Benchmark Plan
Definition current for the 2026 plan year · Last reviewed July 2026
In one sentence: The second-lowest-cost silver plan in your area — the reference price all ACA subsidies are calculated against.
The benchmark plan is the second-cheapest silver plan available where you live. It isn't necessarily a plan you'd buy — it's the measuring stick: your subsidy equals the benchmark's price minus your required contribution (2.1%–9.96% of income in 2026).
This design has two practical consequences. Where benchmarks are high — Vermont ($1,299/mo), Wyoming ($1,090/mo), West Virginia ($1,073/mo) — subsidies are correspondingly huge, and subsidized enrollees are largely insulated from the sticker price. Where benchmarks are low (New Hampshire, $401/mo), even moderate earners may get little or no credit because the cap already exceeds the price. The national average benchmark for a 40-year-old is $625/month in 2026.
Your credit is portable: calculated against the benchmark, spendable on any plan. See every state's benchmark on the state rankings page.