Kaiser Permanente is the best affordable health insurance company on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace.
The ACA marketplace at HealthCare.gov lets you compare health plan options, including information about costs, deductibles and coinsurance. It’s a great way to find health insurance if you can’t get coverage through work.
We compared health plans that offer ACA coverage to find the best and most affordable health insurance plan.
Summary: The Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies
Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross Blue Shield top our list, with UnitedHealthcare also receiving high marks.
Source: Healthcare.gov. Based on unsubsidized ACA plans. Average costs can vary significantly depending on your state and age.
Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies
How Can I Get Affordable Health Insurance?
There are multiple avenues to finding cheap health insurance.
How Much Does Health Insurance Cost?
A bronze health insurance plan on the Affordable Care Act marketplace costs an average of $373 monthly for a 30-year-old.
- A 40-year-old pays an average of $420 monthly for the same coverage.
- A 50-year-old pays $587 monthly.
- A 60-year-old pays $890 monthly.
Bronze plans have the lowest health insurance premiums on the ACA marketplace. Silver plans have the next lowest premiums. A silver health insurance plan costs an average of $488 monthly for a 30-year-old, $549 for a 40-year-old, $767 for a 50-year-old and $1,164 for a 60-year-old.
None of these averages factor in subsidies or tax credits, which will lower your overall cost. ACA plans are the only ones that have those tax credits, which can reduce your costs. People with household incomes below 400% of the federal poverty level qualify for subsidies on ACA plans.
Average Cost of Health Insurance by Age
Age plays an important role in how much you pay for ACA marketplace coverage.
| Age of member | Average monthly overall cost | Blue Cross Blue Shield monthly cost | Kaiser Permanente monthly cost | UnitedHealthcare monthly cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Age 21 | $397 | $444 | $348 | $396 |
Age 27 | $419 | $468 | $365 | $415 |
Age 30 | $453 | $506 | $396 | $450 |
Age 40 | $509 | $569 | $445 | $506 |
Age 50 | $712 | $795 | $622 | $708 |
Age 60 | $1,079 | $1,206 | $946 | $1,076 |
Health insurance costs in the ACA marketplace vary based on multiple factors, including:
- The health insurance company.
- The metal tier.
- The type of health plan.
- Your age.
- The out-of-pocket costs, including deductibles and coinsurance.
- Your smoking status.
Average Monthly Health Insurance Costs by Tier
| Tier | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
Bronze | $345 |
Silver | $452 |
Gold | $585 |
How to Find the Best Cheap Health Insurance
What to Consider When Searching for Affordable Health Insurance
When looking for a cheap health insurance plan, consider your family’s current and near-future healthcare needs. Are you planning to start a new family? Are you on many prescription medications? Do you expect you’ll need to get that trick knee fixed in the coming year?
All of those factors should be taken into account so you can decide whether or not you should choose a plan with a high deductible. A high-deductible health plan (HDHP) typically has lower premiums, but you pay more out-of-pocket when you need healthcare.
Methodology
We analyzed 84 data points about coverage and quality for seven large health insurance companies to determine the best and most affordable health insurance companies. Our ratings are based on:
- Complaints made to state insurance departments (30% of score): We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
- Plan ratings from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (30% of score): The National Committee for Quality Assurance is an independent, nonprofit organization that accredits health plans and produces ratings based on specific metrics, including patient experience, prevention, treatment, overall rating of the health plan and rating of care.
- Average silver plan deductible (20% of score): The deductible is how much you have to pay for healthcare in a year before the health plan begins picking up a portion of the costs. Companies with health plans that had low deductibles got more points. Source: HealthCare.gov.
- Breadth of health plans (10% of score): Health insurance companies may offer up to four types of plan benefit designs (PPO, HMO, EPO and POS). Companies that offered more types of plans got more points. Source: HealthCare.gov.
- Metal tier offerings (10% of score): The ACA marketplace has four metal tier levels. We gave points to companies that offered more tier plan options. Source: HealthCare.gov.
Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies Methodology
Read more: How Forbes Advisor rates health insurance companies
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