ICHRA savings in Michigan
3 Michigan counties price individual coverage below small group. Employers there save up to $97 per employee per year.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · plan-year 2026, lowest-cost silver (age 50), same year both markets.
Top Michigan counties by savings
Monthly benchmark premiums: individual vs small group, 2026 plan year.
| County | Individual /mo | Small group /mo | You save | Annual / employee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Calhoun County | $546 | $554 | 1.5% | $97 |
| Kalamazoo County | $546 | $554 | 1.5% | $97 |
| St. Joseph County | $617 | $621 | 0.5% | $41 |
The Michigan picture
Michigan's individual market is competitive enough that it nearly matches small group on our published benchmark: comparing the lowest-cost silver plan at age 50 for the 2026 plan year, just three counties qualify, and the widest estimated gap — Calhoun County, around Battle Creek — is only about $8 per employee per month, or 1.5%. On the silver benchmark, then, a savings-driven ICHRA rarely pencils in Michigan in 2026, though the picture differs on other metal tiers, where bronze-plan gaps run considerably larger. Insurers have filed for a proposed average 14.2% individual-market increase in 2027, a filing under review that has no bearing on these figures.
For a Grand Rapids furniture maker or a Detroit-area supplier, the honest read on 2026 silver-benchmark data is that premium arbitrage alone will not justify the switch — the county estimator will show you the exact number for your location. That said, Michigan employers whose teams would lean toward bronze plans, who want a hard cap on annual benefits spend, or who run payroll across the Ohio or Indiana line may still find the ICHRA structure does work the benchmark comparison cannot capture.
Michigan ICHRA FAQs
How much can employers save with an ICHRA in Michigan?
Across 3 qualifying Michigan counties, the 2026 gap between small-group and individual silver coverage averages 1% — up to $97 per employee per year in the strongest county. Figures are plan-year-2026 estimates (lowest-cost silver, age 50, same year both markets), not quotes.
Which Michigan county has the biggest ICHRA savings?
Calhoun County currently shows the widest 2026 spread in Michigan: individual $546/mo vs small group $554/mo — about 1.5% ($97/employee/year, estimated).
Does every Michigan county qualify for ICHRA savings?
No. Only counties where the individual market prices below small group make the list — 3 in Michigan for plan year 2026. In other counties a savings-driven ICHRA usually is not the right move, and an analysis will say so.
Where does this Michigan data come from?
Individual-market premiums come from the CMS Marketplace Public Use Files and small-group benchmarks from Ideon — lowest-cost silver plan, age 50, same county and same plan year (2026) on both sides.
If Michigan's silver-plan gap is nearly zero, why do some ICHRA projections for Michigan employers show real savings?
It usually comes down to which plans are being compared. Our published benchmark uses the lowest-cost silver plan at age 50 for the 2026 plan year on both the individual and small-group sides, and on that basis Michigan's estimated gaps are small — about $8 per employee per month in Calhoun County at the widest. Michigan's individual market is competitive at the bronze tier, where estimated gaps are much larger, so projections built on bronze-plan adoption can look very different. Both views are estimates; what your workforce would actually choose determines the real outcome.
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