ICHRA savings in North Dakota
2 North Dakota counties price individual coverage below small group. Employers there save up to $160 per employee per year.
Last updated: August 16, 2026 · plan-year 2026, lowest-cost silver (age 50), same year both markets.
Top North Dakota counties by savings
Monthly benchmark premiums: individual vs small group, 2026 plan year.
| County | Individual /mo | Small group /mo | You save | Annual / employee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burleigh County | $510 | $523 | 2.6% | $160 |
| Morton County | $510 | $523 | 2.6% | $160 |
The North Dakota picture
Two counties qualify in North Dakota on 2026 silver-plan data, and even the wider of the two gaps is thin: Burleigh County, around Bismarck, shows an estimated $13 per employee per month, about 2.6% below comparable small-group coverage. That is close enough to parity that premium savings alone rarely justify an ICHRA in North Dakota in 2026 — a conclusion the data supports and we would rather state plainly than bury. Insurers have filed for a proposed average individual-market increase of 19.2% in 2027; that filing is context for watchers of the market, not a component of any estimate here.
A Bismarck employer running the numbers should expect the county estimator to confirm a narrow spread, and outside Burleigh and one other county the benchmark comparison does not qualify at all. Where North Dakota employers do find ICHRA traction is operational: energy and agriculture businesses with crews spread across county and state lines can fund one defined contribution everywhere they operate, and a fixed monthly benefit replaces the group-renewal cycle — reasons that stand on their own even when the 2026 savings estimate is close to zero.
North Dakota ICHRA FAQs
How much can employers save with an ICHRA in North Dakota?
Across 2 qualifying North Dakota counties, the 2026 gap between small-group and individual silver coverage averages 3% — up to $160 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 North Dakota county has the biggest ICHRA savings?
Burleigh County currently shows the widest 2026 spread in North Dakota: individual $510/mo vs small group $523/mo — about 2.6% ($160/employee/year, estimated).
Does every North Dakota county qualify for ICHRA savings?
No. Only counties where the individual market prices below small group make the list — 2 in North Dakota 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 North Dakota 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.
Only two North Dakota counties qualify for ICHRA savings — what about employers in Fargo or the rest of the state?
Qualifying here means the county's lowest-cost individual-market silver plan priced below comparable small-group coverage on 2026 data at age 50 — and in most of North Dakota it did not, or the margin was negligible. Employers in Cass County and elsewhere can still adopt an ICHRA; there is no county restriction on the arrangement itself, only on where the 2026 benchmark shows an estimated premium advantage. For most North Dakota employers, the case in 2026 rests on budget control and multi-state flexibility rather than premium savings, and the county estimator gives the exact local answer.
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