Health Insurance Companies | Affordable Health Insurance

Choosing a health insurance plan impacts your ability to access quality care at an affordable price. Not only does health insurance defray the cost of care, but it also protects your financial future. Without insurance, a health incident or chronic condition could result in devastating expenses. Knowing what companies are available is an important step in that journey. Here, you will find resources to help you find the best health insurance coverage to meet your needs.

Find Health Insurance Coverage

Each health insurance plan has a premium you pay each month to keep your policy active. You may also have a deductible ― the amount you pay before your insurance begins paying out for certain services ― and copays or coinsurance, which is the shared cost when you receive health care services. These amounts vary between plans and by metal level. Health insurance plans in each state are organized into four levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

Plan pricing and availability can depend on where you live, which is why you want to be sure you are comparing coverage for where you live. Most search engine tools require you to put in your ZIP code. For example, a Bronze plan monthly premium in Colorado can start at $221 but, in Vermont, the Bronze starts at $571.

Each state also has a different number of health insurance companies available per state. For example, Delaware only has one company available while Florida has 13. Having more companies available can often help rates because there is more competition in the state and flexibility in the options.

Read Affordable Health Insurance Reviews of Top Health Insurance Companies

How To Choose an Insurance Company

Finding the right company is very important when choosing your insurance coverage. Insurance access can vary by your age, income, and location to name a few. You always want to consider overall affordability.

Don’t just look at the premium. Be sure to look at the out-of-pocket cost, including deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and max uncovered expenses. Also, make sure that you research insurance company ratings to aid in avoiding unforeseen problems.

As you look for a health insurance company, here are some key considerations:

Find plans available in your area: Each state has different insurance carriers available. Always make sure that the company you choose is in your area.
Research the network: Look for companies that have a large network and make sure that your favorite providers are in-network. Also, make sure that if you travel frequently that you will have coverage in the areas you travel.
Research prescription drug coverage: Prescription drug coverage varies based on the tier of individual health insurance you select. Before buying a policy, understand what you’ll pay for prescription drugs so that you are prepared to manage the costs, especially of maintenance medicines. HealthCare.gov provides a tool so that you can check the cost of your prescriptions with plans you’re considering.
Compare monthly premiums: Higher-premium plans cost more per month, but you’ll pay less when you need care. Ultimately, deciding whether to choose a lower or higher premium depends on how you prefer to budget your health care expenses.
Compare deductibles: A high-deductible health plan has a lower monthly premium, but you pay more for care at the time of service. You must reach your deductible before the insurance company pays its share. A lower-deductible health plan has higher monthly premiums, but you’ll reach your deductible faster. Deductibles vary for individual and family plans.
Compare copays: Not all health insurance plans offer copays that allow doctors’ visit costs to be more predictable. Copies are fixed amounts you’ll pay for visits after you meet the plan deductible. Usually, a plan with lower monthly premiums will have a higher copay.
Compare out-of-pocket maximums: An out-of-pocket maximum is the most you can expect to pay per year, per person. It’s a cost factor that many people overlook when selecting an affordable health insurance policy. Out-of-pocket maximums are how insurance companies share the cost of care with policyholders.
Check insurer ratings: Before buying a health insurance plan, be sure to check ratings from reputable sources, including AM Best, J.D. Power, and the Better Business Bureau (BBB). Specifically, look at the types of complaints filed against the company. Are they related to coverage? Administration? Cost of the plan?

Find Health Insurance Companies in Your State

State	Insurance Companies on the State Marketplace	Monthly Premiums Start at	Medicare Coverage	Medicaid Coverage
Alabama	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Alabama Bright Health Insurance Company of Alabama United Healthcare	$418	Medicare Advantage Plans in Alabama	Alabama Medicaid
Alaska	Moda Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield	$429	Medicare Advantage Plans in Alaska \| Affordable Health Insurance	Alaska Medicaid
Arizona	Banner/Aetna CVS Health (new for 2022) Ambetter/Arizona Complete Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona Bright Health Cigna Medica Oscar UnitedHealthcare	$314	Medicare Advantage Plans in Arizona \| Affordable Health Insurance	Arizona Medicaid
Arkansas	Celtic Insurance Company (Ambetter) HMO Partners, Inc. dba Health Advantage Oscar Insurance Company QCA Health Plan, Inc. QualChoice Life and Health Insurance Company, Inc. USAble Mutual Insurance Company (AR Blue Cross & Blue Shield)	$311	Medicare Advantage Plans in Arkansas \| Affordable Health Insurance	Arkansas Medicaid
California	Anthem Blue Cross of California Blue Shield of California Bright HealthCare Chinese Community Health Plan Health Net Kaiser Permanente L.A. Care Health Plan Molina Healthcare Oscar Health Plan of California Sharp Health Plan Valley Health Plan Western Health Advantage	$327	Medicare Advantage Plans in California \| Affordable Health Insurance	California Medicaid
Colorado	Anthem Bright Health Cigna Denver Health Friday Health Plans Kaiser Oscar Rocky Mountain Health Plans	$269	Medicare Advantage Plans in Colorado \| Affordable Health Insurance	Colorado Medicaid
Connecticut	Anthem ConnectiCare Benefits, Inc. ConnectiCare Insurance Company	$419	Medicare Advantage Plans in Connecticut \| Affordable Health Insurance	Connecticut Medicaid
Delaware	Highmark BCBS	$400	Medicare Advantage Plans in Delaware \| Affordable Health Insurance	Delaware Medicaid
Florida	Ambetter/Centene/Sunshine State AvMed Blue Cross Blue Shield of Florida (Florida Blue) Bright Health Insurance Company Capital Health Plan Cigna Coventry/Aetna-CVS (rejoined for 2022) Florida Blue HMO Florida Health Care Plan Inc Health First Health Plans Molina Oscar Health UnitedHealthcare	$346	Medicare Advantage Plans in Florida \| Affordable Health Insurance	Florida Medicaid
Georgia	Aetna/CVS Alliant Ambetter from Peach State Health Plan (Centene) Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plan of Georgia Bright Health CareSource Cigna Friday Health Kaiser Oscar UnitedHealthcare	$304	Medicare Advantage Plans in Georgia \| Affordable Health Insurance	Georgia Medicaid
Hawaii	HMSA Kaiser	$313	Medicare Advantage Plans in Hawaii \| Affordable Health Insurance	Hawaii Medicaid
Idaho	Blue Cross of Idaho Molina Mountain Health CO-OP PacificSource Regence BlueShield of Idaho Select Health	$323	Medicare Advantage Plans in Idaho \| Affordable Health Insurance	Idaho Medicaid
Illinois	Ambetter/Celtic Insurance Co. BCBS of Illinois Bright Health Cigna Health Alliance Medical Plans, Inc. (HAMP) MercyCare HMO Molina Oscar SSM Health Plan (WellFirst Health) Quartz UnitedHealthcare	$331	Medicare Advantage Plans in Illinois \| Affordable Health Insurance	Illinois Medicaid
Indiana	Anthem Caresource Celtic/MHS/Ambetter US Health and Life	$316	Medicare Advantage Plans in Indiana \| Affordable Health Insurance	Indiana Medicaid
Iowa	Medica Oscar Wellmark	$347	Medicare Advantage Plans in Iowa \| Affordable Health Insurance	Iowa Medicaid
Kansas	Ambetter from Sunflower Health Plan Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company Medica Insurance Company Oscar Insurance Company US Health and Life Insurance Company	$346	Medicare Advantage Plans in Kansas \| Affordable Health Insurance	Kansas Medicaid .
Kentucky	Anthem Caresource Molina Wellcare/Ambetter	$315	Medicare Advantage Plans in Kentucky \| Affordable Health Insurance	Kentucky Medicaid
Louisiana	Aetna Better Health Amerihealth Caritas Louisiana Healthy Blue Louisiana Healthcare Connections UnitedHealthcare Community	$408	Medicare Advantage Plans in Louisiana \| Affordable Health Insurance	Louisiana Medicaid
Maine	Anthem Community Health Options Harvard Pilgrim HMOs	$338	Medicare Advantage Plans in Maine \| Affordable Health Insurance	Maine Medicaid
Maryland	Aetna CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield Kaiser Permanente United Healthcare	$221	Medicare Advantage Plans in Maryland \| Affordable Health Insurance	Maryland Medicaid
Massachusetts	Allways Health Partners Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts Boston Medical Center HealthNet Plan Fallon Health Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Health New England Tufts Health Plan DirectTufts Health Plan Premier UnitedHealthcare	$302	Medicare Advantage Plans in Massachusetts \| Affordable Health Insurance	Massachusetts Medicaid
Michigan	Blue Care Network Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan McLaren Health Plan Meridian (Ambetter as of 2021) Molina Oscar Health Physicians Health Plan Priority Health US Health and Life Insurance Company UnitedHealthcare	$251	Medicare Advantage Plans in Michigan \| Affordable Health Insurance	Michigan Medicaid
Minnesota	Blue Plus Group Health Medica PreferredOne Quartz UCare	$290	Medicare Advantage Plans in Minnesota \| Affordable Health Insurance	Minnesota Medicaid
Mississippi	Ambetter/Magnolia Health Molina Cigna Vantage Health Plan of Mississippi	$408	Medicare Advantage Plans in Mississippi \| Affordable Health Insurance	Mississippi Medicaid
Missouri	Aetna/CVS Health Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Celtic Life Insurance Cigna Health Care Cox Health Plans Healthy Alliance Life Insurance Medica Oscar Insurance Company SSM Health Insurance Company	$355	Medicare Advantage Plans in Missouri \| Affordable Health Insurance	Missouri Medicaid
Montana	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Montana Montana Health CO-OP PacificSource	$331	Medicare Advantage Plans in Montana \| Affordable Health Insurance	Montana Medicaid
Nebraska	Bright Health Medica Oscar (new for 2022) Ambetter from Nebraska Total Care	$446	Medicare Advantage Plans in Nebraska \| Affordable Health Insurance	Nebraska Medicaid
Nevada	Aetna Health Friday Health Plan Friday Health Plans of Nevada HMO Nevada Hometown Health Plan SelectHealth Inc. SilverSummit Healthplan, Inc.	$279	Medicare Advantage Plans in Nevada \| Affordable Health Insurance	Nevada Medicaid
New Hampshire	Ambetter Harvard Pilgrim Matthew Thornton/Anthem	$264	Medicare Advantage Plans in New Hampshire \| Affordable Health Insurance	NH Medicaid \| New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services
New Jersey	AmeriHealth Horizon Healthcare Services (BCBS) Oscar Health Oxford Health Ambetter from WellCare of New Jersey (new for 2022)	$349	Medicare Advantage Plans in New Jersey \| Affordable Health Insurance	New Jersey Medicaid
New Mexico	Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico (Health Care Service Corporation) Friday Health Plans Molina Presbyterian Health Plan True Health Western Sky Community Care (Ambetter/Centene)	$259	Medicare Advantage Plans in New Mexico \| Affordable Health Insurance	New Mexico Medicaid
New York	BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York BlueShield of Northeastern New York Capital District Physicians’ Health Plan Emblem Health Excellus BlueCross BlueShield Fidelis Care Healthfirst HealthPlus Independent Health MetroPlus Health Plan MVP Health Care Oscar United HealthCare Univera Healthcare	$429	Medicare Advantage Plans in New York \| Affordable Health Insurance	New York State Medicaid
North Carolina	Aetna CVS Health Ambetter of North Carolina AmeriHealth Caritas Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC Bright HealthCare Cigna Healthcare Friday Health Plans Oscar Health Plan of North Carolina, Inc UnitedHealthcare WellCare of North Carolina	$342	Medicare Advantage Plans in North Carolina \| Affordable Health Insurance	NC Medicaid
North Dakota	Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota (Noridian) Medica Sanford	$288	Medicare Advantage Plans in North Dakota \| Affordable Health Insurance	North Dakota Medicaid
Ohio	Ambetter (Buckeye Community Health Plan) AultCare CareSource Community Insurance Company (Anthem BCBS) Medical Health Insuring Corp. of Ohio (Medical Mutual) Molina Oscar Buckeye State Insurance Corporation Oscar Insurance Corporation of Ohio Paramount Summa	$307	Medicare Advantage Plans in Ohio \| Affordable Health Insurance	Ohio Medicaid
Oklahoma	Ambetter Blue Cross Blue Shield of Oklahoma Bright Health CommunityCare Oklahoma Friday Health Plans Medica Oscar Insurance Company UnitedHealthcare	$355	Medicare Advantage Plans in Oklahoma \| Affordable Health Insurance	Oklahoma Medicaid
Oregon	BridgeSpan Kaiser Moda PacificSource Providence Regence	$329	Medicare Advantage Plans in Oregon \| Affordable Health Insurance	Oregon Medicaid
Pennsylvania	Capital Advantage Assurance Company Capital Advantage Insurance Company Cigna First Priority Health Geisinger Health Plan Highmark Benefits Group Highmark Health Insurance Company Highmark, Inc. Keystone Health Plan Central Oscar PA Health & Wellness QCC Insurance Company UPMC Health Coverage, Inc.	$270	Medicare Advantage Plans in Pennsylvania \| Affordable Health Insurance	Pennsylvania Medicaid
Rhode Island	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Rhode Island (BCBSRI) Neighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island (NHPRI) Tufts Associated Health Maintenance Organization, Inc.(off exchange) United Healthcare (off exchange)	$240	Medicare Advantage Plans in Rhode Island \| Affordable Health Insurance	Rhode Island Medicaid
South Carolina	Ambetter/Absolute Total Care Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina Bright Molina	$339	Medicare Advantage Plans in South Carolina \| Affordable Health Insurance	South Carolina Medicaid
South Dakota	Avera Sanford	$434	Medicare Advantage Plans in South Dakota \| Affordable Health Insurance	South Dakota Medicaid
Tennessee	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee Bright Celtic/Ambetter Cigna Oscar United Healthcare	$338	Medicare Advantage Plans in Tennessee \| Affordable Health Insurance	TennCare Medicaid
Texas	Aetna CVS Health Celtic/Ambetter (Ambetter from Superior Health Plan) Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas Bright Healthcare Community Health Choice CHRISTUS Friday Health Plan Moda Health Plan Molina Oscar Scott & White Health Plan Sendero SHA/FirstCare UnitedHealthcare of Texas	$306	Medicare Advantage Plans in Texas \| Affordable Health Insurance	Texas Medicaid
Utah	BridgeSpan Bright Health Cigna Molina Regence SelectHealth (plans available statewide) University of Utah Health Plans (plans available statewide)	$289	Medicare Advantage Plans in Utah \| Affordable Health Insurance	Utah Medicaid
Vermont	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Vermont MVP	$571	Medicare Advantage Plans in Vermont \| Affordable Health Insurance	Vermont Medicaid Portal
Virginia	Aetna Life (New) Anthem HealthKeepers Bright Health (new) CareFirst Cigna Group Hospitalization and Medical Services, Inc. Innovation Health Plan (new) Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Mid-Atlantic Optima Oscar Health Optimum Choice Piedmont Community Healthcare (and Piedmont HMO) UnitedHealthcare	$343	Medicare Advantage Plans in Virginia \| Affordable Health Insurance	Virginia Medicaid
Washington	BridgeSpan Health Company Community Health Network of Washington Coordinated Care Corporation Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of the Northwest Kaiser Foundation Health Plan of Washington LifeWise Health Plan of Washington Molina Healthcare of Washington PacificSource Health Plans Providence Health Plan Premera Blue Cross Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon Regence BlueShield UnitedHealthcare of Oregon	$287	Medicare Advantage Plans in Washington \| Affordable Health Insurance	Washington Medicaid
Washington, D.C.	Group Hospitalization and Medical Services (CareFirst PPO) CareFirst BlueChoice (CareFirst HMO) Kaiser of the Mid-Atlantic States.	$348	Medicare Advantage Plans in the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.) \| Affordable Health Insurance	Washington, D.C., Medicaid
West Virginia	CareSource Highmark	$621	Medicare Advantage Plans in West Virginia \| Affordable Health Insurance	West Virginia Medicaid
Wisconsin	Aspirus Health Plan Children’s Community Health Plan Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative (expanded coverage area for 2022) Compcare Health Services Insurance Corporation Dean Health Plan Group Health Cooperative of South Central Wisconsin HealthPartners Insurance Medica Health Plans of Wisconsin MercyCare HMO Inc Molina Network Health Plan Quartz Health Benefits Security Health Plan of Wisconsin, Inc WPS (Arise Health Plan)	$325	Medicare Advantage Plans in Wisconsin \| Affordable Health Insurance	Medicaid in Wisconsin
Wyoming	Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming Mountain Health CO-OP (Montana Health CO-OP)	$507	Medicare Advantage Plans in Wyoming \| Affordable Health Insurance	Wyoming Medicaid

Tammy Burns

Insurance and health care consultant

Tammy Burns is an experienced health insurance advisor. She earned her nursing degree in 1990 from Jacksonville State University, obtained her insurance billing and coding certification in 1995, and holds a health and life insurance license in Alabama, Georgia, Iowa, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Burns is Affordable Care Act (ACA)-certified for health insurance and other ancillary, life, and annuity products. She maintains an active nursing license and practices private-duty nursing.

Burns’ background as a nurse, insurance biller and coder, and insurance consultant includes infectious disease, oncology, gynecology, phlebotomy, post operative, family medicine, geriatrics, home health, hospice, human resources, management, billing, coding, claims, fixed annuities, group and individual health and life products, and Medicare. She’s always been driven by a desire to help people, spending more than 25 years as a practicing nurse in hospitals, private doctors’ offices, home health, and hospice. As a nurse, Burns supported patients filing insurance claims with Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance companies as well as responding to billing questions from confused patients.

Seeing firsthand how unsuspecting patients are frequently confused by an overly complex system they don’t understand led Burns to become an insurance agent and health care consultant, now helping people understand the medical system. Since becoming an insurance agent in 2013, she has worked with some of the largest and most reputable insurance carriers and agencies in the nation, and she has built a large and loyal clientele by way of her commitment to transparency and personalized service.

Sources

Healthcare.gov: High-Deductible Health Plans | Last accessed April 2024
Healthcare.gov: See Plans | Last accessed April 2024
Healthcare.gov: The Metal Categories | Last accessed April 2024