Best Health Insurance Companies in 2026
Kaiser Permanente, Molina and Blue Cross Blue Shield top our list this year
- Best overall: Kaiser Permanente — $582 a month (Silver)
- Fewest complaints: Molina — $565 a month (Silver)
- Best PPOs: Blue Cross Blue Shield — $771 a month (Silver)
- Best member experience: Medica and Oscar — both score a perfect 5.0 for member experience from CMS
- Most plan variety: Blue Cross Blue Shield — HMO, EPO, PPO and POS plans in every state
What are the best health insurance companies?
Kaiser Permanente, Molina, and Blue Cross Blue Shield are among our top health insurance picks for individuals and families. Our rankings consider more than price and customer complaints. We also evaluated member satisfaction, plan and metal-tier availability, and digital tools. Features such as provider search, premium payments, and claims management can shape the member experience throughout the year.
-
Kaiser Permanente
has affordable rates and excellent ratings from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS). -
Molina
has low rates and a good complaint score from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). -
Blue Cross Blue Shield
is the best choice for PPO (preferred provider organization) plans. Its large provider network makes it good for other plan types, too.
Best companies for health insurance
| Company | Monthly rate* | CMS overall rating
Ratings based on five-point scale. Higher is better.
| Complaint score
Source: NAIC Complaint Index 2025. Lower is better, 1.0 is average.
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $582 | 5.0 | 1.3 |
| Molina | $565 | 3.1 | 0.7 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $717 | 3.5 | 1.1 |
Best health insurance premiums: Kaiser and Molina
Kaiser Permanente and Molina have the best premiums
You can learn more about metal tiers choosing the right insurance plan below.
Monthly insurance rates by plan tier
| Company | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $454 | $582 | $591 |
| Molina | $472 | $565 | $611 |
| Oscar | $473 | $599 | $611 |
| Ambetter | $508 | $627 | $644 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $528 | $717 | $750 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $536 | $734 | $736 |
| Medica | $567 | $794 | $779 |
| Cigna | $589 | $747 | $833 |
Compare health insurance quotes from multiple companies when you shop. You can get quotes online from the exchange or health insurance company websites, or by contacting a health insurance agent for help.
Best overall health insurance company: Kaiser
Kaiser Permanente at a glance:
- $582 per month for a Silver plan ($454 Bronze, $591 Gold)
- CMS rating of 5.0 — the highest of any carrier
- NAIC complaint score 1.3
- 19% average in-network physician share
- Available in CA, CO, DC, GA, HI, MD, OR, VA, WA, and Washington D.C.
- Multiple deductible and copay options per metal tier
Pros
- Affordable premiums
- Excellent CMS ratings
- Wide selection of plans
Cons
- Only available in eight states and D.C.
- Smaller provider network than Blue Cross, Molina and others
CMS rates companies’ marketplace plans on factors like medical care
CMS health care company ratings
| Company | Overall | Medical care | Member experience | Plan administration |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | 5 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.9 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 3.5 | 3.3 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Medica | 3.3 | 2.8 | 5 | 3.8 |
| Molina | 3.1 | 2.8 | 4.8 | 3.7 |
| Ambetter | 3.1 | 2.6 | 4.9 | 3.9 |
| Cigna | 3.1 | 2.7 | 4.5 | 3.8 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 2.8 | 2.5 | 4.3 | 4 |
| Oscar | 2.7 | 2.3 | 5 | 4.1 |
Best health insurance complaint rating: Molina
Molina at a glance:
- $565 per month for a Silver plan — the cheapest Silver plan
- NAIC complaint score 0.7, meaning 30% fewer complaints than average
- CMS overall 3.1, member experience 4.8
- 35% average in-network physician share
- Available in CA, CT, FL, ID, IL, KY, MS, NM, NV, OH, SC, TX, UT and WA
PROS
- Best complaint rating among large companies
- Cheapest Silver plans
- Excellent CMS rating for member experience
CONS
- Only available in 14 states
- Plans usually only cover in-network care
A company with a 1.0 NAIC rating has the average number of complaints
Health insurance complaint scores
| Company | Complaint score
Source: NAIC Complaint Index, 2024. Lower is better.
|
|---|---|
| Molina | 0.7 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 1.1 |
| Kaiser Permanente | 1.3 |
| Oscar | 1.3 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 1.4 |
| Ambetter | 2.0 |
| Medica | 3.9 |
| Cigna | 4.2 |
Best PPO health insurance: Blue Cross Blue Shield
Blue Cross Blue Shield at a glance:
- $717 per month for a Silver plan
- CMS rating of 3.5
- NAIC complaint score 1.1
- 49% average in-network physician share — the largest of any carrier
- More than 30 member companies with plans in all 50 states
- The widest selection of PPO plans on the marketplace, plus HMO and other plan types
PROS
- Largest physician network
- Wide selection of plans to choose from
- Available in every state
CONS
- Higher premiums than Kaiser and Molina
- Lower CMS score than Kaiser
Blue Cross Blue Shield’s marketplace plan networks include more local doctors than its rivals, according to a study from policy research group KFF.
Doctor networks by company
| Company | Average share of in-network doctors |
|---|---|
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 49% |
| Oscar | 37% |
| Molina | 35% |
| Ambetter | 33% |
| Kaiser | 19% |
How to choose the best health insurance plan
Plans sold on the government’s marketplace website are offered in tiers named after metals. Outside the exchange, you can choose from both metal and non-metal plans.
When picking your tier, factor in the costs of each, including your deductible
The best plan tier for you depends on your medical needs and how affordable the health insurance is.
- A Bronze plan may be your best choice if you’re healthy and you don’t see doctors very often.
- Silver is the most popular metal tier for marketplace plans. They balance affordable premiums with moderate out-of-pocket costs.
- Gold plans have higher premiums and lower deductibles, but they’ll pay more after you hit your deductible and are worth considering if you need extra medical care.
- Platinum plans are the least popular metal. They have the highest premiums but lowest out-of-pocket costs.
You can also get a Catastrophic plan if you’re under 30 or you meet other requirements. These plans have the very cheapest premiums and highest out-of-pocket costs.
Health plan tiers at a glance
| Plan tier | Monthly premiums | Deductible | Your coinsurance* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | Low | High | 40% |
| Silver | Moderate | Moderate | 30% |
| Gold | High | Low | 20% |
| Platinum | Highest | Lowest | 10% |
Be sure to also consider these as you pick a health insurance plan:
- Copayments for covered doctor visits and other services, so you won’t have to pay the full cost out of pocket.
- Prescription drug cost limits, especially if you regularly take medications.
- Maximum out-of-pocket limits, which cap how much you pay in a given year (with some exceptions).
What is the best health care plan type?
Besides metal tiers, health care insurance companies offer different plan types, such as:
-
HMO
(health maintenance organization): The cheapest but with the most restrictions, only covering in-network care and needing a referral for specialist visits. -
EPO
(exclusive provider organization): Also only covering in-network care, but without needing specialist referrals. -
PPO
(preferred provider organization): Covering non-network care, with no need for specialist referrals. -
POS
(point of service): A mix of HMO and PPO, allowing out-of-network care at a higher price.
HMOs and EPOs are usually the best choices for saving money. You can check each plan’s provider network before you buy your policy to make sure your doctors and facilities are covered.
A PPO is a good choice if your favorite doctors are not in any of the HMO or EPO networks in your area. You may have to pay more for non-network care, but depending on your situation, this may be better than no non-network coverage at all.
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.
Physician network size information is from the KFF report “How Narrow or Broad Are ACA Marketplace Physician Networks?” by Matthew Rae et al., published Aug. 24, 2024.
See our full editorial guidelines and health insurance methodology for further details.