What Plans Do ICHRA Employees Choose?

What the data shows

When ICHRA and QSEHRA employees shop the individual market, they lean toward richer coverage: 35% chose Gold, 33.7% Silver, and 27.2% Bronze for 2025, with small shares in Platinum, Medicare, and catastrophic plans (HRA Council, 2024–2025). Nearly seven in ten picked Gold or Silver.

Metal tiers explained

ACA plans come in tiers that trade premium for out-of-pocket cost.

• Bronze: lowest premium, highest out-of-pocket — good for the healthy or budget-focused.
• Silver: moderate premium and costs; the tier used for affordability benchmarks.
• Gold: higher premium, lower out-of-pocket — good for regular care.
• Platinum: highest premium, lowest out-of-pocket.

Why so many choose Gold and Silver

Given a defined allowance, employees often use it to buy up to coverage that better fits their real needs, rather than pocketing the difference with a bare-bones plan. The result is a population that''s better insured than the ''everyone picks the cheapest plan'' assumption predicts.

Bronze and HSA-eligible plans

More than a quarter of enrollees still choose Bronze, often to pair a low premium with an HSA-eligible high-deductible plan and save pre-tax for medical costs. That''s a smart strategy for healthier employees who want tax-advantaged savings alongside coverage.

How the allowance shapes plan choice

The allowance you set influences what employees can comfortably afford. A more generous allowance makes Gold and Silver plans reachable; a tighter one nudges toward Bronze. Setting the allowance is effectively setting the floor for the coverage your team can access.

Plan selection by age

Choices shift with age and health needs. Younger employees more often opt for lower-premium Bronze plans, while those with families or ongoing care needs lean toward Gold and Silver. ICHRA''s flexibility lets each person match the plan to their situation — something a single group plan can''t do.

Medicare-eligible employees

Employees who are Medicare-eligible can use an ICHRA toward Medicare coverage, and a small share select Medicare managed-care plans. Some also choose Gold or Bronze individual plans for themselves or dependents, depending on their needs.

What this means for employers

Two takeaways: employees generally use the freedom responsibly, and the allowance is your main lever. If you want your team in richer coverage, fund accordingly; if you''re optimizing cost, a modest allowance still lets employees choose sensibly. Either way, you''re not forcing one plan on everyone.

Helping employees choose well

Plan choice is where employees most want guidance. A broker or platform that helps them compare networks, drug coverage, and total costs turns a potentially confusing decision into a confident one — and improves satisfaction with the benefit.

About this data

Plan-selection figures come from the HRA Council''s Growth Trends for ICHRA & QSEHRA, Vol. 4 (2024–2025), a conservative members-only sample. They describe market behavior, not a guarantee for any employer. This is general information, not advice.