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INDIVIDUAL & FAMILY

Gold, Silver and Bronze Metal Tiers

Metal tiers are the levels of Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance plans. Each metallic level determines how costs are split between you and your plan. BCBSTX has Gold, Silver and Bronze options for all individual and family plans.

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Overview

What are health insurance plans' metallic levels?

The metallic levels, sometimes called the metal tiers, are different categories of ACA coverage. The tiers help sort plans by how you and BCBSIL split your costs for care. With this guide, find:

  • How the Gold, Silver and Bronze level plans differ
  • Where you can go to understand more about each tier level
  • How you can find out which tier might be best for you
  • Resources that could help lower your cost of health care

Understanding Metallic Levels

How do the metal tiers work?

When you're shopping for a health insurance plan, you'll find different plans with different levels. For example, you could see a Blue Advantage HMO℠ plan offered at Gold, Silver and Bronze levels. The metallic levels are offered to help manage plan and care costs, like premiums, deductible, copay and coinsurance.

Metallic levels don't determine the services or prescriptions covered by a plan, but they do impact how much you'll pay for those services, prescriptions and your monthly premium.

Young man looking at phone.

Bronze Level

Bronze Plan health Insurance: Lower Monthly Costs

Maybe you don't take any prescription medicine, or you typically only visit the doctor once or twice a year. If you're not planning on needing much care, Bronze level plan premiums could offer your most affordable health care option when it comes to monthly premium payments. You can expect BCBSTX to cover roughly 60% of health care bills while you cover 40%.

Understand Bronze Level
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Silver Level

Silver Plan Health Insurance: Balanced Plan and Care Costs

With middle-of-the-road monthly premiums and covered health care costs, the Silver plan tier offers a balanced approach to your plan's costs. You can expect BCBSTX to cover about 70% of health care bills while you cover 30%. If you're eligible for cost-sharing reductions, you'll need to choose a Silver level plan to apply them.

Understand Silver Level
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Gold Level

Gold Plan Health Insurance: Save When You Need Care

Prescriptions, specialist appointments, frequent doctor visits — by paying a higher monthly premium, Gold plans will cover more of your bill when you need health care. You can expect BCBSTX to cover roughly 80% of health care bills while you cover 20%.

Understand Gold Level

How do I know if a Gold, Silver or Bronze plan is right for me?

The metallic level that's right for you depends on your budget and your expected health care needs. Compare how each plan stacks up in terms of monthly costs, costs for care and when each plan might be right for you:

 

Bronze Level

Silver Level

Gold Level

Premium Costs

LowestMiddle-of-the-roadHighest

Your Cost for Care

HighestMiddle-of-the-roadLowest

Might be best if you:

Are generally healthy, don't need a lot of health care and don't have dependents.Visit the doctor once or twice a year and want a balance betwen monthly costs and care costs.Have a lot of health care concerns like a chronic condition, or are planning on growing your family.

Affordable Care

Lowering Your Cost of Care

Staying covered is important. Even if your plan costs change in 2026, you may still have ways to make your health care more affordable. Learn how using in-network care, taking advantage of preventive care and opting in to wellness programs could help you save.

Learn How

FAQs: Health Insurance Metallic Levels

Learn more about the health insurance metallic levels and how you can choose the one that fits your needs.