Affordable Health Insurance Plans in 2026
- Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) offers the cheapest Bronze plan in about a dozen states.
- Molina has the cheapest Silver health insurance plan on average.
- Kaiser Permanente has the most affordable Gold plan.
Most affordable companies for health insurance
Kaiser Permanente, Molina and Oscar have the cheapest health insurance for most individuals and families, based on our LendingTree survey. Each charges less than $500 a month for Bronze plans and less than $600 a month for Silver plans.
Cheapest health insurance companies
| Company | Bronze | Silver | Gold | Platinum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $454 | $582 | $591 | $646 |
| Molina | $472 | $565 | $611 | $560 |
| Oscar | $473 | $599 | $611 | NA |
| Ambetter | $508 | $627 | $644 | $813 |
| BCBS | $528 | $717 | $750 | $1,285 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $536 | $734 | $736 | NA |
| Medica | $567 | $794 | $779 | NA |
| Cigna | $589 | $747 | $833 | NA |
Rates for a 30-year-old nonsmoker, not available (NA) for all plan tiers.
How do metal tiers work?
Silver is the most popular of the four metal tiers for most health care plans.
Bronze plans have cheaper premiums, or monthly rates. But they make you pay more on deductibles
Gold and Platinum plans have higher premiums than Silver, but lower out-of-pocket costs.
You can also get a Catastrophic plan if you’re under 30 or meet other qualifications. These have the lowest premiums, but they also require you to pay the most out of pocket.
Health care metal comparison
| Metal level | Premiums | Deductibles | Coinsurance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Low | High | Plan pays 60% |
| Silver | Moderate | Moderate | Plan pays 70% |
| Gold | High | Low | Plan pays 80% |
| Platinum | Highest | Lowest | Plan pays 90% |
Cheapest health insurance companies for Silver plans
At $565 a month, Molina is the cheapest company for Silver health insurance plans. Molina
Molina has an overall rating of 3.1 stars from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS). These ratings are based on factors like quality of care, how easy it is to get appointments and customer service. The ratings go up to five stars.
Cheap Silver health insurance plans
| Company | Monthly rate | CMS rating* |
|---|---|---|
| Molina | $565 | 3.1 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $582 | 5 |
| Oscar | $599 | 2.7 |
| Ambetter | $627 | 3.1 |
| BCBS | $717 | 3.5 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $734 | 2.8 |
| Cigna | $747 | 3.1 |
| Medica | $794 | 3.3 |
*Source: CMS overall rating. Rates are for a 30-year-old nonsmoker.
Your actual rate depends on factors like your location, age and family size. It’s good to compare health insurance quotes from a few companies to find the most affordable plan, though you can also go directly onto the government’s Health Insurance Marketplace website to look around at options.
Cheapest Bronze health care plans
Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest Bronze plans at $454 a month. Molina and Oscar have the next cheapest rates, at just over $470 a month each.
Of the three, Kaiser Permanente has the best overall CMS rating with 5 stars.
Kaiser Permanente
Cheap Bronze plans
| Company | Bronze | CMS rating* |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $454 | 5 |
| Molina | $472 | 3.1 |
| Oscar | $473 | 2.7 |
| Ambetter | $508 | 3.1 |
| BCBS | $528 | 3.5 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $536 | 2.8 |
| Medica | $567 | 3.3 |
| Cigna | $589 | 3.1 |
*Source: CMS overall rating. Rates are for a 30-year-old nonsmoker.
Cheap companies for Gold health insurance
Kaiser also has the cheapest average rate for Gold health care plans at $591 a month. If Kaiser is not in your area, Molina and Oscar may be your most affordable option, at $611 a month each.
Gold plans are good if you require ongoing care. They have higher premiums than Bronze and Silver plans, but lower deductibles and coinsurance requirements.
Cheapest Gold plans
| Company | Monthly rate | CMS rating* |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $591 | 5 |
| Molina | $611 | 3.1 |
| Oscar | $611 | 2.7 |
| Ambetter | $644 | 3.1 |
| BCBS | $750 | 3.5 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $736 | 2.8 |
| Medica | $779 | 3.3 |
| Cigna | $833 | 3.1 |
*Source: CMS overall rating. Rates are for a 30-year-old nonsmoker.
Cheapest health insurance companies by state
The cheapest health insurance company near you depends largely on where you live. Each state’s population has different health care needs, and the costs of care also vary by state.
BCBS
Cheapest Bronze plans by state
| State | Cheapest Bronze plans | Monthly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | UnitedHealthcare | $469 |
| Alaska | Moda Health | $688 |
| Arizona | Oscar | $425 |
| Arkansas | BCBS | $478 |
| California | LA Care | $357 |
| Colorado | Select Health | $432 |
| Connecticut | BCBS | $634 |
| Delaware | Ambetter | $582 |
| District of Columbia | BCBS | $541 |
| Florida | Community Care Plan / 22 Health | $531 |
| Georgia | Alliant Health Plans | $482 |
| Hawaii | Kaiser Permanente | $431 |
| Idaho | St. Luke’s Health Plan | $355 |
| Illinois | Oscar | $384 |
| Indiana | BCBS | $422 |
| Iowa | BCBS | $387 |
| Kansas | Oscar | $467 |
| Kentucky | Ambetter | $534 |
| Louisiana | CHRISTUS Health Plan | $479 |
| Maine | BCBS | $571 |
| Maryland | UnitedHealthcare | $303 |
| Massachusetts | WellSense | $396 |
| Michigan | Oscar | $372 |
| Minnesota | HealthPartners | $446 |
| Mississippi | Cigna | $598 |
| Missouri | Oscar | $481 |
| Montana | PacificSource | $533 |
| Nebraska | Ambetter | $646 |
| Nevada | Imperial Insurance Companies | $398 |
| New Hampshire | WellSense | $319 |
| New Jersey | Oscar | $464 |
| New Mexico | BCBS | $531 |
| New York | Ambetter | $558 |
| North Carolina | Ambetter | $533 |
| North Dakota | BCBS | $448 |
| Ohio | Antidote Health | $443 |
| Oklahoma | Oscar | $477 |
| Oregon | Kaiser Permanente | $476 |
| Pennsylvania | Jefferson Health Plans | $359 |
| Rhode Island | Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island | $373 |
| South Carolina | BCBS | $479 |
| South Dakota | BCBS | $536 |
| Tennessee | Alliant Health Plans | $508 |
| Texas | CHRISTUS Health Plan | $428 |
| Utah | Imperial Insurance Companies | $513 |
| Vermont | MVP Health Care | $841 |
| Virginia | Oscar | $362 |
| Washington | Community Health Plan of Washington | $358 |
| West Virginia | BCBS | $812 |
| Wisconsin | MercyCare Health Plans | $405 |
| Wyoming | BCBS | $847 |
Average of Bronze, Expanded Bronze and Bronze HDHP plans for a 40-year-old nonsmoker.
Cheapest Silver plans by state
BCBS has the cheapest Silver plans in eight states, including Alabama and Minnesota. Oscar is the cheapest company for Silver plans in seven states, including Arizona and New Jersey.
The company with the cheapest Silver plans in your state may be different from the one with the cheapest Bronze plans. For example, Christus Health Plan is the cheapest company for Silver plans in Texas. However, Sendero Health has Texas’ cheapest Bronze rates.
Cheapest companies for Silver plans
| State | Cheapest Company | Monthly Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Alabama | BCBS | $667 |
| Alaska | BCBS | $1,028 |
| Arizona | Oscar | $517 |
| Arkansas | BCBS | $783 |
| California | LA Care | $404 |
| Colorado | Kaiser Permanente | $536 |
| Connecticut | BCBS | $729 |
| Delaware | Ambetter | $719 |
| District of Columbia | Kaiser Permanente | $607 |
| Florida | Health First Commercial Plans, Inc. | $671 |
| Georgia | Alliant Health Plans | $612 |
| Hawaii | Kaiser Permanente | $545 |
| Idaho | Molina | $512 |
| Illinois | Molina | $530 |
| Indiana | BCBS | $480 |
| Iowa | Ambetter | $532 |
| Kansas | Oscar | $572 |
| Kentucky | Molina | $530 |
| Louisiana | Ambetter | $621 |
| Maine | BCBS | $743 |
| Maryland | UnitedHealthcare | $411 |
| Massachusetts | WellSense | $483 |
| Michigan | Oscar | $473 |
| Minnesota | BCBS | $515 |
| Mississippi | Oscar | $625 |
| Missouri | Oscar | $613 |
| Montana | Mountain Health CO-OP | $730 |
| Nebraska | Ambetter | $788 |
| Nevada | Imperial Insurance Companies | $502 |
| New Hampshire | WellSense | $389 |
| New Jersey | Oscar | $559 |
| New Mexico | Molina | $620 |
| New York | Ambetter | $750 |
| North Carolina | Ambetter | $662 |
| North Dakota | Sanford Health Plan | $618 |
| Ohio | SummaCare | $530 |
| Oklahoma | Oscar | $591 |
| Oregon | Kaiser Permanente | $545 |
| Pennsylvania | Jefferson Health Plans | $530 |
| Rhode Island | Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island | $498 |
| South Carolina | Molina | $584 |
| South Dakota | Avera Health Plans | $728 |
| Tennessee | Alliant Health Plans | $730 |
| Texas | Sendero Health Plans | $633 |
| Utah | Imperial Insurance Companies | $684 |
| Vermont | MVP Health Care | $1,128 |
| Virginia | Sentara Health Plans | $467 |
| Washington | Community Health Plan of Washington | $583 |
| West Virginia | CareSource | $1,091 |
| Wisconsin | MercyCare Health Plans | $547 |
| Wyoming | BCBS | $1,101 |
Average of Silver plan rates a 40-year-old nonsmoker.
How to get cheap health insurance
The Health Insurance Marketplace is a good resource in your search for cheap health insurance. Also known as “the Exchange,” the website has tools that show if you qualify for subsidies or other financial aid.
Federal subsidies can make health care more affordable with premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions.
- Premium tax credits: You have to make less than 400% of the federal poverty level to get a premium tax credit. You can use an advance on the tax credit to help pay your monthly premiums for any plan you buy on the exchange.
- Cost sharing reductions: You may be eligible for cost-sharing reductions if you make less than 250% of the federal poverty level. These help reduce your out of pocket expenses like deductibles. You can only use them with Silver plans you buy on the exchange.
If your state has its own health care exchange, the national exchange takes you to it. You can also use the exchange to apply for financial aid through Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Both help cover health care costs if your income is low enough or you meet other requirements.
You can find affordable health care off the exchange, but these plans may not provide as much coverage as exchange plans.
All plans sold on the exchange comply with the ACA. They can’t charge you more for having prior health issues, and they have to cover essential benefits
For example, non-compliant plans are allowed to factor your health history into your rates. They can deny you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition
Short-term insurance and health care sharing ministries
Methodology
LendingTree obtains health insurance rates from the Centers of Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and state marketplaces. These include CMS public use files (PUFs) for marketplace plans in every U.S. state and the District of Columbia.
Your actual rates will vary, based on plan availability, the costs of care in your area and other factors.