Resources

Our data sources

Every premium and affordability figure in a proposal is built from public government data. Here's exactly what we use and what we use it for.

CMS Exchange Public Use Files

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

The Marketplace public use files published by CMS for each plan year, downloaded from download.cms.gov/marketplace-puf:

  • Rate PUF: monthly premiums by plan, rating area, age, and tobacco use.
  • Plan Attributes PUF: plans, issuers, and metal levels (bronze, silver, gold, ...).
  • Service Area PUF: the counties and ZIP codes where each plan is offered.

Used for: finding the plans available to each employee and the lowest-cost silver premium for their age and location, in HealthCare.gov states.

CMS Marketplace public use files

State geographic rating areas

CMS Center for Consumer Information & Insurance Oversight (CCIIO)

Each state's official definition of its individual-market rating areas, by county or by 3-digit ZIP code.

Used for: placing each employee in the correct rating area, which determines the premiums that apply to them.

CMS state geographic rating areas

Affordability rules and safe harbors

Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

  • Affordability percentage: 9.96% for 2026 (Rev. Proc. 2025-25) and 10.22% for 2027 (Rev. Proc. 2026-26).
  • ICHRA regulations and IRS safe-harbor guidance: the affordability test, the rate of pay, W-2, and federal poverty line safe harbors, and the ICHRA location safe harbor.
  • HHS poverty guidelines: the federal poverty line used by the FPL safe harbor.

Used for: the affordability test and the allowance recommendations.

IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-25 (PDF)
IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-26 (PDF)
ICHRA final regulations (Federal Register)
IRS employer shared responsibility Q&A
HHS poverty guidelines

CMS Marketplace API

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)

The public Marketplace API that powers plan lookups on HealthCare.gov.

Used for: validation and spot-checks: comparing sample results from our imported data with CMS's own plan and premium lookups.

CMS Marketplace API

How often it's updated

Plan and premium data is refreshed each plan year when CMS publishes it, and again when CMS publishes updates. Affordability percentages and poverty guidelines are updated when the IRS and HHS publish new figures. Each proposal shows the plan year it's based on.

Where it applies

The CMS public use files cover states that use HealthCare.gov. States that run their own exchange, such as Minnesota (MNsure), publish plan data separately; support for those states is planned for a later release.

Important

Figures produced by Choice Arrangement Deck are estimates based on public data and the census information you provide. Actual plan availability, premiums, and eligibility are determined by the Marketplace and insurers, and public data files can contain errors or change after publication.

Nothing on this site or in a proposal is tax, legal, or insurance advice. Choice Arrangement Deck is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by CMS, HHS, HUD, the IRS, the U.S. Census Bureau, or any other government agency.

Questions about the data?

Ask us how a specific figure is calculated, or request early access to try it yourself.

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