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North Carolina · 2026 plan year

Gold health insurance plans in North Carolina (2026)

There are 49 Gold plans on the North Carolina Marketplace from 6 insurers, and they are not interchangeable — premiums run from $437 to $833 a month for the same metal tier. Here is what separates them.

49
Gold plans
6
Insurers
100
Counties covered
$437
Cheapest premium
$2,000
Median deductible
These are benchmark premiums, not your price. Every dollar figure here is the individual rate at age 21 for a non-tobacco user, before any premium tax credit — the standard way plans are compared like for like. What you actually pay depends on your age, county, household and income. Estimate your real cost.

One carrier files 61% of North Carolina's Gold plans.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC accounts for 30 of the 49 Gold plans in North Carolina. A long plan list can look like a wide choice while most of it resolves to one network and one formulary — worth knowing before you treat plan count as a measure of competition.

North Carolina Gold premiums rank 17th cheapest of 35.

Averaged across all 49 plans, Gold coverage in North Carolina costs $558 a month before subsidies — 17th lowest of the 35 states with federal-marketplace data. Premiums vary far more by county and age than this single number suggests.

Metal tiers describe roughly what share of covered costs a plan pays, not the quality of its care or network. How the metal tiers actually differ walks through the trade, and how ACA subsidies work explains why the prices below are rarely what anyone pays.

Cost

What a Gold plan costs in North Carolina in 2026

Across all 49 Gold plans in North Carolina, monthly premiums run from $437 to $833, averaging $558. Those are age-21, non-tobacco rates before any subsidy — the basis every figure on this page uses, and rarely what anyone actually pays. Premium tax credits cut that bill for most North Carolina enrollees, often to a fraction of the sticker price.

Deductibles

Gold plan deductibles in North Carolina

Gold deductibles in North Carolina run from $750 to $2,000, with a median of $2,000 across the 33 plans with one combined deductible — the amount you pay yourself before the plan starts sharing most costs. The median is the closest thing to a typical plan; the mean sits at $1,808 because the spread is not symmetric. The other 16 set a separate deductible for prescription drugs, so their medical deductible alone would understate what you pay; they are left out of these figures, and the table below shows both deductibles where a plan has two. No single figure is a quote — the table below shows the real deductible on each of the cheapest plans, and the insurer breakdown shows how the range splits by carrier.

Out-of-pocket maximum

Gold out-of-pocket maximums in North Carolina

Individual out-of-pocket maximums on North Carolina Gold plans run from $7,500 to $10,600, with a median of $8,200. That is the ceiling on what a plan can make you pay in a year for covered in-network care — after you reach it, the plan pays 100% of covered services. It is the number that matters most in a bad year, and the top of the range here is set by the federal limit that applies to every Marketplace plan, not by the insurer.

Lowest premiums

The cheapest Gold plans in North Carolina

PlanPremium / mo (age 21, pre-subsidy)DeductibleOut-of-pocket max
Standard Gold with Atrium HealthAmbetter of North Carolina$437$2,000$8,200
Standard Gold with Atrium Health + Vision + Adult DentalAmbetter of North Carolina$452$2,000$8,200
Complete Gold with Atrium HealthAmbetter of North Carolina$457$1,450$7,500
Complete Gold with Atrium Health + Vision + Adult DentalAmbetter of North Carolina$472$1,450$7,500
AmeriHealth Caritas Next Gold Signature + No ReferralsAmeriHealth Caritas Next$477$2,000$8,200

Showing 5 of 49. See all North Carolina Gold plans →

Who sells here

Gold plans by insurer

InsurerGold plansCheapestTier averageDeductible range
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC30$480$561$2,000
Ambetter of North Carolina8$437$478$1,450–$2,000
UnitedHealthcare4$647$661$750–$2,000
Cigna Healthcare3$644$707$1,500–$2,000
AmeriHealth Caritas Next2$477$487$850–$2,000
Oscar Health Plan of North Carolina, Inc2$491$495$2,000
Other tiers in North Carolina

How Gold compares to the rest

Bronze
Avg $414 · from $329
83 plans
Silver
Avg $525 · from $423
74 plans
Gold
Avg $558 · from $437
49 plans · you are here

All North CarolinaMarketplace plans →

Nearby on price

States with similar Gold premiums

South Dakota
Avg $555
20 Gold plans
Louisiana
Avg $559
29 Gold plans
Arkansas
Avg $560
18 Gold plans
Common questions

North Carolina Gold plans, answered

What are the copays on North Carolina Gold plans?
Copays vary plan by plan rather than by tier — the metal level sets roughly what share of total care costs the plan covers, not the individual amounts. What the tier does bound is the rest of the cost-sharing: across the 49 Gold plans in North Carolina, out-of-pocket maximums run $7,500 to $10,600, and deductibles on the 33 plans with one combined deductible run $750 to $2,000. The other 16 set a separate deductible for prescription drugs and are not included in the deductible figures. Open any plan below to see its full cost-sharing schedule, including primary care, specialist and prescription tiers.
Who is eligible for a Gold plan in North Carolina?
Any North Carolina Marketplace shopper can choose Gold. It suits people who expect steady ongoing care, since the higher premium buys a much lower deductible — a median of $2,000 in this tier. If your income qualifies you for cost-sharing reductions, compare against Silver before deciding, since those only apply to Silver.
What is the deductible on North Carolina Gold plans?
Gold deductibles in North Carolina run from $750 to $2,000 across the 33 plans with one combined deductible, with a median of $2,000 — that median is the figure closest to a typical plan. The other 16 set a separate deductible for prescription drugs and are not included in the deductible figures. Out-of-pocket maximums run $7,500 to $10,600. The spread inside a single tier is wide, so two plans at a similar premium can differ by thousands in what you would actually pay during a year with significant care. Deductible is usually a better basis for comparison than premium alone.
Are Gold plans available in my North Carolina county?
Gold plans are sold in 100 North Carolina counties, from 6 insurers. Which specific plans you can buy depends on where you live — a plan offered in a metro county is often not sold in a rural one. Enter your ZIP code to narrow the list to plans actually available to you.
When can I enroll in a Marketplace plan in North Carolina?
North Carolina uses the federal Marketplace, so open enrollment runs November 1 to January 15. Outside that window you need a qualifying life event — losing job-based coverage, moving, marriage, or a birth — to open a special enrollment period. Cheapest Gold premiums in North Carolina start at $437 a month before any subsidy.

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