Medical Expense✓ Verified · outline & fact-checked · Sep 2026Difficulty 2/5
Cost Sharing Reductions (CSRs) under the ACA are available to eligible consumers with household income between:
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Answer & full 3-part explanation (select an option above, or peek)
Why C is correct
Cost Sharing Reductions (CSRs) lower the out-of-pocket costs, such as deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance, for eligible consumers with household income between 138 percent and 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level who enroll in a Silver plan through the exchange. Below 138 percent of FPL, consumers generally qualify for Medi-Cal. CSRs are layered on top of the Silver plan and do not apply to bronze or gold plans.
Why the other options are wrong
- A) Consumers below 138 percent of FPL generally qualify for Medi-Cal rather than for cost-sharing reductions on an exchange plan.
- B) The CSR band stops at 250 percent of FPL; consumers above 250 percent receive only premium subsidies, not cost-sharing reductions.
- D) The 266 percent to 400 percent range is not a CSR tier; 266 percent is the Medi-Cal threshold for children and 400 percent is the APTC ceiling.
Memory hook
CSR lives in the 138-250 band on Silver. Below it: Medi-Cal. Above it: no CSR, just premium help.