Best and cheapest health insurance in Connecticut
Cheapest health insurance companies in Connecticut
Anthem BlueCross BlueShield has the cheapest health insurance in CT, at $568 per month before discounts.
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Cheap health insurance in CT
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Anthem BlueCross BlueShield | $568 - $710 |
| ConnectiCare, Inc. | $606 - $757 |
- Anthem BCBS has the cheapest health insurance for roughly three out of every four people in Connecticut. The company also gives customers access to the largest network of doctors in the nation.
- ConnectiCare has the most affordable health insurance if you live in Fairfield, Connecticut. That includes many of the state's largest cities, such as Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk.
Best health insurance companies in Connecticut
Anthem is the best health insurance company in Connecticut.
Anthem has a strong 4-out-of-5-star rating from ValuePenguin editors. These ratings measure customer satisfaction, cost, coverage and unique offerings. Plus, Anthem gets significantly fewer complaints than an average company its size.
It's a good idea to choose a company with a strong customer service reputation because you may have an easier time filing a claim down the road.
Best-rated health insurance companies in Connecticut
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Anthem BlueCross BlueShield | NA | |
| ConnectiCare | NA |
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- Anthem is a Blue Cross Blue Shield company. That means Anthem customers have access to the Blue Cross Blue Shield network, which has 1.7 million doctors and hospitals nationwide.
- Anthem was renamed Elevance in 2022. However, the company still uses the Anthem brand name.
- ConnectiCare is run by EmblemHealth. EmblemHealth also sells health insurance in Connecticut under the name ConnectiCare Benefits.
How much is health insurance in Connecticut?
Health insurance in Connecticut costs $665 per month at full price or $153 per month after discounts, on average.
- Gold plans have expensive monthly rates, but low costs you'll have to pay when you visit the doctor. Bronze plans have cheap rates, but you'll pay more for medical care. Silver plans offer a balance between the two.
- Health insurance rates increase as you get older. Costs go up slowly in your twenties and thirties before rising dramatically in middle age.
- What you pay for health insurance depends on the amount of money you make. Typically, you'll pay less if you earn less.
Save on Connecticut health insurance with discounts
Connecticut residents who qualify for discounts pay $153 per month for marketplace coverage, on average.
That's $512 per month cheaper than the Connecticut state average.
Nearly nine out of 10 people who buy health insurance through Access Health CT qualify for discounts, called subsidies or premium tax credits. The size of your discount changes with your income, so you'll save more if you make less. About one-fifth of those who buy coverage through the Connecticut health insurance marketplace pay less than $10 per month.
To qualify for subsidies, you need to earn between about $21,000 and $60,000 per year as a single person (roughly $35,000 to $125,000 for a family of four). It's important to remember that you can only get discounted coverage if you get a Bronze, Silver or Gold plan through Access Health Connecticut.
You can get free government health insurance, called Medicaid, if you don't earn enough money to qualify for discounts.
Cheap health insurance in Connecticut by city
ConnectiCare has the cheapest health insurance in Connecticut's two largest cities: Bridgeport and Stamford.
Anthem has the cheapest rates in New Haven, Hartford and Waterbury.
Although Anthem has the most affordable health insurance for most Connecticut residents, ConnectiCare has the best rates in heavily urbanized Fairfield County.
Cheapest health insurance by CT county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Fairfield | ConnectiCare Silver Standard | $709 |
| Hartford | Anthem Silver Standard Pathway | $594 |
| Litchfield | Anthem Silver Standard Pathway | $620 |
| Middlesex | Anthem Silver Standard Pathway | $652 |
| New Haven | Anthem Silver Standard Pathway | $652 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Best health insurance by plan tier
The best plan tier for you depends on the amount of care you think you'll need in the coming year and your financial situation.
Gold plans are best for people who have ongoing health problems. These plans have expensive rates, but you'll pay less when you go to the doctor.
Bronze plans are a good choice if you're in good health, and you can easily afford to pay an unexpected medical bill from your savings. These plans have cheap monthly rates, but you pay a lot more when you go to the doctor.
Silver plans are the best option if you usually only see the doctor a few times a year. These plans balance reasonable rates with middle-of-the-road costs you're responsible for paying when you go to the hospital.
A Bronze and a Gold plan should cover most of the same prescription drugs and medical services. That's because plan tiers only have to do with your rate and the portion of your medical bill you're responsible for paying
Gold plans: Best if you have frequent medical issues
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold plans have high rates and cheap costs you pay when you get care.
That makes Gold plans a good option if you expect to need a lot of medical care in the coming year. But, Gold plans don't make financial sense if you have normal health needs.
In Connecticut, Gold plans cost an average of $811 per month and have a $1,700 deductible.
Silver plans: Best for average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver health plans have moderate rates and average costs that you're responsible for paying when you go to the doctor. Consider a Silver plan if you have average medical needs and expect to see the doctor no more than a few times in the coming year.
You may qualify for extra discounts if you earn a low income.
In Connecticut, Silver plans cost an average of $665 per month and have a $5,000 deductible.
Bronze plans: Best if you're healthy and have savings
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans have cheap rates, but you have to pay a lot of money before most coverage starts.
Consider a Bronze plan if you're in good health and you can easily afford to pay a large medical bill from your savings.
In Connecticut, Bronze plans cost an average of $583 per month and have a $6,715 deductible.
More discounts and free health insurance in CT
Connecticut residents who earn a low income may qualify for free coverage or extra discounts.
HUSKY health insurance (Medicaid): Best for free coverage
If you live in Connecticut and make about $21,000 per year or less ($43,000 per year or less for a family of four), you can get free health insurance, called Medicaid or HUSKY health insurance. Pregnant women and families with children under the age of 19 may qualify with higher household incomes.
Silver plans with cost-sharing reductions (CSRs): Best for discounted coverage
| Silver plans will pay 73% to 94% of your medical costs if you have a low income. |
You may qualify for extra discounts, called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), if you earn less than roughly $38,000 per year and you have a Silver health plan.
Cost-sharing reductions aren't available if you have a Gold or Bronze plan.
Cost-sharing reductions cover most of the costs you're responsible for paying when you go to the hospital, such as your deductible, copays and coinsurance.
Are health insurance rates going up in CT?
Health insurance rates increased by 10% from 2023 to 2024, on average. Gold plans had the highest jump, at 12%. Bronze plans rose by 9%, and Silver plans went up by 8%.
Are health insurance rates going up in CT?
Tier | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $536 | $583 | 9% |
| Silver | $614 | $665 | 8% |
| Gold | $723 | $811 | 12% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Plans bought through the Connecticut health insurance marketplace are required to cover certain benefits, called minimum essential coverage. These include care for pregnant women and newborns, mental health services, prescription drug coverage and more.
Marketplace plans also offer important protections, such as caps on how much you'll spend each year for medical care, called an out-of-pocket maximum. In addition, companies can't consider your health history when setting rates or approving coverage if you buy insurance through the state marketplace.
Short-term health insurance in Connecticut
Short-term health insurance isn't available in Connecticut because of strict state-level rules.
If you need to get coverage outside November 1 through January 15, called open enrollment, it's a good idea to see if you qualify for a special enrollment period.
You may qualify for a special enrollment period if you've recently moved to a new state, married, divorced or lost your existing coverage. is also an option if you recently lost your job. Keep in mind that COBRA tends to cost more than a regular marketplace plan.
Frequently asked questions
Who has the best cheap health insurance in Connecticut?
Anthem BlueCross BlueShield has the best cheap health insurance in Connecticut. The company has the cheapest rates for most people in Connecticut, and it gets significantly fewer complaints than an average company its size, according to the NAIC.
How do you get health insurance in CT?
You can buy health insurance in Connecticut through the state marketplace, called Access Health Connecticut. You may qualify for discounted coverage if you earn a low income.
What is the most popular health insurance in Connecticut?
Anthem sells the most plans of any company on the Connecticut health insurance marketplace.
But, EmblemHealth, the parent company of ConnectiCare and ConnectiCare Benefits, is a close runner-up. EmblemHealth sells roughly four out of every 10 plans in the state.
Methodology
Connecticut health insurance rate data for 2024 is from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website. ValuePenguin used the CMS public use files (PUFs) to find average rates for different plan tiers and counties. Only plans and insurance companies for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis.
Rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless otherwise noted. Other sources include S&P Global Capital IQ, NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners) and HUSKY Health Connecticut.
Editorial note: The content of this article is based on the author's opinions and recommendations alone. It has not been previewed, commissioned or otherwise endorsed by any of our network partners.