Compare Health Insurance Quotes & Prices

Cate Deventer
Written by Cate Deventer
Updated

Compare Health Insurance Rates

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Let's begin with your zip code.

We'll find you a health insurance quote based on your needs.

Comparing health insurance quotes can get you a better deal on coverage.

ValuePenguin's health insurance calculator can give you rate estimates and plan recommendations. Our experts can help you:

  • Find a cheap health insurance plan
  • Get the right coverage for your medical needs
  • Check to see if you qualify for discounts

Compare health insurance quotes and plans

Rates
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Rates
Coverage
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Coverage
Plan levels
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Plan levels
Networks
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Networks

Compare health insurance quotes by cost

By plan level

By age

By company

By location

health insurance quotes by coverage tier

By plan level

By age

By company

By location

Compare health insurance quotes by state

Learn more about the health insurance plans offered in your state:

Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Your Area

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Compare health insurance quotes

By plan level

By age

By company

By location

Plan tier
Rate
Catastrophic$361
Bronze$488
Silver$621
Gold$676
Platinum$913

Average monthly rates for a 40-year-old.

By plan level

Plan tier
Rate
Catastrophic$361
Bronze$488
Silver$621
Gold$676
Platinum$913

Average monthly rates for a 40-year-old.

By age

Age
Rate
20$471
30$552
40$621
50$868
60$1,319

Average monthly rates for a Silver plan.

By company

Company
Rate
Kaiser Permanente logo
Kaiser Permanente$507
Ambetter logo
Ambetter$516
Aetna logo
Aetna$587
Cigna logo
Cigna$591
BlueCross BlueShield logo
Blue Cross Blue Shield$621
UnitedHealthcare logo
UnitedHealthcare$631

Average monthly rates for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan.

By location

State
Rate
Alabama$564
Alaska$1,088
Arizona$529
Arkansas$494
California$656
Show All Rows

Average monthly cost for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan.

Compare health insurance coverage

The first step to picking the best health insurance plan is to compare the coverage.

Start with comparing each plan's deductible and out-of-pocket maximum limits. These amounts show you how much you have to pay for medical care yourself. The deductible is the amount you have to pay before your plan starts to cover your bills, and the out-of-pocket maximum is the most you could pay each year toward your medical bills.

To pick the right amount of coverage, think about what kind of medical care you might need and how much you can afford to pay each month for a plan. If you need a lot of medical care, choose a plan with a lower deductible and out-of-pocket maximum, so your plan pays for more of your bills. If you need a cheap plan, you'll likely have to pay for more of your medical care yourself.

Health insurance terms you should know

  • Monthly rate: This is the price you pay each month for your health insurance plan. It's also called the premium.
  • Deductibles, copays and coinsurance: You'll have to spend a certain amount of money on healthcare, called a deductible, before your plan starts paying for things. After you meet your deductible, you still have to pay part of your medical bill, either a flat fee called a copay or a percentage of the total bill, called coinsurance.
  • Out-of-pocket maximum: The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you will have to spend on medical care in a year. After hitting this limit, the insurance company pays for the full cost of covered health services. Your deductible, copays and coinsurance usually all count toward reaching your out-of-pocket maximum. The monthly rate you pay is not part of the out-of-pocket maximum.

Learn more about the health insurance plans offered in your state:

Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Your Area

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Compare plan tiers

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Private health insurance plans are divided into five categories: Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.

Coverage tiers help you know how much coverage you'll get and how much you'll pay each month. Typically, as your monthly rate increases, so does your coverage level.

Silver plans are a good place to start when comparing health insurance quotes. These plans offer middle-of-the-road coverage and rates. If you go to the doctor often or have expensive medical needs, a Gold or Platinum plan is usually the best option. The extra coverage usually makes the higher monthly cost worth it. A Bronze plan makes sense if you're young and mostly healthy. Just make sure that you have the savings to pay for more of your medical bills yourself.

  • Catastrophic and Bronze health plans have the cheapest monthly rates. But you'll pay for more if you need medical care because the plans have high deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. Bronze and Catastrophic plans are best for people in good health. If you choose a lower-tier plan, you should also have savings to pay for the higher medical costs, just in case. You may pay more for a Catastrophic plan than a Bronze plan because Catastrophic plans don't qualify for subsidies.

  • Silver tier plans have middle-of-the-road rates and deductibles. These plans are best for people or families with average health care needs. Plus, if you have a low income, you can get extra discounts called cost-sharing reductions. That means you'll pay less in coinsurance, copays and deductibles.
  • Gold and Platinum health insurance plans cost the most each month. But they also give you the most coverage, so you pay less for health care. If you think you'll need expensive medical care, like prescription drugs or a surgery, consider a Gold or Platinum plan. The lower deductible might save you money overall, even though the plan costs more each month.

Compare health insurance networks

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A plan's network limits which doctors you can use, the flexibility of your coverage and how easy it is to see a specialist.

PPOs and HMOs are the two most common network types. PPOs typically cost more, but they let you see specialists without a referral. They also give you some coverage for doctors that aren't in the plan's network. HMOs are cheaper, but you only have coverage to see an in-network doctor. With an HMO, you'll also need to go through your primary care doctor to see a specialist, which can slow down your medical care.

Two less-popular plan types are exclusive provider organizations (EPOs) and point of service (POS) plans. These usually aren't the best option, and you might not even have any of these plans in your area.

Health insurance network comparison

Monthly cost
Out-of-network coverage
Specialist without referral
PPO$662
HMO$560
EPO$566
POS$552
Sometimes

Policy costs are the national average for a 40-year-old.

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Private health insurance is coverage that you buy from a health insurance company rather than the government.

  • A private health insurance plan is best if you don't have coverage from a government program such as Medicaid or Medicare. You may get private health insurance from your job. In that case, you don't have to buy a plan yourself.

    These plans cover health care and prescription drugs. You can buy affordable health coverage through the government marketplace, directly from an insurance company or from a broker or agent.

    Find ACA plans in your state

  • A short-term health insurance policy is best only if you have a coverage gap between two health insurance plans.

    Short-term plans are cheap, usually between $100 and $300 per month. But you might not have coverage for some types of health care, like pregnancy or mental health services. You might also have a high deductible.

    You should only consider short-term plans as an option if you miss open enrollment or need health insurance while you're between jobs.

Supplemental health insurance can help you manage costs that aren't covered by your main health insurance.

Supplemental insurance comes in different forms. For example, hospital indemnity insurance gives you cash payments when you have a hospital stay. You can spend these payments however you like .

Other types of supplemental coverage, such as dental and vision, can help you pay for things that don't fall under your normal health plan. Health insurance plans for adults don't usually cover dental care, so it's important to buy standalone coverage.

Frequently asked questions

How much does individual health insurance cost?

Health insurance costs $621 per month, on average, for an adult in the United States. However, the cost of plans will depend on your age, where you live and the level of coverage you choose.

How to compare two health insurance plans?

When comparing two or more health insurance plans, look at the total cost of each plan including the monthly rate and how much you would have to pay through the deductible, out-of-pocket maximum, copay and coinsurance. You should also compare the coverage, especially if you have an ongoing illness, disability or you're taking prescription drugs.

What are the cheapest health insurance quotes I can get?

You may be able to get cheap or free health insurance from HealthCare.gov or your state's marketplace site if you have a low income. That's because you might get subsidies, which lower the cost of your monthly rate. If you buy a Silver plan, you might also get discounts that make medical care cheaper. If you don't get either of these discounts, a Bronze or Catastrophic plan is often cheapest. And if you have a very low income, you might qualify for Medicaid.

What are the best health insurance companies?

The overall best health insurance companies are Kaiser Permanente and Blue Cross Blue Shield. However, health insurance plans vary in price and quality. Compare plan options based on your location, age, preferred doctors and medical needs.

How much is dental insurance?

Dental insurance typically costs between $15 and $25 per month. You can lower your rate even further by bundling your dental and health insurance policies together through the same company.

Health insurance research and advice

Sources and methodology

The average cost of health insurance uses 2025 quotes for a 40-year-old person sourced from public use files (PUFs) on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website and state marketplaces.