WASHINGTON

Coverage under President Barack Obama’s health care law won’t be cheap, but cost-conscious consumers hunting for lower premiums will have plenty of options, according to two independent private studies.

A study released Thursday by the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation found that government tax credits would lower the sticker price on a benchmark “silver” policy to a little over $190 a month for single people making about $29,000, regardless of their age.

By pairing their tax credit with a stripped-down “bronze” policy, younger consumers can bring their premiums down to $100 to $140 a month, while older people can drive their monthly cost well below $100 if they’re willing to chance higher deductibles and copays.

A separate study released Wednesday from Avalere Health, a private data analysis firm, took a wide-angle view, averaging the sticker prices of policies at different coverage levels.

Before tax credits that act like a discount, premiums for a 21-year-old buying a mid-range “silver” policy would be about $270 a month, the Avalere study found. List-price premiums for a 40-yearold buying a mid-range plan will average close to $330. For a 60-year-old, they were nearly double that at $615 a month.

Starting Oct. 1, those who don’t have health care coverage on the job can go to online insurance markets in their states to shop for a private plan and find out if they qualify for a tax credit. An estimated four of five consumers in the new markets will qualify for some tax credit.

Come Jan. 1, virtually all Americans will be required to have coverage or face fines. At the same time, insurance companies will no longer be able to turn away people in poor health.

The Obama administration, which is running the markets or taking the lead in 35 states, is not expected to release final premiums by the Oct. 1 launch date. But the two private studies provide an early look at the emerging market.

Caroline Pearson, lead author of the Avalere study, said it will be competitive, but there will be big price differences among age groups, states and even within states.

The bottom line is mixed: Many consumers will like their new options, particularly if they qualify for a tax credit. Others may stretch to afford coverage.

“We are seeing competitive offerings in every market if you buy toward the low end of what’s available,” said Pearson, a vice president of Avalere.

But for uninsured people paying nothing today, “this is still a big cost that they’re expected to fit into their budgets,” Pearson added.

The Kaiser study found that while premiums will vary significantly, they are coming in lower than forecast by the government’s own experts. It cautioned against comparing premiums under Obama’s law to what individually insured people currently pay, because the new coverage is more robust.

Avalere crunched the numbers on premiums filed by insurers in California, Connecticut, Indiana, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington and Washington, D.C. Kaiser analyzed those plus Colorado, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico and Oregon. Both studies included a mix of states running their own markets and ones in which the federal government will take charge.

The Avalere study also found some striking price differences within larger states.

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