- 5carriers selling 2026 marketplace plans in Shelby County
- 65plans on the Shelby shelf, from 25 bronze to 16 gold
- $654benchmark silver for a 40 year old in Shelby, full price per month
Who sells marketplace plans in Shelby County
Shelby County and Davidson County, the two Tennessee counties I track, have the same number of carriers, five each. Across all 79 counties and parishes I track in 24 states, 30 have more carriers than Shelby. The biggest lineup in Shelby belongs to Ambetter of Tennessee with 16 plans, about 25 percent of everything on offer.
| Carrier | Plans | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Network types |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ambetter of Tennessee | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | EPO 16 |
| OscarOscar Insurance Company | 15 | 6 | 7 | 2 | EPO 15 |
| BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee | 12 | 5 | 5 | 2 | EPO 12 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | EPO 12 |
| CignaCigna Healthcare Leaving for 2027 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | EPO 10 |
Shelby plan counts from the CMS 2026 landscape file (county FIPS 47157, Rating Area 6). Bronze includes expanded bronze, and companies CMS lists under more than one legal issuer are grouped with the legal names underneath.
Leaving Shelby County for 2027
Cigna sells 10 of the 65 plans in Shelby County this year. Cigna is leaving the ACA individual market in every state where it sells, on and off exchange, for 2027. After that exit, four carriers are left from the 2026 Shelby lineup: Ambetter of Tennessee, Oscar, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and UnitedHealthcare. If you are enrolled with Cigna in Shelby, you will get a notice this fall. If you do nothing you are moved to a replacement plan picked on price and metal level, and nothing in that process checks your doctors or prescriptions.
What it costs in Shelby County before any subsidy
These are the full monthly prices, before any premium tax credit, for the cheapest Shelby plan at each metal level. I show the sticker price because it is what your subsidy is subtracted from, and most people who enroll in Shelby pay less, often a lot less.
| Monthly premium, full price | Age 21 | Age 40 | Age 60 | Couple, both 40 | Couple 40 + 2 kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lowest bronze | $364 | $466 | $989 | $931 | $1,489 |
| Lowest silver | $506 | $646 | $1,372 | $1,292 | $2,066 |
| Benchmark silver (second lowest) | $512 | $654 | $1,390 | $1,309 | $2,092 |
| Lowest gold | $498 | $636 | $1,351 | $1,273 | $2,034 |
Benchmark silver is the second lowest of the 24 silver premiums listed for Shelby. The last column is two adults aged 40 plus two children.
What these numbers mean if you live in Shelby County
The gold row is the surprise in Shelby County. The cheapest gold plan for a 40 year old, $636 a month, is $10 cheaper than the cheapest silver plan at $646. That happens because Tennessee carriers load the cost of the extra silver discounts into silver premiums. If your income is too high for those discounts, silver is the worst value on the Shelby shelf, and a gold deductible here tops out at $2,000.
In Shelby County the benchmark is $189 above the cheapest bronze at age 40, and 32 of the other 78 counties and parishes I track have a wider one. That gap decides whether bronze can be free, because your subsidy is the $654 benchmark minus what the government expects you to pay from your income. A 40 year old in Shelby whose expected share is $189 a month or less would pay nothing for the cheapest bronze. At 60 the Shelby gap grows to $401 and at 21 it shrinks to $148, which is why older enrollees are the ones most likely to find a $0 plan.
Davidson County, around Nashville, is the other Tennessee county I track. Compared with Davidson County, the Shelby benchmark is $98 lower at 40 and the cheapest bronze is $80 lower. The same five carriers sell in both, so moving between Shelby and Davidson changes the price you pay but not the companies you can pick from.
Shelby plans by metal level, network and deductible
| Metal level | Plans | $0 deductible | Deductible range |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | 4 | 0 | $7,500 to $10,600 |
| Expanded Bronze | 21 | 6 | $0 to $9,000 |
| Silver | 24 | 1 | $0 to $8,100 |
| Gold | 16 | 3 | $0 to $2,000 |
| Total | 65 | 10 |
There is not a single PPO on the 2026 marketplace in Shelby County. All 65 plans are EPO plans. Outside emergencies, the 65 EPO plans in Shelby generally pay nothing out of network, so the network list matters more than the premium. 10 plans in Shelby have a $0 medical deductible (6 expanded bronze, 3 gold and 1 silver). The 6 bronze ones among them still have out of pocket maximums of $9,900 to $10,600, so a $0 deductible does not mean a small bill.
Every Shelby price on this page is before subsidies, and most enrollees pay less. For a 40 year old in Shelby the premium tax credit is measured against the $654 benchmark. Estimate your own subsidy, or send me your ZIP and I will run the Shelby numbers for you.
2027 plans for Shelby County
These are the 2026 plans and prices for Shelby County. The 2027 plans and prices are published around November 1, 2026, and I will update this page with the new Shelby numbers then. Open enrollment for 2027 coverage in Tennessee runs from November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027, and December 15 is the last day to pick a plan that starts January 1.
Questions about Shelby County coverage
How many health insurance companies sell marketplace plans in Shelby County, Tennessee?
For 2026, five carriers sell individual marketplace plans in Shelby County: Ambetter of Tennessee, Oscar, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, UnitedHealthcare and Cigna. Together they offer 65 plans across the metal levels, according to the CMS plan landscape file.
What is the cheapest health insurance in Shelby County?
At full price before any subsidy, the cheapest bronze plan in Shelby County is $364 a month for a 21 year old, $466 at 40 and $989 at 60. In Shelby a couple both aged 40 pays $931 for the cheapest bronze, and two 40 year olds with two children pay $1,489. No catastrophic plan is sold in Shelby for 2026. Most people in Shelby who qualify for a premium tax credit pay less than these prices.
What is the benchmark silver plan premium in Shelby County for 2026?
The second lowest cost silver plan, the benchmark your subsidy is calculated from, is $654 a month for a 40 year old in Shelby County before subsidies. In Shelby it is $512 at age 21 and $1,390 at age 60, and the lowest silver plan is $646 at 40.
Which insurance companies are leaving Shelby County for 2027?
Cigna is leaving the ACA individual market in every state where it sells, on and off exchange, for 2027. In 2026 it sells 10 plans in Shelby County. Four carriers from the 2026 Shelby lineup remain: Ambetter of Tennessee, Oscar, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee and UnitedHealthcare. The full 2027 lineup and prices are published around November 1, 2026.
Can I get a PPO plan in Shelby County?
Not on the 2026 marketplace. All 65 plans in Shelby County are EPO plans. 10 of them have a $0 medical deductible, and the cheapest gold plan for a 40 year old in Shelby is $636 a month before subsidies.
More for Shelby County residents
- Health insurance brokers in Tennessee, how to choose one and what it costs
- Every 2027 carrier change in Tennessee
- How Shelby compares with the other 78 counties and parishes I track
- Estimate a Shelby subsidy
Get your Shelby County quote
Send me your ZIP and who needs coverage and I will compare every Shelby plan you qualify for with your subsidy applied, free and with no pressure.
Get my free quote → Or book a callSources
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, QHP Landscape Individual Market Medical, plan year 2026 (public use file), Shelby County rows
- HealthCare.gov, Health plan information for individuals and families
- STAT, Cigna to exit the ACA individual market in 2027
- healthinsurance.org, ACA open enrollment deadlines