Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies

Best Overall and Best Copays Molina Healthcare
Best for Low-Priced Premiums Kaiser Permanente
Best for Drug Costs: Aetna CVS
Best for most plan types: Blue Cross Blue Shield

Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies for 2025 Expand your mind with this Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies for 2025

Top Picks
Molina Healthcare
Kaiser Permanente
Aetna CVS
Blue Cross Blue Shield
See More (1)
Why Trust Us
Methodology

Best Overall and Copays : Molina Healthcare

Average monthly premium (Silver plan).: $456
Average annual deductible (silver plan): $4,739
Customer complaintsSeveral times more than expected given the size of your company

Get a Quote Why We Choosed It

Molina Healthcare has the lowest total costs for individual and families health insurance plans. This includes premiums, deductibles and copayments. It also offers the lowest average copayments and second-lowest prescription copays. This means that you will likely pay less each month for your plan, every time you visit a physician, and whenever you fill a prescribed.

Pros & Cons Pros

Review of the lowest total costs
Low copays for drugs and doctors

Cons

Frequent customer complaints
Only available in 15 States
No preferred provider organizations (PPOs) plan on the market

Overview

Molina Healthcare may be the right choice for you if your goal is to find affordable health insurance. It has the lowest out-of pocket costs for individual and families plans on federal and state marketplaces. This includes premiums, deductibles and copayments. Molina has the lowest average copays we found for prescriptions and doctor’s visits.

Molina members can access virtual doctor visits without cost sharing and without an appoinment.

Molina Healthcare, however, receives a lot more complaints than anticipated, due to its market share. It might be worth paying more to get a Kaiser Permanente policy, which has fewer complaints.

Molina was founded by Long Beach, California in 1980. It offers plans in fifteen states.

Best for Low Premiums : Kaiser Permanente

Average monthly premium for Silver plan: $439
Average annual deductible (silver plan): $3,631
Customer complaints The number of employees is lower than expected for the size of the company

Get a Quote Why We Choosed It

Kaiser Permanente has the lowest average premiums on the state and federal markets, including the lowest family plan prices on HealthCare.gov.

Pros & Cons Pros

Families and individuals can enjoy low premiums
Few customer complaints
Medical management programs: a good selection

Cons

Plans available only in Washington, D.C., and eight states
No PPO plan on marketplace

Overview

Kaiser Permanente is the most affordable insurer Investopedia has reviewed when it comes to monthly premiums for individuals and family members on the federal and state marketplaces. Molina’s average premiums are slightly lower on the federal market than Anthem’s, while Anthem’s average premiums are slightly lower on the state marketplaces. But Kaiser stands out for its competitive prices.

There are competitors who have lower deductibles and out-of-pocket limits (the amount you will pay each year before your insurance kicks-in). Kaiser’s average limits for out-of pocket expenses on HealthCare.gov were among the highest of our study. This means that you may have to pay a large portion of your medical bills if they are high.

Kaiser Permanente offers a variety of programs to help manage conditions including asthma, heart diseases, depression, and back problems.

Kaiser Permanente, founded in 1945, is based in Oakland. Kaiser Permanente only offers its plans in eight US states and Washington, D.C., making it the smallest insurer reviewed by Investopedia. Kaiser may offer low premiums but may not be available in your area.

Best for Drug Costs : Aetna CVS

Average monthly premium for Silver plan: $553
Average annual deductible (silver plan): $5,880
Customer complaints Many fewer than expected for the size of the company

Get a Quote Why We Choosed It

Aetna is the least expensive insurance company compared to other nine companies Investopedia reviewed when it comes to prescription drugs. This could save you a lot of money if you need prescription drugs regularly.

Pros & Cons Pros

Lowest copayments for drugs and coinsurance
Few customer complaints
Medical management programs for 8 conditions

Cons

Only available in seventeen states
Premiums and deductibles are higher than those of some competitors

Overview

Aetna is a good option if you want to save money on your prescription costs. Investopedia research shows that it has the lowest cost-sharing and copayments for prescription medications compared to all other insurers reviewed.

Aetna offers its members a $25 allowance per quarter on wellness products from CVS. Aetna offers $3 copays on more than 200 generic medications.

Aetna’s customers complain at a lower rate compared to other insurers. Aetna premiums and deductibles are among the highest Investopedia has found, particularly for federal marketplace plans. Aetna may not be the best choice if you aren’t a frequent prescription user.

Aetna, founded in 1853, has its headquarters in Hartford. Plans are available in 17 states.

Most Plans Types: Best for Most Plan Types : Blue Cross Blue Shield

Average monthly premium (silver Plan): $561
Average annual deductible (silver plan): $3,939
Customer complaints The number of employees is lower than expected for the size of the company

Get a Quote Why We Choosed It

Blue Cross Blue Shield, the largest insurer reviewed by Investopedia, offers the most varied range of insurance plans. BCBS offers a comprehensive catastrophic plan, making it one of the rare insurers to offer such a product. These plans are typically lower in monthly payments, but have higher deductibles. They are suitable for people who are generally healthy and want to cover only the highest medical costs.

Pros & Cons Pros

Choose from the largest variety of plans
Plans available in Washington, D.C., and 32 other states.
Medical management programs for 8 conditions

Cons

High Average Premiums
Licensees may have a different approach to customer experience

Overview

Blue Cross Blue Shield has more health insurance options than any insurer Investopedia evaluated, so it’s likely you’ll find one that suits your budget and needs. BCBS offers plans for every metal level (Bronze Silver Gold Platinum) and it is one of few companies to offer catastrophic plans. Catastrophic insurance plans are low-cost monthly plans with high deductibles. They are good for healthy individuals who want to protect themselves from large medical bills.

The health insurance plans available on the market are classified into four metal tiers – Bronze, Silver, gold, and platinum. The metal tiers represent different levels of cost-sharing and coverage. Bronze plans are typically the cheapest monthly premiums, but have the highest out of pocket costs. Platinum plans have higher premiums, but lower out of pocket costs. Silver and Gold plans are in the middle.

BCBS offers plans in 32 states, plus Washington D.C., which is the largest service area of all the insurers Investopedia evaluated. However, it is important to be aware that BCBS’s plans are sold by several companies. You may have a different experience depending on the company you are dealing with.

Blue Cross Blue Shield’s premiums (whatever you pay each month) are likely to be higher than those of other insurers. According to Investopedia, BCBS charges the highest premiums on the federal and state markets for Silver plans for individuals and families.

Blue Cross Blue Shield, founded in Chicago and Washington, D.C. in 1929, is a non-profit organization.

Why You Should Trust us

Investopedia makes recommendations based on data and research. Our team of professionals strives to offer unbiased and consumer-focused advice. You may earn money by clicking certain links. This does NOT influence our reviews. It may, however, affect the order of products displayed. Investopedia, founded in 1999, has been reviewing health insurance companies since 2019.

How we selected the best affordable health insurance companies

Investopedia’s rankings of the most affordable health insurance companies are based upon our independent research on nine providers who offer plans through federal and states marketplaces. We compared costs, customer service, plan benefits and medical management programs.

We selected nine companies based on market share, enrollment patterns, and availability. Investopedia’s analysis for this ranking took place between Oct. 24, 2024, and Nov. 8, 2020. We collected information from HealthCare.gov as well as state marketplaces and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

We used this data to create a scoring model that evaluates each company. The weights are:

Federal Marketplace Cost Data: 26%
State Marketplace Costs: 26%
Customer Satisfaction Rate: 17%
Availability: 10%
Plan Types: 14%
Plan Benefits: 2%
Medical Management Programs : 5%

You can read our full methodology when reviewing health insurance providers.

Best Health Insurance - Best Affordable Health Insurance Companies — Alice Morgan / Investopedia

Article Sources Investopedia asks writers to use primary resources to support their writing. White papers, government data and original reporting are some of the sources. Where appropriate, we also reference original research by other reputable publishers. Learn more about our standards for producing accurate and unbiased content by visiting our Editorial Policy

HealthCare.Gov. “Health Plan Categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum.”

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