# Atlas Commons research objects — ACA marketplace coverage for Alabama (2026) — context brief

Alabama's ACA marketplace coverage from the CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF, with each figure's epistemic status labeled: every plan count — medical plans, standalone dental plans, and breakdowns by metal level, plan type, HSA-eligibility, and referral requirement — is a measured census of plans offered (counts of rows in the CMS file, all labeled RECORDED); the sticker premium landscape by metal tier (40yo, pre-subsidy) is a recorded set of published CMS Rate PUF rates, with the subsidy note labeled CONTEXT; the boundary note is context (labeled CONTEXT) — these count plans offered and their sticker price, not enrollment, the insured rate, or net cost after subsidies. Sources: CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF, CMS Marketplace Rate PUF. CC0.

Claims (warrant · source), each re-fetchable to verify:

- **291 ACA medical marketplace plans are offered in Alabama for plan year 2026** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **Medical plan counts by CMS metal level in Alabama (2026): Silver 151, Expanded Bronze 66, Gold 66, Bronze 4** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **Medical plan counts by CMS plan type in Alabama (2026): EPO 230, PPO 61** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **72 of 291 medical plans in Alabama are HSA-eligible (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **237 of 291 medical plans in Alabama require no specialist referral (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **46 standalone dental plans are offered in Alabama for plan year 2026** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **STICKER ACA premiums in Alabama for a 40-year-old (before tax credits): Silver median $653/mo** — DERIVED · CMS Marketplace Rate Public Use File (atlas-aggregated per tier) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **What the Alabama premiums mean — sticker, not your price** — INTERPRETATION · Coverage Atlas framing (over the CMS Rate PUF figures above) (https://coverage-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/)
- **What these coverage figures are — and are NOT — for Alabama (the epistemic boundary)** — INTERPRETATION · Coverage Atlas framing (over the CMS facts above) (https://coverage-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/)

Do not take these on trust — re-fetch each named source. Full structured object: `https://coverage-atlas.ryanjhunter.workers.dev/coverage/states/al.jsonld` · anatomy of the research object: see /commons/the-research-object

**Alabama — every coverage indicator (typed)** (11): Medical plans offered — 291 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); Medical issuers — 4 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); HSA-eligible medical plans — 72 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026)…
**Alabama — medical plans by CMS metal level (RECORDED)** (6): Silver — 151; Expanded Bronze — 66; Gold — 66…
**Alabama — medical plans by CMS plan type (RECORDED)** (2): EPO — 230; PPO — 61…
**Alabama — medical plans by market coverage (RECORDED)** (2): Individual — 322; SHOP (Small Group) — 15…
**Alabama — sticker ACA premiums by metal tier (40yo, pre-subsidy, DERIVED)** (5): Catastrophic — 13 — 417 — 400 — 433 — 381 — 437; Bronze — 213 — 475 — 388 — 546 — 288 — 736; Silver — 303 — 653 — 445 — 708 — 367 — 1124…
**Alabama — issuers present on the marketplace (RECORDED)** (11): Ambetter of Alabama; BEST Life; Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama…