Short answer. Estimate your 2027 household income, find it as a percentage of the 2026 poverty guideline, and use the IRS 2027 table to get your expected contribution. Your tax credit is roughly the second-lowest-cost silver plan's premium minus that contribution. Subtract the credit from each plan's premium, then add the plan's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum to see a full-year range.
Step 1: Estimate your 2027 household income
HealthCare.gov says savings are based on your expected income for the year of coverage. Start with this year's income and adjust for anything you know is changing: a new job, fewer hours, a raise, a household member moving in or out.
Step 2: Turn it into a percentage of the poverty line
For 2027 coverage, the 2026 poverty guidelines apply. HealthCare.gov lists $15,960 for one person, $21,640 for two, $27,320 for three and $33,000 for four (higher in Alaska and Hawaii). Divide your income by the figure for your household size.
Step 3: Find your expected contribution
Rev. Proc. 2026-26 sets the 2027 table. Your expected contribution is a percentage of income that rises from 2.15% (under 133% of the poverty line) to 10.22% (300% to 400%). The general rule for the credit is household income from 100% to 400% of the poverty line; the period when the 400% limit was set aside covered only 2021 through 2025.
Step 4: Work out the credit and your premium for each plan
The IRS says the credit is generally the premium for the second-lowest-cost silver plan available to you, minus a set percentage of your income, and it can't be more than the premium you pay. So:
- Credit = benchmark silver premium − your expected contribution.
- Your monthly premium for any plan = that plan's premium − the credit (not below zero).
The Marketplace shows these numbers when you apply. Working them out first lets you check that they make sense.
Step 5: Add what you'd pay when you use care
Look at each plan's deductible, copays and coinsurance, and its out-of-pocket maximum. HealthCare.gov sets the 2027 limit for Marketplace plans at $12,000 for one person and $24,000 for a family; many plans set lower ones. Premiums, care the plan doesn't cover and out-of-network care don't count toward it. A simple range for the year is: premiums alone (low end) to premiums plus the out-of-pocket maximum (high end).
Step 6: Plan for tax time
The credit you get in advance is settled on your tax return. The IRS says "there is no repayment cap for tax years after 2025," so if your income comes in higher than you estimated, you repay the full difference. Report income and household changes to the Marketplace as they happen, which the IRS says reduces the chance of a large gap.
New Jersey and other dates
New Jersey uses Get Covered New Jersey. The Department of Banking and Insurance says 2027 open enrollment runs November 1 through January 31, 2027, and that New Jersey Health Plan Savings, the state's own help, reaches household incomes up to 600% of the poverty level. The call center is 1-833-677-1010, and free navigators help in more than 10 languages. On HealthCare.gov, open enrollment runs November 1 to January 15, and enrolling by December 15 starts coverage January 1.
Example: one person, two plans (hypothetical premiums)
Expected 2027 income $40,000, household of one. That's 250% of $15,960. The 2027 table gives 8.66%, so the expected contribution is $3,464 a year, about $288.67 a month.
Say the benchmark silver plan is $600 a month. The credit would be about $311.33 a month.
- Plan A (bronze, $430 premium, $10,000 out-of-pocket max): about $118.67 a month after the credit. Year range: $1,424.04 to $11,424.04.
- Plan B (silver, $560 premium, $6,000 out-of-pocket max): about $248.67 a month. Year range: $2,984.04 to $8,984.04.
Plan A costs less if you use little care; Plan B caps a bad year lower. Premiums and limits here are invented; New Jersey Health Plan Savings could lower premiums further for eligible residents.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov: Keep or change your plan for 2027
- HealthCare.gov: Federal poverty level (2026 figures)
- IRS: Rev. Proc. 2026-26 (2027 applicable percentage table)
- IRS: Questions and answers on the premium tax credit (updated Sept. 21, 2026)
- HealthCare.gov: Out-of-pocket maximum/limit
- NJ Department of Banking and Insurance: Get Covered New Jersey open enrollment (Oct. 28, 2026)
Common questions
Is there an income limit for the premium tax credit in 2027?
The general rule is household income from 100% to 400% of the poverty line. The years when the 400% limit didn't apply were 2021 through 2025. New Jersey's own Health Plan Savings reaches up to 600%.
Which poverty guidelines are used for 2027 coverage?
The 2026 guidelines, for example $15,960 for one person in the 48 contiguous states and DC, as listed on HealthCare.gov.
Do my premiums count toward the out-of-pocket maximum?
No. HealthCare.gov says premiums, services the plan doesn't cover and out-of-network care don't count toward it.
What if my income ends up higher than I estimated?
You settle the credit on your tax return, and the IRS says there's no repayment cap for tax years after 2025. Report changes to the Marketplace during the year.
When is open enrollment for 2027 in New Jersey?
Get Covered New Jersey's open enrollment runs November 1 through January 31, 2027, according to the NJ Department of Banking and Insurance.
Related guides
- Medicaid work requirements in New Jersey: what to track from January 2027
- Got a surprise medical bill? What the No Surprises Act covers
- Side income: how to set aside money for taxes on gig work
This guide is general information, checked November 2026 against the official pages listed in Sources. It is not tax, insurance or financial advice, and MCC Solutions is not a Marketplace, insurer or navigator. Your actual credit is set when you apply and settled on your tax return.