Best Cheap Health Insurance in Kentucky (2024)
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield has the best health insurance in KY. Silver plans from Anthem start at $411 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in Kentucky
Cheapest health insurance companies in Kentucky
Ambetter has the cheapest health insurance in Kentucky, with Silver plans starting at $362 per month.
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Affordable health insurance in Kentucky
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Ambetter | $362 - $558 |
| Passport Health Plan | $406 - $542 |
| Anthem BCBS | $411 - $636 |
| CareSource | $451 - $731 |
- Ambetter has the cheapest health insurance in 105 of Kentucky's 120 counties.
- Most people in Kentucky don't pay full price for health insurance. More than two-thirds of people who shop on kynect, Kentucky's health insurance marketplace, get discounts that lower the cost of their health plan.
Best health insurance companies in Kentucky
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) is the the best health insurance company in KY for most people.
Anthem is part of Blue Cross Blue Shield, which has one of the biggest networks of doctors in the country. That makes their plans easy to use because most doctors accept Anthem BCBS plans.
Anthem is the most popular health insurance company in Kentucky, selling more than half of all health insurance plans in the state.
You can get a quote from Anthem no matter where you live in Kentucky. If you live in a rural part of the state, Anthem might be a particularly good option. Many plans come with $0 virtual health care visits, which could be helpful if you live far from a doctor's office.
Best-rated health insurance companies in Kentucky
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield | 3.0 | |
| Ambetter | NA | |
| CareSource | 4.0 | |
| Passport Health Plan | NA |
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Best health insurance perks: CareSource
CareSource is a good option if you want a plan with extra benefits.
If you buy a plan from CareSource, you'll get access to a 24/7 nurse line, $0 virtual care visits, and coverage for hearing screenings and discounts on hearing aids.
You can add adult dental and vision care coverage to any Bronze, Silver or Gold plan to get even more coverage. And CareSource also has a fitness program called Active&Fit that gives you access to at-home workouts and discounts on gym memberships.
How much does health insurance cost in Kentucky?
Health insurance in Kentucky costs an average of $497 per month, but you could pay an average of $134 per month if you get discounts based on your income.
- The plan level you buy has a big impact on your rates. Higher-tier plans, like Gold, cost more each month but also pay for more of your medical bills. Cheaper plans, like Bronze, give you lower rates but make you pay more when you go to the doctor.
- Your age affects your health insurance costs, too. A 60-year-old in Kentucky pays more than twice as much as a 40-year-old for a Silver plan, and almost three times as much as a 21-year-old. As you age, you're more likely to experience health issues, which increases the cost of your health insurance.
Get affordable health insurance in Kentucky
Kentucky health insurance costs an average of $134 per month if you get discounts based on your income.
If you make between $15,060 and $60,240 per year as a single person, you can get a discount on your monthly health insurance rate. This type of discount is called a rate subsidy, and more than two-thirds of people who get health insurance on the Kentucky health insurance exchange, kynect, qualify.
You can use rate subsidies to get cheaper health insurance from any company. The discounts can be applied to Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver and Gold plans in Kentucky.
More than 8 in 10 people who shop for health insurance on kynect get either rate subsidies or another type of discount, called a cost-sharing reduction, that lets you pay less when you go to a doctor.
Cheap Kentucky health insurance plans by city
Ambetter has the cheapest health insurance rates in Louisville, KY.
In most of Kentucky's major cities, including Lexington, Bowling Green, Owensboro and Covington, Ambetter is the cheapest option.
If you live in the counties near Lexington, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield may have cheaper rates. Anthem also sells the cheapest plan in Boone County, near Cincinnati, OH and in several other counties.
Cheapest health insurance by KY county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Adair | Ambetter Clear Silver | $429 |
| Allen | Ambetter Clear Silver | $429 |
| Anderson | Ambetter Clear Silver | $418 |
| Ballard | Ambetter Clear Silver | $414 |
| Barren | Ambetter Clear Silver | $429 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Best health insurance by level of coverage
Think about your budget and medical needs to find the best health insurance plan for you.
Higher plan tiers, like Gold, usually cost more each month, but you get to pay less when you go to the doctor. That's because Gold plans have lower out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Lower plan tiers, like Bronze, cost less each month but require you to pay more for your health care.
Gold plans: Best for those with high health care needs
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold is the highest metal tier available in Kentucky and usually covers the greatest share of your medical bills, which means you'll pay less when you go to the doctor. But the trade-off is that you'll pay a higher monthly rate. Gold plans can be worth it if you have high medical bills.
The average deductible is $1,482, so you'll pay for about $1,500 of your medical care before your coverage starts.
But you won't pay more than an average of $7,623 each year in medical bills. Once you hit your out-of-pocket maximum, your plan pays for all of your covered medical bills.
Gold plans in KY cost an average of $582 per month.
Silver plans: Best for most people
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver plans fall between Gold and Bronze plans in terms of coverage and cost. They are a good option if you have average health care needs or you want extra protection and are willing to pay a bit more than you would for a Bronze plan.
The average deductible is $5,086, and the average out-of-pocket maximum is $8,278. If you buy a Silver plan, make sure you have enough money to pay these higher costs.
You'll pay $497 per month, on average, for a Silver plan in Kentucky.
Bronze and Expanded Bronze plans: Best for young, healthy people
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze and Expanded Bronze health insurance plans offer the cheapest monthly rates, but you have to pay more when you get medical care. Bronze and Expanded Bronze plans have an average deductible of $7,654 and an average out-of-pocket maximum of $8,659.
Because of this, Bronze plans are best if you are generally healthy and don't go to the doctor often. You should also have good emergency savings since you'll have to pay more if you are ill or get injured.
Bronze plans cost an average of $400 per month in Kentucky, while Expanded Bronze plans cost $420 per month, on average.
Cheap or free health insurance in Kentucky if you have a low income
Kentucky has a few options for cheap or free health insurance if you have a low income. You can go on Medicaid, if you qualify. Or you can buy a Silver plan and use a special type of discount to get cheaper medical care.
Medicaid in Kentucky
Kentucky Medicaid is a kind of free health insurance for people with low incomes.
If you make less than about $21,000 as an individual, or about $44,000, as a family of four, you qualify for Medicaid. Medicaid can lower or eliminate your health care costs, but you usually only qualify if you have a low income.
If you are pregnant, you can make more and still qualify. And pregnant and postpartum women who don't qualify for Medicaid might qualify for Kentucky's Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), along with their children.
Use cost-sharing reductions for cheaper medical care
| Silver plans will pay 74% to 90% of your medical costs if you have a low income. |
If you have a low income but don't qualify for Medicaid, a Silver plan is probably your best option. Silver plans are the only plan tier that is eligible for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies, which let you pay less when you go to the doctor. They lower your deductible, coinsurance, copays and out-of-pocket maximum.
If you have a Silver plan with cost-sharing reductions, you might even get better coverage than a Gold plan and at a lower rate. And you'll probably also qualify for rate subsidies, so your monthly rate will be lower, too.
Are health insurance rates going up in KY?
Health insurance rates are increasing in Kentucky, with Bronze plans going up the most. Between 2023 and 2024, Bronze plans increased by an average of 10% in cost. Silver plans were the least affected, but the monthly cost still increased by an average of 4%.
Tier | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $365 | $400 | 10% |
| Expanded bronze | $401 | $420 | 5% |
| Silver | $479 | $497 | 4% |
| Gold | $554 | $582 | 5% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
If you live in Kentucky and want to buy Affordable Care Act (ACA) insurance, sometimes called "Obamacare" insurance, you can shop on kynect, the Kentucky insurance exchange.
On kynect, you can compare Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver and Gold plans from different companies. Every plan tier has coverage for at least 10 health care situations, like doctor visits, emergency care, lab work and prescriptions.
Buying a lower-tier plan, like Bronze, gives you a cheaper monthly rate but means you'll pay more when you go to the doctor. A higher-tier plan, like Gold, is the opposite. You'll pay more each month but less when you need medical care.
COBRA insurance in Kentucky
If you need health insurance between jobs, buying a plan from kynect is usually cheaper.
In Kentucky, COBRA costs an average of $639 per month for one person, while an ACA plan costs $497 per month, on average. Unless you rely on a specific coverage that your employer plan had that an ACA plan doesn't, getting coverage on kynect usually makes more sense.
COBRA lets you keep the health insurance you had with your job when you leave.
Coverage usually lasts up to a year and a half after you leave, but you might be able to keep it for three years in some cases. But when you were working, your employer paid part of your monthly health insurance rate. With COBRA, you have to pay the full price for the plan, and it's usually expensive.
Short-term health insurance in Kentucky
In Kentucky, you can buy a short-term health insurance plan that lasts up to three months. You can renew the policy for just one month, for a total of four months of coverage.
Short-term health insurance isn't sold on Kentucky's state marketplace, kynect. You have to get coverage directly through a health insurance company.
Pros of short-term health insurance in Kentucky
Cons of short-term health insurance in Kentucky
Frequently asked questions
What is the best health insurance in Kentucky?
Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield is the best health insurance company in Kentucky. It has a good rating on HealthCare.gov and is available across the state. And Anthem has one of the biggest doctor networks around, which makes it easier to find in-network doctors.
Does Kentucky have the Affordable Care Act plans?
Yes, Kentucky has Affordable Care Act health insurance, also called Obamacare health insurance. But instead of getting a plan on HealthCare.gov, you'll go to Kentucky's state marketplace, kynect. From kynect, you can buy a Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver or Gold health insurance plan.
How much is health insurance in Kentucky?
A Silver plan in Kentucky costs an average of $497 per month for a 40-year-old. While this can be a useful benchmark, your rate will vary based on your age, your location, the company you choose and the plan level you buy.
Methodology
Health insurance rates, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for 2024 plans are from data available on Kentucky's state health insurance exchange, kynect. ValuePenguin utilized the public use files (PUFs) to find averages by age, plan tier and county to provide a detailed evaluation of health insurance in Kentucky for the 2024 plan year. Rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan unless another age or plan level is noted.
The cost for a health plan with subsidies is from CMS data. The rates are based on everyone who bought a plan during open enrollment in 2024 and got advanced premium tax credits (APTCs).
ValuePenguin rated companies based on a review of rates, coverages, customer satisfaction and unique features. Additional data sources include the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and KFF.
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.