ICHRA savings in Mississippi
11 Mississippi counties price individual coverage below small group. Employers there save up to $204 per employee per year.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · plan-year 2026, lowest-cost silver (age 50), same year both markets.
Top Mississippi counties by savings
Monthly benchmark premiums: individual vs small group, 2026 plan year.
| County | Individual /mo | Small group /mo | You save | Annual / employee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Benton County | $730 | $747 | 2.3% | $204 |
| Itawamba County | $730 | $747 | 2.3% | $204 |
| Lee County | $730 | $747 | 2.3% | $204 |
| Pontotoc County | $730 | $747 | 2.3% | $204 |
| Tippah County | $730 | $747 | 2.3% | $204 |
| Union County | $730 | $747 | 2.3% | $204 |
| George County | $756 | $760 | 0.5% | $49 |
| Hancock County | $756 | $760 | 0.5% | $49 |
| Harrison County | $756 | $760 | 0.5% | $49 |
| Jackson County | $756 | $760 | 0.5% | $49 |
| Stone County | $756 | $760 | 0.5% | $49 |
The Mississippi picture
Mississippi is the plainest case in our dataset for waiting, and it's worth saying so directly. On 2026 silver-plan data only 11 counties qualify at all, the widest estimated gap — Benton County — is just $17 per employee per month, about 2.3%, and no county comes anywhere near $200. When the individual and small-group markets price this close together, a savings-driven ICHRA rarely pencils this plan year. Separately, insurers have filed a proposed average individual-market increase of 21.8% for 2027 — news to monitor, and not a factor in any of these estimates.
If a vendor is promising a Mississippi employer large ICHRA savings on 2026 rates, the county data doesn't support it: even Benton County's estimated gap wouldn't cover a payroll rounding error, and the other 10 qualifying counties show less. That doesn't make an ICHRA useless here — some employers adopt one to offer benefits for the first time or to cap a volatile budget — but the honest framing is that the savings case is thin statewide this plan year. A free county-by-county analysis will confirm where your specific workforce lands.
Mississippi ICHRA FAQs
How much can employers save with an ICHRA in Mississippi?
Across 11 qualifying Mississippi counties, the 2026 gap between small-group and individual silver coverage averages 1% — up to $204 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 Mississippi county has the biggest ICHRA savings?
Benton County currently shows the widest 2026 spread in Mississippi: individual $730/mo vs small group $747/mo — about 2.3% ($204/employee/year, estimated).
Does every Mississippi county qualify for ICHRA savings?
No. Only counties where the individual market prices below small group make the list — 11 in Mississippi 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 Mississippi 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.
Should a Mississippi employer bother running an ICHRA analysis if the estimated savings are close to zero?
Yes, but with realistic expectations. On 2026 data the estimated gaps in Mississippi are near zero — Benton County leads at about $17 per employee per month — so an analysis is more likely to confirm that a savings-driven switch doesn't pencil than to uncover a hidden windfall. The value is in knowing that with certainty, county by county, and in establishing a baseline: plan-year data resets annually, and the proposed 21.8% individual-market increase filed for 2027 means next year's picture could look different in either direction.
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