Inputs
About this tool
Published 2026-09-09 · Last updated 2026-09-09.
What you enter
You start with the facts the marketplace itself asks about: how many people are in your household, what household income you expect for the coverage year, and the benchmark premium for your area. The benchmark is the second-lowest-cost silver plan available to your household, and you find it by previewing plans for your ZIP code. You do not need to know an insurer's price list, and this tool stores no insurer rates at all.
Entering an expected income, rather than last year's income alone, matters because the final credit is settled when you file a tax return. If your income changes during the year, report the change to the marketplace. That habit protects you from a large reconciliation surprise later, and it is one of the most practical steps on this page.
What the estimate means
The estimate on this page follows a simple idea: the credit bridges the gap between the benchmark premium and the share of income you are expected to contribute. If the benchmark premium is higher than that expected contribution, the difference is the estimated credit. If it is lower, the estimated credit is zero. You can then apply that credit to a plan at another metal level, which changes what you pay each month.
A lower monthly premium does not always mean lower total cost. A bronze plan may cost little each month but leave more cost-sharing when you need care, while a silver plan may unlock cost-sharing reductions for eligible households. Compare the full picture — premium, deductible, copays and out-of-pocket maximum — before you choose, and use the companion cost estimator page to test that trade-off.
What it does not include
This calculator does not decide your eligibility, set your official advance credit, or replace the marketplace application. It does not include cost-sharing reductions in the premium figure, because those reductions change what you pay when you use care rather than what you pay each month. It also does not account for every household situation, such as a change in household size mid-year or income that is hard to predict.
It does not store personal data, contact an insurer, or quote a plan price. Every premium figure in the working HTML tool is one you type in yourself, taken from a plan preview you have already seen. Treat the output as a planning number to take into the official application, not as a promise of what you will pay.
How to check your result before you rely on it
Run the official marketplace application or preview tool and compare its advance credit with this estimate. If the two differ, trust the official result and look for the reason: a different benchmark premium, a different household size, or a different income figure are the usual causes. Small input differences can move the estimate noticeably, so check each input rather than assuming the tool is wrong.
Keep a short note of the inputs you used, the benchmark premium you entered, and the date you previewed plans. That note makes it easy to re-run the estimate after an income change, a move, or a new plan year, and it gives a helper or navigator a clear starting point if you ask for assistance.
Next steps
If the estimate suggests help is available, move to the ACA enrollment page to understand open and special enrollment, then preview real plans for your ZIP code. If the estimate is zero, you can still buy marketplace coverage, and you should also check whether another route — employer cover, Medicaid or a student plan — fits better. Do not assume a zero estimate means no option exists.
If your income is irregular, freelance or seasonal, read the self-employed health page next. It explains why estimating annual income carefully, and updating it when work changes, matters more for you than for a salaried household, and how the same subsidy logic still applies.
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE
ILLUSTRATIVE EXAMPLE (not a policy fact): Maya, a fictional household of two, types in an expected annual income and a benchmark premium she saw in a plan preview. The tool subtracts her expected monthly contribution from the benchmark premium and shows an estimated monthly credit. Maya then applies that credit to a cheaper bronze plan and to a silver plan in her head, and sees why the silver plan's lower cost-sharing could matter even though its headline premium is higher. No figure in this example is a subsidy band, a poverty-line figure or a plan price.
Official sources
Check the current rules on the official site: HealthCare.gov. Figures and rules change, so confirm before you buy or enrol.