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

Iowa'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:

- **601 ACA medical marketplace plans are offered in Iowa 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 Iowa (2026): Silver 287, Expanded Bronze 164, Gold 144, Catastrophic 6** — 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 Iowa (2026): EPO 358, HMO 185, PPO 58** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **170 of 601 medical plans in Iowa are HSA-eligible (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **601 of 601 medical plans in Iowa require no specialist referral (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **22 standalone dental plans are offered in Iowa 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 Iowa for a 40-year-old (before tax credits): Silver median $559/mo** — DERIVED · CMS Marketplace Rate Public Use File (atlas-aggregated per tier) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **What the Iowa 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 Iowa (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/ia.jsonld` · anatomy of the research object: see /commons/the-research-object

**Iowa — every coverage indicator (typed)** (11): Medical plans offered — 601 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); Medical issuers — 6 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); HSA-eligible medical plans — 170 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026)…
**Iowa — medical plans by CMS metal level (RECORDED)** (4): Silver — 287; Expanded Bronze — 164; Gold — 144…
**Iowa — medical plans by CMS plan type (RECORDED)** (3): EPO — 358; HMO — 185; PPO — 58…
**Iowa — medical plans by market coverage (RECORDED)** (1): Individual — 623…
**Iowa — sticker ACA premiums by metal tier (40yo, pre-subsidy, DERIVED)** (4): Catastrophic — 16 — 356 — 320 — 370 — 300 — 414; Bronze — 188 — 420 — 376 — 467 — 338 — 731; Silver — 182 — 559 — 494 — 638 — 452 — 1069…
**Iowa — issuers present on the marketplace (RECORDED)** (9): Ambetter Health; Avera Health Plans; BEST Life…