Best and cheapest health insurance plans in Ohio
Cheapest health insurance companies in Ohio
Oscar, Molina and Antidote Health Plan are the cheapest health insurance companies in Ohio, with Silver plans starting at $482 per month before discounts.
Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Ohio
Affordable health insurance plans in Ohio
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Oscar | $482-$770 |
| Molina | $489-$720 |
| Antidote Health Plan of Ohio | $492-$694 |
| SummaCare | $506-$593 |
- Oscar has the cheapest health insurance quotes for most of Ohio, but it's not the cheapest everywhere because rates have a wide range depending on the county. Depending on where you live, Molina and Antidote Health Plan are also cheap options.
- You may not have to pay full price for medical insurance because of discounts called subsidies. The amount you save is based on your income. Subsidies are a good way to get more affordable individual health insurance if you earn too much to get Medicaid or if you're self-employed. Find out how much you could save by using ValuePenguin's subsidy calculator.
- You can also save by choosing a Bronze plan, which is about $133 per month cheaper than a Silver plan, on average. The tradeoff is you'll pay more for your medical care when you have a Bronze plan, so it's usually the best level of coverage if you're mostly healthy and you have savings to cover medical bills.
Aetna will leave the Ohio health marketplace at the end of 2025.
If you have coverage through Aetna, you'll have to buy a new plan through a different company during Ohio's open enrollment period (Nov. 1 to Jan. 15).
If you had Aetna, consider a plan from Anthem. The company offers affordable coverage and quality service. Oscar is a good choice for cheap rates.
Best health insurance companies in Ohio
Anthem has the best medical insurance plans in Ohio for individuals and families.
Anthem has excellent customer service, earning a perfect 5-out-of-5-star rating from HealthCare.gov for membership experience. This means Anthem customers consistently rate it highly for the quality of service and care they get from their doctors. Plus, everyone in Ohio can get a plan from Anthem.
Anthem also has a large doctor network, which means you can see more doctors and go to more hospitals than you could with other plans. That's especially important in Ohio, because all the plans require you to use certain doctors and hospitals. These plans are called HMOs. When HMOs are your only option, it's important to pick a company that has a bigger network, like Anthem.
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Best-rated health insurance companies in Ohio
Company |
ACA rating
|
VP rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | ||
| SummaCare | ||
| UnitedHealthcare | ||
| Ambetter from Buckeye Health Plan | ||
| Molina |
Anthem is the most popular health insurance company in Ohio. Anthem's plans also offer a balance of affordable quotes and high-quality coverage. Plus, coverage extras such as free or low-cost common prescriptions, free virtual care and coverage for doctor and specialist visits before you meet the deductible are often included.
UnitedHealthcare: Best health insurance company for cheap medical bills
UnitedHealthcare (UHC) plans have great medical coverage in Ohio, with individual plans that will start helping you pay for medical care much earlier than other companies.
- UHC's Silver plans have an average deductible of $3,917, the lowest in the state for Silver plans.
- The downside is that UnitedHealthcare is expensive, with its cheapest Silver plan costing $672 per month.
SummaCare: Best health plans in the Akron area
SummaCare is one of the top health insurance companies in Ohio, earning a high 4-out-of-5-star score from HealthCare.gov. But plans are only available in Akron and nearby counties.
SummaCare's individual plans give you high-quality medical care, have great customer satisfaction and often include extras such as vision care and wellness programs.
The downside is that you'll have a smaller network of doctors and hospitals where you can use your plan, unless it's an emergency.
How much does health insurance cost in Ohio?
The average cost of a health insurance plan in Ohio is $635 per month if you pay full price or could be around $182 per month if you qualify for discounts.
Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Ohio
Health insurance quotes can vary widely based on factors such as how old you are and how much of your medical care the plan covers.
- Seniors pay more than younger people for individual health insurance. Health insurance quotes become more expensive as you age because you're more likely to need ongoing medical care. In Ohio, a 60-year-old pays more than twice as much for a plan as a 40-year-old.
- If you have a lower income, you'll pay less for health insurance. That's because subsidies can lower your monthly bill. You're eligible for some level of discounts if you earn less than $62,600 as a single person or less than $128,600 as a family of four. However, laws around subsidies could change rapidly in the coming months, and the qualifications could change.
Health insurance discount changes in Ohio for 2026
In Ohio, the average cost of a medical insurance plan after subsidies is projected to be about $182 per month.
You may be able to get discounted rates by using health insurance subsidies to lower the cost of your health insurance based on your income.
However, these discounts in 2026 won't save you as much money as they used to. The average cost for a plan after discounts is potentially going from $87 per month in 2025 to $182 per month in 2026. That's because the bigger discounts that HealthCare.gov has had for the last five years are expiring at the end of 2025. Congress is currently debating how to handle subsidies going forward, and the discount level could change before 2026.
Health insurance rates in Ohio after subsidies (2025 vs. 2026)
Income | 2025 rate | 2026 rate | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| $30,000 | $49 | $155 | 216% |
| $40,000 | $154 | $287 | 86% |
| $50,000 | $283 | $415 | 47% |
| $60,000 | $423 | $498 | 18% |
| $70,000+ | $441 | $513 | 16% |
Average cost after subsidies for a single 40-year-old with a Benchmark Silver plan.
- What are subsidies? Subsidies are government discounts that lower your monthly cost for health insurance. You can only get subsidies when you shop on HealthCare.gov. If you buy a plan directly from an insurance company, you won't be able to get discounts.
- Who qualifies for subsidies? Currently, you can get subsidies if you make between $15,650 and $62,600 as a single person or between $32,150 and $128,600 as a family of four. However, the numbers could change as Congress updates subsidies going forward. If you can get Medicaid, you can't get marketplace subsidies.
- How do you get subsidies? HealthCare.gov will automatically check if you're eligible for subsidies when you fill in your application. You'll need to provide info about your income, how many people are in your family and your citizenship status.
- How much do subsidies save you? The exact amount you save depends on your income. You can use ValuePenguin's subsidy calculator to get a sense of how much you could pay after discounts.
- What plans can you get with subsidies? In Ohio, you can use subsidies for any marketplace plan. Subsidies can be used on any Bronze, Silver or Gold plan. You can also use them on Platinum plans, but there aren't any companies selling Platinum plans in Ohio for 2026. You can't use subsidies on Catastrophic plans, but those plans aren't available in Ohio.
Cheap Ohio health insurance plans by city
Antidote Health Plan of Ohio has the cheapest Silver plan rates in Columbus, starting at $528 per month.
If you live in Cleveland, Molina has the cheapest rates, with Silver plans starting at $489 per month. And in Cincinnati, Oscar is the cheapest company, with Silver plans costing as little as $482 per month.
Cheapest health insurance by OH county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Molina Silver Saver | $512 |
| Allen | Molina Silver Saver | $538 |
| Ashland | CareSource Low Premium Silver 6200 $3 Generic Drugs | $539 |
| Ashtabula | Molina Silver Saver | $489 |
| Athens | CareSource Low Premium Silver 6200 $3 Generic Drugs | $617 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Ohio
Best health insurance plan by level of coverage
The best health insurance for you depends on how much medical care you expect to need and whether you have an income that qualifies you for special programs.
Silver plans are a good choice for most people because they balance coverage and affordable quotes.
Gold plans: Best if you need expensive or ongoing medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold plans cost an average of $771 per month in Ohio.
Gold plans give you the highest level of coverage, which means you pay less for your medical care. They also have the lowest cap on your medical costs, called the out-of-pocket maximum.
However, Gold plans also have the highest monthly rates. But the cost is worth it if you go to the doctor often, need expensive prescriptions or have a complex medical condition.
Silver plans: Best if you have average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver plans cost an average of $635 per month.
Silver plans are the best for most people, since they give you good coverage at a moderate price.
You'll likely have to pay more before your benefits kick in than you would with a Gold plan. That's because Silver plans usually have higher health insurance deductibles. But if you have typical medical care needs, the lower monthly rate can offset the higher deductible.
Bronze plans: Best if you're young and generally healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans cost $502 per month, on average, in Ohio.
Bronze plans have the cheapest average rates in Ohio, but they also have the highest deductibles, coinsurance and copays. That means you have to pay more when you get medical care.
These plans are good if you only see the doctor once in a while and have savings for an emergency. If something serious happens, like surgery or a hospital stay, you'll have to pay several thousand dollars for your medical care, before insurance starts paying for your medical care.
Cheap or free health insurance plans in Ohio for those with low incomes
Medicaid and cost-sharing reductions are two programs that can help make medical care more affordable when you have a low income.
Medicaid: Free health insurance if you have a low income
Ohio Medicaid is usually free, and it pays for nearly all your medical care.
To qualify for Ohio Medicaid, you can earn up to about $22,000 as an individual or $44,000 as a family of four. You might be able to qualify with a higher income if you are pregnant, are under age 19 or have breast or cervical cancer.
Use cost-sharing reductions for cheaper medical care
Silver plans are the best health insurance plan if you earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. That's because you can get very cheap medical care through discounts called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs).
To qualify, you have to make less than about $39,125 per year as a single person or $80,375 per year as a family of four. You can combine cost-sharing reductions with subsidies to get both low monthly rates and cheap health care.
Are health insurance rates going up in OH in 2026?
Ohio medical insurance costs an average of 16% more in 2026 than it did in 2025.
Silver plans, the most popular plan level in Ohio, had the biggest increase, costing 18% more in 2026 compared to 2025. Since 2022, Silver plans have gone up by 30%.
Bronze plans are going up by 16% this year, and Gold plans had a 14% increase year over year.
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $392 | – |
| 2023 | $418 | 7% |
| 2024 | $440 | 5% |
| 2025 | $432 | -2% |
| 2026 | $502 | 16% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old. Expanded Bronze plans are included in 2024, 2025 and 2026 averages, when they're offered.
Bronze
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $392 | – |
| 2023 | $418 | 7% |
| 2024 | $440 | 5% |
| 2025 | $432 | -2% |
| 2026 | $502 | 16% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old. Expanded Bronze plans are included in 2024, 2025 and 2026 averages, when they're offered.
Silver
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $490 | – |
| 2023 | $513 | 5% |
| 2024 | $535 | 4% |
| 2025 | $536 | 0% |
| 2026 | $635 | 18% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Gold
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $599 | – |
| 2023 | $601 | 0% |
| 2024 | $603 | 0% |
| 2025 | $673 | 12% |
| 2026 | $771 | 14% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Why is health insurance expensive in OH in 2026?
Ohio health insurance is getting more expensive because of the highest cost for medical care.
Expiring federal tax credits are also a big reason for this rapid run-up in prices.
Other factors driving more expensive medical insurance include:
- Greater use of weight-loss drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic
- Higher labor costs
- Increasing medication prices
- General inflation
How to save on Ohio medical insurance in 2026
- Find the cheapest quotes in your area by shopping around. You could save up to $442 per month by switching from the most expensive Silver health plan in Ohio to the cheapest.
- Consider a high-deductible health plan (HDHP) if you're in good health and you can comfortably afford to pay your deductible from your savings. Getting an HDHP also means you can open a health savings account, which lets you save money on your taxes.
- Check to see if your income allows you to get free government health insurance, called Medicaid. You can usually get Medicaid if you make less than about $22,000 per year as an individual.
Obamacare in Ohio
All Obamacare health insurance plans include important benefits.
- Give you free preventive care (even if you haven't met the deductible)
- Help you avoid large medical debt if you have a major illness or injury
- Don't charge you a higher rate if you have a health condition
You'll have coverage for the same common health situations no matter what plan level you buy. The difference between the plan levels isn't the circumstances they cover, it's how much you pay toward your medical bills.
Average cost of health insurance plans by family size in Ohio
The more people you have on your health insurance plan, the more you'll pay each month. An individual in Ohio pays an average of $635 per month for medical insurance, and a family of four pays an average of $2,030 per month.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $635 |
| Individual and child | $1,015 |
| Couple | $1,270 |
| Family of three | $1,650 |
| Family of four | $2,030 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children who are under age 15.
Health insurance for each child that you have under the age of 15 costs an average of $380 per month. But at age 15, rates start to increase each year as your child or children age.
Short-term health insurance plans in Ohio
The federal government has rolled back a Biden-era rule that limited short-term plans to three months. No timeline has been announced for when this change will happen, but companies may begin to sell short-term health plans in Ohio for up to 364 days .
Short-term medical insurance can be a helpful option if you need a plan for a few months, such as if you're between jobs. Otherwise, it might make more sense to buy a regular health insurance plan from HealthCare.gov. With a regular plan, you will usually get better coverage and can get subsidies because of your income to make plans affordable.
Pros of short-term health insurance plans in OH
Cons of short-term health insurance plans in OH
Health insurance enrollment by income level in Ohio
Three-fourths of people with ACA plans in Ohio make less than $37,650 per year.
This population has a tighter budget because of their lower income level. That means rate increases and changes in discounts disproportionately affect people with lower incomes compared to those who make more.
Enrollment by income
Income | % of total enrollment |
|---|---|
| Less than $15,060 | 1% |
| $15,060 to $20,783 | 10% |
| $20,784 to $22,590 | 32% |
| $22,591 to $30,120 | 20% |
| $30,121 to $37,650 | 12% |
Enrollment in 2025 marketplace plans made during the 2024-2025 Open Enrollment period. Total may not be 100% due to rounding
Frequently asked questions
What is the best cheap health insurance in Ohio?
Anthem is the best cheap health insurance company in Ohio. Anthem gives you access to a wide selection of doctors, includes great coverage and has high customer satisfaction. The cheapest Silver plan from Anthem in Ohio costs $543 per month if you pay full price. That's $61 per month more than Oscar, which has the absolute most affordable rates in the state, starting at $482 per month for a Silver plan.
Is $200 a month expensive for health insurance in Ohio?
No, $200 per month is not expensive for health insurance in Ohio. The average cost of a Silver health plan in Ohio is $635 per month. You might get a lower rate if you can get discounts.
What is the average cost of health insurance in Ohio?
Health insurance costs an average of $635 per month in Ohio for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan. While average rates can be helpful, your rate will likely be different. Rates are based on your age, where you live, the amount of coverage you need, the size of your household and the health insurance company you choose.
How do I get health insurance in Ohio?
The best way to get health insurance in Ohio is to apply through the federal health insurance exchange at HealthCare.gov. After you create an account, you can search for affordable plans in your area using your ZIP code. Use the filter feature to find the plans that fit your needs, like coverage for any prescription medication you take.
Does the U.S. government subsidize health insurance?
Yes, the government offers federal subsidies for health insurance plans that you buy on HealthCare.gov. However, the specifics of those subsidies, including who qualifies and how much you'll save, are currently changing as Congress debates the future of the discounts.
Methodology
Ohio health insurance rate data for 2026 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, geographic locations and family sizes.
Rates
Rates are based on a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless otherwise noted. Rates for Bronze plans include regular and Expanded Bronze plans for 2024, 2025 and 2026, when the plans are available. Your costs and plan options will vary; plans aren't always available in all parts of a state or county.
Subsidies
Rates after subsidies are estimates for a 40-year-old with a Benchmark Silver plan and are based on how subsidies were structured before 2021. Prices are calculated using KFF's rates for full-price Benchmark plans, federal poverty levels (FPLs), IRS rules about premium tax credits and Congressional reports about expanded tax credits. The total cost in the state uses calculated rates by income, which are weighted using CMS data on the incomes of those who purchased plans during last year's open enrollment. The median was used for each income range. Unknown incomes were excluded from the calculations. Incomes of 100% of the federal poverty line and 500% of the federal poverty line were assumed for enrollees who earn less than 100% FPL and more than 500% FPL, respectively. Information about state subsidies, when available, was sourced from state marketplaces.
Ratings
ValuePenguin's experts rank companies based on cost, coverage options, customer satisfaction and unique value. Ratings are out of 100 possible points. ACA ratings show how the company performs in Ohio for medical care, member experience and plan administration. This 2026 plan quality data from CMS is based on data from last year. Ratings are not available for new plans or plans with low enrollment.
More sources
Enrollment trends, including plan selections by tier and enrollment by income, are from CMS data for the 2025 open enrollment period.
Info about the causes for rate increases is from the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Other sources include KFF, S&P Global Capital IQ and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
Insurance Writer
Cate Deventer is a ValuePenguin writer who specializes in health insurance, Medicare, auto and home insurance. She's been a licensed insurance agent since 2011.
She started her insurance career working as a customer service agent for State Farm. She later moved to an independent agency, where she worked with several insurance companies and hundreds of clients. She quoted policies, filed claims and answered insurance questions. In 2021, she pivoted her career and began writing about insurance for Bankrate. She moved to ValuePenguin in 2023 and began writing about health insurance and Medicare.
Cate has a passion for helping readers choose insurance to fit their needs. She enjoys knowing that her research and knowledge help people choose insurance products that make a positive difference in their lives.
How insurance helped Cate
Cate used her health insurance knowledge to navigate a surgery in 2023. Understanding how her policy worked let her focus on recovery instead of worrying about bills.
Expertise
- Health insurance
- Medicare & Medicaid
- Auto insurance
- Home insurance
- Life insurance
Credentials
- Licensed Life, Accident & Health Insurance Agent
- Licensed Property & Casualty Insurance Agent
Referenced by
- CBS
- NBC
- Wall Street Journal
Education
- BA, Theatre, Purdue University
- BA, English, Indiana University
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.
