Bronze, Silver, and Gold on the 2027 Health Insurance Marketplace: The $7,476 Deductible Gap Only Silver Closes

9 min read · Last updated September 29, 2026

Only a Silver plan carries Cost-Sharing Reductions, which can cut the 2027 out-of-pocket maximum to as low as $4,000 for incomes at or below 250% of the Federal Poverty Level, $39,900 for one person. Bronze and Gold get no such discount at any income level.

In this article

• Why Silver is different
• Bronze: lowest premium, highest deductible
• Silver plus CSR: the income-linked discount
• Gold: paying more upfront for lower cost-sharing
• Bronze vs. Silver vs. Gold at a glance
• Choose Bronze if / Choose Silver if / Choose Gold if
• What could change the calculus
• Frequently asked questions

A shopper on the 2027 marketplace picks from three real options: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. All three cover the same essential health benefits and use the same premium tax credit formula. Only Silver comes bundled with a government discount on deductibles and out-of-pocket costs, per HealthCare.gov’s own cost-sharing reductions page, and only below a specific income line.

Why Silver is different

A single person earning around $28,000 a year sits at roughly 175% of the 2026 Federal Poverty Level (FPL) guideline of $15,960, the figure used for 2027 marketplace eligibility, per the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) 2026 poverty guidelines. At that income, a Silver plan reaches 87% actuarial value, meaning the insurer covers about 87% of costs on average, with a 2026 average deductible near $790. A Bronze plan at 60% actuarial value averaged $7,476, nearly ten times higher, per Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) tracking of ACA marketplace deductibles.

That gap is not about premium size. It is about Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSR), a discount on deductibles, copayments, and out-of-pocket maximums attached exclusively to Silver plans at or below 250% of the FPL. Pick Bronze or Gold instead, at any income, and CSR does not apply. This is separate from network type or High-Deductible Health Plan (HDHP) design; our comparison of health plan network types covers which doctors are in network, while metal tier decides the bill split. A marketplace shopper has to make both calls.

Bronze: lowest premium, highest deductible

Bronze sits at a 60% actuarial value, the lowest of the three tiers shoppers typically compare. In 2026, KFF found the average Bronze deductible was $7,476, up sharply as enrollees shifted into Bronze after enhanced premium tax credits expired at the end of 2025.

For 2027, a Bronze plan with no CSR faces the standard federal out-of-pocket ceiling of $12,000 for one person, $24,000 for a family, per the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) 2027 payment parameters guidance. Some Bronze plans qualify as HSA-eligible High-Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs); per IRS Revenue Procedure 2026-24, 2027 requires a deductible of at least $1,750 self-only or $3,500 family, capped at $8,700 or $17,400 out of pocket. Pair one with an HSA to contribute up to $4,500 pre-tax, or $9,000 for family coverage, plus a $1,000 catch-up at 55 and older.

Bronze never carries CSR, so a low income does not lower its deductible. What it does buy is the lowest sticker premium on the marketplace and, if the plan qualifies as an HDHP, a tax-advantaged way to save for the deductible you are taking on.

Silver plus CSR: the income-linked discount

Standard Silver sits at 70% actuarial value. CSR raises that to 73%, 87%, or 94%, depending on income, but only for households at or below 250% of the FPL. HealthCare.gov is explicit that this discount requires enrolling in a Silver plan; choosing another metal tier keeps the premium tax credit but drops CSR entirely.

The bands break out this way for 2027, per CMS’s finalized parameters. Income from 100% to 200% of the FPL brings the out-of-pocket maximum down to $4,000 for one person. Income from 200% to 250% brings it to $9,600. In 2026 dollar terms, KFF found average deductibles of about $80 at the 94% actuarial value tier, $790 at 87%, and $3,727 at 73%. A standard Silver plan with no CSR at all averaged $5,304.

Income near the top of that range still counts: for a single person, 250% of the 2026 FPL guideline used for 2027 eligibility is $39,900; for a family of four, $82,500. Cross that line, even slightly, and CSR disappears for the plan year. A mid-year income change that affects CSR eligibility triggers a Special Enrollment Period through HealthCare.gov, so you are not locked into the wrong deductible for the rest of the year.

Bronze vs. Silver vs. Gold at a glance

Factor	Bronze (HSA-eligible)	Silver + CSR	Gold
Actuarial value	60%	70%, raised to 73/87/94% by CSR	80%
2026 avg. deductible	$7,476	$80 to $3,727, by income band	$1,722
2027 out-of-pocket max (self-only)	$12,000 (no CSR available)	$4,000 to $9,600, by income band	$12,000 (no CSR available)
CSR eligibility	Never available	100% to 250% of FPL only	Never available
HSA-eligible option	Yes, if plan meets IRS HDHP rules	Rare; most CSR designs don’t qualify	No
Best for	Healthy, low-care-use enrollees above 250% FPL who want an HSA	Anyone at or below 250% FPL, regardless of expected care use	Frequent care users above 250% FPL who want predictable costs

Gold: paying more upfront for lower cost-sharing

Gold plans sit at 80% actuarial value, the highest tier alongside Bronze and Silver. KFF’s 2026 tracking put the average Gold deductible at $1,722, well below Bronze and standard no-CSR Silver, though still higher than CSR-enhanced Silver under 250% of the FPL.

Gold carries no CSR at any income. A household at 120% of the FPL gets the same 80% actuarial value and $12,000 self-only out-of-pocket ceiling for 2027 as one at 600% of the FPL. The premium tax credit is set against the second-lowest-cost Silver plan in an area, the benchmark; CMS set the 2027 required contribution percentage, the top income share the formula asks toward that benchmark, at 8.5%. Gold typically prices above that benchmark, so the same flat credit dollar amount covers a smaller share of a Gold premium, which is why Gold’s post-credit premium tends to run higher even though the credit formula itself does not change by tier.

Enhanced premium tax credits that capped payments at that level for all incomes expired at the end of 2025 and remain unrenewed as of this writing. The original 400% FPL cutoff is back for 2026 and, absent new legislation, for 2027: households above that income get no premium tax credit at all, on any tier.

Choose Bronze if / Choose Silver if / Choose Gold if

Choose Bronze if your income is above 250% of the FPL, so CSR is not on the table anyway. You rarely see a doctor outside of an annual physical, and you want to pair a low premium with an HSA to save pre-tax for the deductible.

Choose Silver if your household income falls at or below 250% of the FPL. CSR is only available on this tier, and it lowers your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum regardless of how much or how little care you expect to use. For most people under that income line, Silver is the plan to check first.

Choose Gold if you are above 250% of the FPL, so CSR is not available to you either way. You expect ongoing care, such as a chronic condition, regular specialist visits, or a planned procedure, where a lower deductible and higher actuarial value save more than Gold’s higher premium costs.

What could change the calculus

Income near the 250% FPL line deserves a second look before enrolling. A raise, a household-size change, or a new job can push you over that threshold and remove Silver’s CSR discount for the next plan year, even if your care needs haven’t changed.

Wanting an HSA rules out CSR-enhanced Silver in practice, since most CSR designs don’t meet the IRS’s HDHP rules. If the HSA’s tax advantage matters more than a lower deductible today, an HSA-eligible Bronze plan fits better, even where CSR would otherwise apply.

A chronic condition or a planned surgery changes the math regardless of tier rules. Run your actual expected costs, prescriptions, specialist visits, a procedure, against each plan’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximum before assuming the lowest premium is the cheapest plan for the year.

Frequently asked questions

Should I ever pick Bronze if I qualify for Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSR)? Usually not. If your income is at or below 250% of the FPL, Silver’s CSR discount lowers your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum at no extra cost beyond the premium difference. Bronze only makes sense at that income if you are certain you will not need care and want the lowest possible monthly payment.

Is Gold ever better than Silver for someone under 250% of the FPL? Rarely. CSR-enhanced Silver plans already reach 73% to 94% actuarial value, at or above Gold’s 80%, for households under that income line. Gold’s premium is usually higher with no matching cost-sharing advantage, so Silver is the stronger default until income rises past 250% of the FPL.

Can I have a Health Savings Account (HSA) with a CSR Silver plan? Almost never. Most Silver plans with Cost-Sharing Reductions are structured with a low deductible that falls under the IRS’s minimum HDHP deductible for 2027, $1,750 for self-only coverage. That disqualifies them as HSA-eligible, so the HSA path generally runs through Bronze instead.

Does choosing Gold instead of Silver change my premium tax credit amount? No. The credit is calculated once, based on income and the cost of the benchmark Silver plan in your area, and that dollar amount is fixed regardless of which metal tier you apply it to. Gold usually costs more than that benchmark, so more of Gold’s premium is left for you to pay after the credit applies.

What happens if my income crosses the 250% FPL line during the year? HealthCare.gov treats a change that affects your Cost-Sharing Reduction eligibility as a Special Enrollment Period. You can update your application and, if needed, switch plans rather than staying locked into a Silver plan that no longer carries the discount, or missing out on one you newly qualify for.