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

North Carolina'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:

- **1,046 ACA medical marketplace plans are offered in North Carolina 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 North Carolina (2026): Silver 518, Expanded Bronze 324, Gold 196, Bronze 8** — 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 North Carolina (2026): HMO 506, EPO 405, POS 90, PPO 45** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **332 of 1,046 medical plans in North Carolina are HSA-eligible (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **1,046 of 1,046 medical plans in North Carolina require no specialist referral (2026)** — RECORDED · CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026 plan year) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **56 standalone dental plans are offered in North Carolina 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 North Carolina for a 40-year-old (before tax credits): Silver median $758/mo** — DERIVED · CMS Marketplace Rate Public Use File (atlas-aggregated per tier) (https://www.cms.gov/marketplace/resources/data/public-use-files)
- **What the North Carolina 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 North Carolina (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/nc.jsonld` · anatomy of the research object: see /commons/the-research-object

**North Carolina — every coverage indicator (typed)** (11): Medical plans offered — 1046 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); Medical issuers — 6 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026); HSA-eligible medical plans — 332 — RECORDED — CMS ACA Plan Attributes PUF (2026)…
**North Carolina — medical plans by CMS metal level (RECORDED)** (4): Silver — 518; Expanded Bronze — 324; Gold — 196…
**North Carolina — medical plans by CMS plan type (RECORDED)** (4): HMO — 506; EPO — 405; POS — 90…
**North Carolina — medical plans by market coverage (RECORDED)** (1): Individual — 1102…
**North Carolina — sticker ACA premiums by metal tier (40yo, pre-subsidy, DERIVED)** (3): Bronze — 381 — 597 — 530 — 674 — 420 — 907; Silver — 343 — 758 — 665 — 869 — 540 — 1128; Gold — 220 — 847 — 702 — 912 — 558 — 1345…
**North Carolina — issuers present on the marketplace (RECORDED)** (13): Ambetter of North Carolina; AmeriHealth Caritas Next; BEST Life…