Best Cheap Health Insurance in Minnesota (2025)
HealthPartners has the best health insurance in MN. The company's Silver plans start at $347 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in Minnesota
Cheapest health insurance companies in Minnesota
Medica has the cheapest health insurance in Minnesota, with Silver plans starting at $311 per month.
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Affordable health insurance in Minnesota
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Medica | $311-$594 |
| BCBS Minnesota | $326-$593 |
| UCare Minnesota | $332-$571 |
| HealthPartners | $347-$555 |
- Medica has the most affordable health insurance in MN overall, including in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul. But it's not the cheapest everywhere. That's because rates change depending on where you live. In Rochester, for example, Quartz sells the cheapest Silver plan.
- Bronze plans are the most popular plan tier in Minnesota, but they aren't the best option for most people. In Minnesota, Silver plans cost an average of $64 more each month than Bronze plans, but they pay for more of your medical bills.
- HealthPartners doesn't have the cheapest Silver plans, but it is the best health insurance company in MN because of its good service and large network. It also has the most popular plans.
Best health insurance companies in Minnesota
HealthPartners sells the best health insurance in Minnesota.
HealthPartners has a high 4.0 rating from HealthCare.gov, which means its plans have strong coverage. HealthPartners is also the most popular health insurance company in MN, selling more than 4 in 10 health insurance plans in the state.
HealthPartners also gets very few customer complaints and has a large network of doctors, which makes it easier to get medical care.
Best-rated health insurance companies in Minnesota
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| HealthPartners | 4.0 | |
| BCBS Minnesota | 4.0 | |
| UCare Minnesota | 4.0 | |
| Quartz | N/A | |
| Medica | 4.0 |
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Easiest health insurance to use: Blue Cross Blue Shield
Most doctors and hospitals take Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), which gives you flexibility to choose where you get medical care. It's a great choice if you want the freedom to choose from a wide range of doctors.
BCBS has cheap rates, selling the second-cheapest Silver plan in MN. It also gets a 4.0 rating from HealthCare.gov for its plans in MN, and it has 18% fewer complaints than an average company its size.
How much does health insurance cost in Minnesota?
Minnesota health coverage costs an average of $451 per month at full cost or $207 per month if you qualify for discounts based on your income.
- The cost of health insurance goes up as you get older. A 40-year-old pays $98 more per month than a 21-year-old for a Silver plan in Minnesota.
- Rates go up quickly after age 40. A 60-year-old pays an average of $958 per month for a Silver health insurance plan, which is more than double what a 40-year-old pays.
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Get affordable health insurance in Minnesota with subsidies
If you qualify for a low-income discount, you could pay an average of $207 per month for health insurance in MN.
About half of people who shop on MNsure, the state's health insurance marketplace, qualify for at least one type of discount, based on their income. One type of discount, called a rate subsidy, lowers the amount of money you pay each month for health insurance.
To qualify for a rate subsidy, you have to make between about $15,000 and $60,000 per year if you're single, or between roughly $31,000 and $125,000 per year as a family of four. People and families with lower incomes get bigger discounts. And you can use a subsidy on a Bronze, Silver or Gold plan from any company.
If you have a low income, you might also qualify for another type of discount, called a cost-sharing reduction. This discount is only available on Silver plans, and it lowers the amount of money you have to pay when you go to the doctor.
Cheap Minnesota health insurance plans by city
Medica has the cheapest health insurance in most of MN's major cities, including Minneapolis and St. Paul.
But if you live in Rochester, Quartz sells the cheapest Silver plan.
Cheap Silver health insurance by MN county
County | Cheapest Silver plan | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Aitkin | UCare Silver HSA | $399 |
| Anoka | Medica Bold Silver | $311 |
| Becker | Medica Essentia Choice Care | $360 |
| Beltrami | UCare Silver HSA | $399 |
| Benton | UCare Silver HSA | $366 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Best health insurance by level of coverage
The best health insurance plan depends on how much medical care you expect to need in the upcoming year.
A Silver plan provides the right balance of coverage for most people. If you expect to need expensive medical care or are managing a chronic illness, choose a Gold plan, which will give you the best coverage. But if you're young or healthy, it's usually worth it to save by choosing a Bronze plan and paying more when you need medical treatment.
Gold plans: Best if you need expensive medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
If you go to the doctor often, need expensive medical treatments, or expect to need a pricey procedure like a surgery in the next year, a Gold plan might be the best option. Gold plans are the most expensive policies offered in Minnesota, but they also pay for the biggest share of your medical care.
Gold plans in MN have a deductible of $1,486, on average, which is much lower than other plan tiers. The lower deductible means that the plan's full benefits will kick in sooner. This can help keep your medical costs affordable if you have ongoing health issues or need expensive treatment.
In Minnesota, Gold plans cost an average of $532 per month.
Silver plans: Best for most people
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver plans are best if you have average medical needs, like a manageable health condition, taking a moderately priced medication or going to routine doctor visits. These plans give you a good balance of affordable rates and good coverage.
In Minnesota, Silver plans have an average deductible of $3,328. That means you have to pay $3,328 of your own health care bills yourself before your plan will start to pay. But if you have a low income, you might qualify for discounts that lower your deductible and other out-of-pocket costs.
Silver plans cost $451 per month, on average, in Minnesota.
Bronze plans: Best for young, healthy people with savings
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze health policies have the cheapest monthly costs, but they require you to pay for a large part of your medical bills. If you are young or healthy, the cheap rates of a Bronze plan could save you money. Plus, you'll get free preventive care, and the plan will protect you from very high costs if you have a major illness or injury. Just make sure you have emergency savings in case something serious happens.
Bronze plans are the most popular plan level in MN, but they aren't the best for most people. With a Bronze plan, you have to pay an average of $6,874 before your plan will kick in. A Silver plan only costs $64 more per month and has a much lower deductible.
Bronze plans cost an average of $386 per month in Minnesota.
Cheap or free health insurance in Minnesota if you have a low income
If you have a low income, you have options for low-cost or free health insurance in Minnesota. You might qualify for Medicaid or get discounts on a Silver plan that make medical care cheaper.
Medicaid in Minnesota
Medicaid is a type of free health insurance from the government.
Minnesota has expanded Medicaid coverage, which allows more people to qualify for free or low-cost insurance. Minnesota Medicaid is called Medical Assistance (MA).
The typical income limits for Medicaid are about $21,000 for an individual and $44,000 for a family of four. However, requirements can vary, and you may have a different income limit if you're pregnant or need coverage for children.
Use cost-sharing reductions for cheaper medical care
If you make less than about $38,000 as a single person or less than $78,000 for a family of four, consider buying a Silver plan. Silver is the only plan tier that has discounts to lower the cost of medical care for people with low incomes.
These discounts are called cost-sharing reductions, and they make your deductible, copays and coinsurance levels lower, so you pay less when you go to the doctor.
Are health insurance rates going up in MN?
Health insurance costs in Minnesota went up by an average of 8% between 2024 and 2025.
Gold plans saw the highest average increase, at 10%. Silver plans got 7% more expensive, on average, and Bronze plans rose by an average of 6%.
Tier | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $365 | $386 | 6% |
| Silver | $423 | $451 | 7% |
| Gold | $482 | $532 | 10% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
You can buy a health insurance plan from MNsure, Minnesota's state marketplace, between Nov. 1 and Jan. 15 every year. Plans from MNsure are sometimes called "Affordable Care Act (ACA) plans" or "Obamacare plans."
No matter what plan tier you buy, you'll have coverage for at least 10 common health care situations.
- Doctor visits
- Preventive and wellness care
- Emergency care
- Hospital stays
- Prescription medications
- Lab services
- Pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
- Pediatric care
- Mental health and substance use care
- Rehab services
Some plans may even have more coverage. The difference between Bronze, Silver and Gold plans isn't what they cover, it's how much they cover. Bronze plans pay the least toward your medical bills, while Gold plans pay the most.
COBRA insurance in Minnesota
It's usually cheaper to buy a plan from MNsure than to get COBRA insurance in MN.
COBRA costs an average of $722 per month in Minnesota, while a Silver health insurance plan from MNsure costs $451 per month. Even a Gold plan, which pays for more of your medical bills than a Silver plan, is cheaper than COBRA, at $532 per month.
COBRA lets you keep your employer health insurance plan if you quit, are fired or retire from your job. You can usually keep the plan for a year and a half from the time you leave your job, although it can last as long as three years in some cases.
But COBRA is expensive because your employer no longer chips in to help pay the monthly rate. You have to pay the full cost. Unless you need a specific coverage type that your employer plan had, it's usually a better deal to get a plan from MNsure. And if you get another job and don't need the plan, you can cancel it at any time.
Short-term health insurance in Minnesota
You can't get short-term health insurance plans in Minnesota right now because there aren't any insurance companies offering policies.
If you need temporary health insurance in Minnesota, sign up for a health insurance plan through the MNsure marketplace. You can cancel at any time without penalty. Plus, how much you pay for insurance is scaled to your income because of health insurance subsidies.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Obamacare cost in Minnesota?
Obamacare costs an average of $451 per month in Minnesota for a Silver plan. But you might qualify for health insurance subsidies, which lower the cost of insurance based on your income, and pay an average of $207 per month.
Does Minnesota have the Affordable Care Act?
Yes, you can get Affordable Care Act health insurance in Minnesota through MNsure, which is the state's health insurance marketplace.
What's the best health insurance company in MN?
HealthPartners is the best health insurance company in MN. The company has a strong 4.0 rating from HealthCare.gov. HealthPartners has excellent customer service and a large doctor network. It's also the most popular health insurance company in Minnesota.
Methodology
ValuePenguin used data from MNsure, Minnesota's state health insurance marketplace, to gather average rates for the health insurance companies in the state. Rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless another age or plan level is specified. Plans and providers for which county-level data was included in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Crosswalk file were used in our analysis; those excluded from this dataset may not appear.
Rates for plans with monthly subsidies come from CMS data. Subsidy rates were gathered by looking at all people who bought a plan during 2024 open enrollment and who got advance premium tax credits (APTCs) on their monthly bills. Info about the most popular plan level and COBRA insurance in MN is from KFF.
ValuePenguin rated each company based on its average rates, coverage options, customer service and unique features. Other sources include the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and S&P Global Capital IQ.
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.