ACA Silver Loading Calculator
Determine whether ACA Silver Loading — insurers loading CSR costs onto Silver plan premiums — makes Bronze or Gold plans a better deal for your income range in 2026.
| Federal Poverty Line (2026) | |
| Your FPL % | — |
| Applicable Contribution % | — |
| Net Premiums After PTC | |
| Net Bronze / month | — |
| Net Silver / month (benchmark) | — |
| Net Gold / month | — |
| Best Annual Premium | — |
ACA Silver Loading is the practice where insurers load the cost of Cost-Sharing Reduction (CSR) subsidies onto Silver plan premiums after the federal government stopped reimbursing insurers for CSRs in 2017. This inflates benchmark Silver premiums (and therefore Premium Tax Credit subsidies), often making Bronze or Gold plans cheaper net-of-subsidy for non-CSR enrollees.
Why Silver Loading Happens
Cost-Sharing Reductions (CSRs) lower deductibles and out-of-pocket costs for enrollees under 250% FPL who choose Silver plans. The federal government stopped reimbursing insurers for these in October 2017. Insurers now load CSR costs entirely onto Silver plan premiums — 'Silver Loading.' Because Premium Tax Credit subsidies are tied to the second-lowest-cost Silver plan, this inflates subsidies for everyone, often making Bronze or Gold plans cheaper net-of-subsidy (source: kff.org).
Who Benefits and Who Loses
Above 250% FPL, you do not receive CSRs and Silver Loading often makes Gold plans (broader coverage) cheaper than Silver. Below 250% FPL, sticky CSR rules make Silver still the dominant choice. The biggest beneficiaries: middle-income earners who can pick Bronze + HSA or Gold + low deductible at little incremental cost.
OBBB Permanent Premium Tax Credit Expansion
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21, July 4, 2025) made permanent the ARPA premium tax credit expansion — removing the 400% FPL subsidy cliff and capping premiums at 8.5% of MAGI even for higher earners. This protects Silver Loading dynamics for the foreseeable future and removes 'subsidy cliff' anxiety for enrollees just over 400% FPL.
Last updated May 2026. Sources: KFF Silver Loading, HealthCare.gov.