Who qualifies for cost-sharing reductions in 2027?
Cost-sharing reductions, which HealthCare.gov calls “extra savings,” lower a plan’s deductible, copays and out-of-pocket maximum. Under 45 CFR 155.305(g), you qualify for 2027 if you:
- Qualify for the premium tax credit: income from 100% to 400% of the poverty line, no Medicaid or affordable job plan, and from 2027 an eligible immigration status (see ACA subsidies for immigrants).
- Expect 2027 household income of no more than 250% of the poverty line.
- Enroll in a silver plan through the Marketplace.
HealthCare.gov says a bronze or gold plan keeps the tax credit but not the extra savings.
What are the 2027 income limits for extra savings?
The 2026 HHS poverty guidelines set 2027 savings, because they’re the ones in effect when open enrollment starts (45 CFR 155.300). In the 48 states and DC:
| Household size | 94% savings, up to 150% | 87% savings, up to 200% | 73% savings, up to 250% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $23,940 | $31,920 | $39,900 |
| 2 | $32,460 | $43,280 | $54,100 |
| 3 | $40,980 | $54,640 | $68,300 |
| 4 | $49,500 | $66,000 | $82,500 |
The 94% level starts at 100% of the poverty line, $15,960 for one person, and each other level starts just above the one before it. In states that expanded Medicaid, adults up to 138% usually get Medicaid instead. Alaska and Hawaii have higher lines, in the 2027 federal poverty level chart.
How much do extra savings cut costs in 2027?
The savings level caps what you pay for covered care in a year. CMS set the 2027 limits on Jan. 29, 2026:
| Plan | Out-of-pocket maximum, one person | Family |
|---|---|---|
| Silver with 94% savings | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| Silver with 87% savings | $4,000 | $8,000 |
| Silver with 73% savings | $9,600 | $19,200 |
| Any other plan, bronze included | $12,000 | $24,000 |
HealthCare.gov insurers that sell their own plan designs must also sell standard plans built to CMS’s 2027 designs. Most HealthCare.gov states use this set, and Delaware and Louisiana use a slightly different one:
| Standard plan, 2027 | Deductible | Out-of-pocket maximum | Primary care visit | Generic drugs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Expanded bronze | $7,500 | $12,000 | $50 | $25 |
| Silver | $6,400 | $10,300 | $40 | $20 |
| Silver with 73% savings | $2,900 | $9,000 | $40 | $20 |
| Silver with 87% savings | $800 | $3,600 | $20 | $10 |
| Silver with 94% savings | $0 | $3,500 | $0 | $0 |
| Gold | $2,500 | $8,600 | $30 | $15 |
Primary care visits and generic drugs don’t wait for the deductible in these designs. Other plans set their own cost sharing within the limits above.
Why can silver beat bronze?
The tax credit is a fixed dollar amount, set by the benchmark silver plan, and it works on any metal level. So a cheap bronze plan can cost little or nothing after the credit. HHS’s 2027 payment rule (91 FR 29526) says insurers load the cost of unfunded cost-sharing reductions onto silver premiums, which raises the benchmark and the credit and contributes to fully subsidized bronze and gold plans.
Silver costs more each month, but in CMS’s 2027 standard designs it covers far more up to 200% of the poverty line:
| Income for one person | Most you pay for the benchmark silver plan | Silver deductible and maximum, standard design | Expanded bronze, standard design |
|---|---|---|---|
| $23,940 (150%) | $86 a month | $0 and $3,500 | $7,500 and $12,000 |
| $31,920 (200%) | $180 a month | $800 and $3,600 | $7,500 and $12,000 |
| $39,900 (250%) | $288 a month | $2,900 and $9,000 | $7,500 and $12,000 |
The monthly amounts are 4.30%, 6.78% and 8.66% of income, the IRS’s 2027 shares in Rev. Proc. 2026-26, rounded to the nearest dollar. A silver plan cheaper than the benchmark costs less. At 150%, the benchmark silver plan costs at most $1,029 a year more than a free bronze plan. In the standard designs, the 94% silver plan caps what you could owe for covered care at $3,500 instead of bronze’s $12,000.
When is gold or bronze the better choice?
From 200% to 250% of the poverty line, the 73% level is a small step up from standard silver. In CMS’s 2027 standard designs, gold’s deductible ($2,500) and maximum ($8,600) are lower than 73% silver’s, so compare gold’s price too. Bronze can cost less over the year for someone who expects almost no care.
If Congress funds cost-sharing reductions, insurers would have to stop loading silver premiums, which would change these comparisons. H.R. 6703 would do that from 2027; it passed the House on Dec. 17, 2025 but hadn’t become law as of Oct. 21, 2026.
How do you get extra savings for 2027?
- Apply on HealthCare.gov or your state’s marketplace with a 2027 income estimate.
- Check your Eligibility Determination Notice. HealthCare.gov says you qualify if it reads “Can choose a health plan with lower copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles” followed by (04), (05) or (06).
- Pick a silver plan. Its deductible and maximum on HealthCare.gov already include your savings.
- If you’re on bronze now, switch yourself. CMS’s 2025 Marketplace Integrity rule stopped HealthCare.gov from moving people who qualify for extra savings from bronze to silver at renewal, starting with 2026 plans. Choose by Dec. 15 for coverage on Jan. 1: see 2027 open enrollment dates.
Everyone on one policy gets the same savings level: the one all of them qualify for (45 CFR 155.305(g)(3)).
What if your income changes during 2027?
Report changes within 30 days (45 CFR 155.330). The Marketplace moves you to the savings level that matches your new yearly income estimate, and what you’ve already paid toward the deductible and out-of-pocket maximum carries over (45 CFR 156.425). If you lose the extra savings, HealthCare.gov says you get a special enrollment period to switch to a bronze, silver or gold plan.
How does Coverage Decider show extra savings?
Coverage Decider’s calculator sets your savings level from your household income and warns when income sits just above 150%, 200% or 250% of the poverty line. Until CMS posts 2027 plans, it shows the most you’d pay for the benchmark silver plan. Once plans load, it prices silver plans with your savings and, at the 94% and 87% levels, says when silver’s deductible is lower than the cheapest bronze plan’s. How Coverage Decider calculates lists the 2027 figures it uses.
HealthCare.gov decides your savings level. Free local help can compare silver and bronze plans with you.