Best Cheap Health Insurance in West Virginia (2025)
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has the best cheap health insurance in West Virginia. Plans start at $800 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in West Virginia
Cheapest health insurance companies in West Virginia
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has the cheapest Silver health plans in West Virginia, at $800 per month before discounts.
Highmark also has the cheapest Gold plans, at $753 per month. If you make more than $38,000 as a single person ($78,000 for a family of four), you're better off with a cheap Gold plan because you'll pay a lot less when you go to the hospital.
However, Silver plans are a better deal if you make less than that amount because you may qualify for discounts that help pay for the costs you're responsible for when you go to the hospital.
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Affordable health insurance in West Virginia
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia | $800-$1,030 |
| CareSource | $830-$1,068 |
-
Highmark is the only company in West Virginia that sells PPO (preferred provider organization) plans. PPOs offer more flexibility when it comes to choosing your doctors.
- CareSource only offers HMO (health maintenance organization) plans. HMOs restrict you to a network of doctors. These plans also require that you choose a primary care doctor and that you get a referral before you see a specialist. Normally, HMOs cost less than PPO plans. But, the cheapest PPO plans cost less than the cheapest HMO plans in West Virginia.
- Highmark is the most popular health insurance company in West Virginia. It sells close to two-thirds of all plans on the state marketplace.
CareSource: Best for low deductibles
CareSource has the lowest average deductibles, at $4,800 for a Silver plan. That's $867 less, on average, than the average deductible with a Highmark BCBS Silver plan.
It's important to consider the full cost of health insurance before you buy a plan. That's because plans with cheap monthly rates but high out-of-pocket costs can be more expensive than plans with higher monthly rates if you need a lot of medical care.
Best health insurance companies in West Virginia
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is the best health insurance company in West Virginia.
Highmark gets fewer complaints than an average company its size. In addition, Highmark scored a high 4-out-of-5-star rating from ValuePenguin editors.
Best-rated health insurance companies in West Virginia
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia | NA | |
| CareSource | 3.0 |
CareSource has a good 3-out-of-5-star rating from HealthCare.gov. Star ratings measure customer satisfaction, plan quality and plan management.
However, CareSource gets significantly more complaints than an average company its size. It's usually not a good idea to choose a company that gets many complaints because it could mean that you'll have a difficult time when filing a claim.
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What's the cost of health insurance in West Virginia?
Health insurance costs $955 per month in West Virginia on average. After discounts, plans cost $88 per month on average.
Gold plans have more expensive monthly rates but lower costs when you visit the doctor. Bronze and Catastrophic plans have cheap rates. However, you'll pay a larger part of your medical bill with these plan tiers.
Silver plans balance average rates with reasonable costs when you go to the hospital or fill a prescription.
You pay more for health insurance as you get older. Health insurance rates increase slowly in your 20s and 30s before rising sharply in middle age. In West Virginia, a 60-year-old pays over twice as much as a 40-year-old across all coverage levels.
Get affordable health insurance in West Virginia
Health insurance in West Virginia costs $88 per month after discounts, on average.
Half of all West Virginians with marketplace coverage pay under $10 per month for coverage.
You can apply your discount to any Bronze, Silver or Gold plan sold through HealthCare.gov. Catastrophic plans aren't eligible for marketplace subsidies.
The 3% of West Virginians who don't qualify for discounts pay $955 per month for coverage, on average.
Cheap West Virginia health insurance plans by city
Highmark has the most affordable coverage for Charleston and Huntington, the two largest cities in West Virginia.
Highmark has the cheapest Silver plans everywhere in West Virginia. That includes other large cities like Morgantown, Parkersburg and Wheeling.
Cheapest health insurance by WV county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Barbour | Highmark BCBS West Virginia my Blue Access | $902 |
| Berkeley | Highmark BCBS West Virginia my Blue Access | $800 |
| Boone | Highmark BCBS West Virginia my Blue Access | $926 |
| Braxton | Highmark BCBS West Virginia my Blue Access | $926 |
| Brooke | Highmark BCBS West Virginia my Blue Access | $878 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Best health insurance by level of coverage
In West Virginia, the best health insurance for you depends on the level of care you need and your financial situation.
Platinum: Best if you need expensive medical care
| Platinum plans pay for about 90% of your medical care. |
Platinum plans rarely make sense because of their high monthly costs.
Platinum plans pay most of the costs you're responsible for when you go to the doctor. These plans are a good choice if you expect to need a lot of expensive medical care in the coming year.
However, Platinum plans come with a hefty price tag. In West Virginia, the average Platinum plan costs $1,946 per month, but it has a $0 deductible.
Gold plans: Best for frequent medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Consider a Gold plan if you need frequent or expensive medical care. These plans have expensive rates, but you pay very little when you go to the doctor. With a Gold plan, you'll pay less before coverage starts, and your annual limit on the costs you're responsible for paying are capped at a low rate, called an out-of-pocket maximum.
Gold plans in West Virginia cost $1,015 per month before discounts and have a $950 deductible, on average.
Silver plans: Best for average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver health plans have average rates and reasonable costs that you pay when you visit the doctor. That makes Silver plans a good choice for most people. Consider a Silver health plan if you typically only visit the doctor a few times per year.
You may qualify for extra discounts, called cost-sharing reductions, if you have Silver health insurance and you earn less than $37,650 per year ($78,000 for a family of four). Cost-sharing reductions can cover up to 94% of the costs that you're responsible for paying when you go to the hospital.
In West Virginia, Silver plans cost $955 per month and have a $5,000-per-year deductible on average.
Bronze plans: Best if you're young and healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Consider a Bronze plan if you're healthy and you can easily pay a large, unexpected medical bill from your savings. These plans have affordable monthly rates, but you'll pay a lot of money before coverage for most services starts.
Don't get a Bronze plan if you would struggle to pay the deductible. While it may be tempting to save on your monthly rate, you don't want to put yourself at risk for medical debt.
In West Virginia, Bronze plans cost $736 per month before discounts and have a $6,629 deductible on average.
Catastrophic plans: Best to prevent financial disaster
Catastrophic plans offer bare-bones coverage at a low cost.
Catastrophic plans have cheap average rates. However, you'll have to pay $9,200 before coverage starts for most services, which is called a deductible.
Catastrophic plans are a bad choice for most people. In addition to their high deductibles, Catastrophic plans aren't eligible for discounts. That means Catastrophic plans may cost more than other plan tiers if you make a low income.
You can only buy a catastrophic plan if you're under the age of 30 or you qualify for a special hardship exemption.
In West Virginia, catastrophic plans cost $524 per month and have a $9,200 deductible on average.
Low-cost and free health insurance in WV
You may qualify for free health insurance or extra discounts if you meet certain income requirements and live in West Virginia.
Medicaid: Free health insurance for West Virginians who earn a low income
You may be eligible for free government health insurance, called Medicaid, if you make about $21,000 per year or less as a single person (around $44,000 per year or less for a family of four) and you live in West Virginia.
Pregnant women, families with children and people with certain illnesses and disabilities may qualify with higher incomes.
Silver plans with cost-sharing reductions: Best if you earn a low income but don't qualify for Medicaid
| Silver plans will pay 73% to 94% of your medical costs if you make a low income. |
West Virginians who make $37,650 per year or less ($78,000 per year for a family of four) may qualify for extra discounts, called cost-sharing reductions. Cost-sharing reductions help pay for the costs you're responsible for when you visit the hospital, such as your deductible, copays and coinsurance.
You can only get cost-sharing reductions if you have a Silver health plan.
Silver health plans in West Virginia cap the costs you're responsible for paying when you visit the doctor at $8,523 per year, on average. With cost-sharing reductions, that could fall to as little as $511 per year.
Are health insurance rates going up in West Virginia?
Health insurance got 6% more expensive on average in West Virginia between 2024 and 2025.
Silver plans had the largest average increase in price, at 9%. Gold plans came close behind at 8%, on average, and Bronze plans got 4% more expensive, on average. Catastrophic plans stayed relatively flat with a 1% average increase.
Are health insurance rates going up in WV?
Tier | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $518 | $524 | 1% |
| Bronze | $707 | $736 | 4% |
| Silver | $877 | $955 | 9% |
| Gold | $944 | $1,015 | 8% |
| Platinum | N/A | $1,946 | N/A |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
West Virginia health insurance marketplace plans have to cover certain services, called essential benefits.
Essential benefits for WV marketplace insurance
- Outpatient care
- Emergency care
- Hospital care
- Care for pregnant women and newborns
- Services for mental health and substance use disorders
- Prescription drugs
- Laboratory services
- Coverage for babies
- Rehabilitation services and devices
- Preventive, wellness and ongoing disease services
West Virginia marketplace plans also limit the amount of money you'll pay for medical care in a single year, called an out-of-pocket maximum. Out-of-pocket maximums are capped at $9,200 per year for 2025 plans, although most plans have lower limits.
West Virginia marketplace insurance offers one other major protection: Companies can't deny coverage or charge higher rates based on your health history. That means you'll pay the same rate for health insurance even if you have a serious illness like cancer or heart disease.
Cost of West Virginia health insurance by family size
West Virginia parents pay $572 before discounts for each child they add to their plan, on average.
A 40-year-old West Virginian pays an average of $955 per month for a Silver plan. That means a single parent with one child pays $1,527 per month before discounts for coverage, on average.
Keep in mind that your discount depends on the amount of money you make and the number of people in your household. That means larger families can qualify for at higher incomes.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $955 |
| Individual + child | $1,527 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,911 |
| Family of three | $2,483 |
| Family of four | $3,054 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children who are under age 15.
Short-term health insurance in West Virginia
You can buy short-term health insurance for up to three months at a time in West Virginia.
You can renew your plan for up to four months total in a 12-month period. That means you could buy three months of coverage and then renew your policy for another month. Afterward, you would need to wait eight months before you could buy a new short-term plan.
Short-term plans sold before Sept. 1, 2024, can offer coverage for up to 364 days. Companies can renew your policy for up to three years total.
Pros of short-term health insurance in WV
Cons of short-term health insurance in WV
Frequently asked questions
What's the best health insurance in WV?
Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has the best health insurance in West Virginia because of its cheap rates, flexible plan options and good customer service. Highmark sells close to two-thirds of all health insurance plans in West Virginia.
What's the average cost of health insurance in West Virginia?
Health insurance costs $955 per month in West Virginia, on average. However, most West Virginians qualify for that lower the average monthly cost to $88 per month. Half of all people in West Virginia with marketplace coverage pay under $10 per month after discounts.
What is the monthly income limit for Medicaid in WV?
The monthly income limit for Medicaid in WV is about $21,000 per year or less (roughly $44,000 per year or less for a family of four). Pregnant women, children and the disabled may qualify at higher household income levels.
Methodology
West Virginia health insurance rate data for 2024 is from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website. ValuePenguin used the CMS public use files (PUFs) in calculations to average rates across a variety of factors such as plan tier, county and family size. Plans and insurance companies for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our reporting. Those excluded from these files were not included 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 the West Virginia Department of Health and Human Services.
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.