pays part of your health insurance. You pay the premium. So it helps to know what moves the price.
This guide covers the rules that set the price, what people paid in 2026, what Florida expects for 2027, and how the tax credit works. These are averages to help you plan. They are not quotes.
What can change the price of a Marketplace plan
Federal law limits what an insurance company can use to set the price of an individual ACA plan. Under 45 CFR 147.102, the price may change only for:
- Age. For adults, the price for the oldest age can be up to 3 times the price for the youngest.
- Where you live. Your rating area comes from your home address. CMS says Florida has 67 rating areas, one for each county.
- Tobacco use. The price can be up to 1.5 times higher.
- Who is covered. A plan for you alone costs less than one that covers your family.
For ACA plans, your health history is not on that list. Neither is your job. So being self-employed doesn't change the price of the plan itself.
The parts you choose
Next comes the plan you pick. Plans with lower monthly premiums often cost more when you get care, through a bigger deductible. Plans with higher premiums often cost less when you get care. Each plan also has its own company and network of doctors.
Look at the most you could pay in a year, too. See our guide to what an out-of-pocket maximum is.
What people paid in 2026: CMS data
CMS reports what people paid during 2026 Open Enrollment. These are averages per person. Your price will be different.
- Nationwide, the average monthly premium was $619 before the tax credit and $178 after it. That average includes people who got no credit.
- In Florida, the average was $806 a month before the tax credit and $106 after it.
- In Florida, 4,295,772 of the 4,538,772 people who picked a plan got a tax credit paid ahead. Their average was $62 a month after the credit.
So for most people in this data, the tax credit made a big difference. The price before the credit tells you what you'd pay without one.
What Florida expects for 2027
On October 16, 2026, the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) posted the 2027 rates it approved for individual ACA plans. As of that date, its table shows the average monthly premium per person going from $811 in 2026 to $898 in 2027. That's a 10.4% rise, before any tax credit.
OIR notes that the change for any one person can be different. It also says the numbers have not been finalized by HHS and can change. In OIR's Oct. 16, 2026 table, every plan is listed as an HMO or EPO network. None is listed as a PPO.
How the tax credit changes your price
The premium tax credit can lower your monthly premium. It's based on your household income for the year you are covered, not last year. As of October 18, 2026, under current law, the tax credit for 2027 coverage is generally only for household incomes from 100% to 400% of the poverty line (IRS Premium Tax Credit Q&A).
From 100% to 400% of the poverty line, the credit is set so you pay an expected share of your income for a benchmark plan. That plan is the second-lowest-cost Silver plan where you live. Under IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26, that share for 2027 runs from 2.15% to 10.22% of income. The credit pays the rest of the benchmark plan's price.
Since the benchmark plan's price depends on your age and where you live, so does your credit. That's why two people with the same income can see different prices.
Above 400% of the poverty line, there's no credit. For 2027 coverage, 400% is $63,840 for one person. Our guide to the 2027 ACA subsidy cliff explains the limit.
Self-employed income and your estimate
When you apply, you estimate your household income for the year. For self-employed people, that's net self-employment income, after business expenses. It can be hard to guess.
Under current law, for tax years after 2025, there is no cap on paying back extra credit. If you get more credit during the year than you qualify for, you pay back all of the difference when you file. A tax pro can help.
See our guide on how to estimate your income for Marketplace insurance. If your income changes during the year, update your application.
The self-employed health insurance deduction
The tax code may give some of your premium back. If you had a net profit from self-employment, you may be able to deduct what you paid for medical, dental, and vision insurance. IRS Form 7206 and its instructions explain how.
- The deduction can't be more than your net profit from the business, after some adjustments.
- You can't take it for any month you could join a job-based plan that an employer helps pay for. That includes your spouse's employer.
- If you also got a premium tax credit, IRS Publication 974 has worksheets for how the two work together.
This is general tax information, not tax advice. Our guide to the self-employed health insurance deduction has more detail. Check with a tax pro before you claim it.
When to price a private PPO plan
Some self-employed people also look at private plans sold outside the Marketplace. This can make sense if your income is over 400% of the poverty line, so you get no credit. It can also make sense if you travel a lot or want a network in many states. Some private plans ask health questions, and approval is not guaranteed. Some may not cover care for health problems you had before you enrolled. Some plans use PPO networks in many states.
Private plans that ask health questions are not ACA plans. The ACA pricing rules above may not apply to them. Read each plan's papers before you choose. See our page on nationwide PPO plans for self-employed people.
How we can help
Daniels Health Advisors is licensed in 30+ U.S. states. We can help you compare Marketplace plans and private plans side by side. Try our Policy Pricing Calculator for a rough first look.