Best Cheap Health Insurance in Colorado (2024)
Kaiser Permanente is the best health insurance company in Colorado. The cheapest plan costs $418 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in Colorado
Cheapest health insurance companies in Colorado
Cigna is the cheapest health insurance company in Colorado with rates starting at $401 per month if you pay full price.
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Affordable health insurance in Colorado
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Cigna | $401 - $485 |
| Elevate Health Plans | $417 - $513 |
| Kaiser Permanente | $418 - $521 |
| Select Health | $427 - $612 |
- Cigna has the cheapest plans for most people in Colorado. Plan options and rates change based on the county where you live. Cigna is the cheapest company in Denver, Fort Collins and other big cities. However, Anthem is the cheapest company in many of Colorado's rural counties.
- You can get cheaper rates on health insurance by choosing a plan with less coverage. Choosing a Bronze plan can lower your costs by about $100 per month, but you'll pay more at the doctor so it's usually only worth it if you're young and healthy. That's why the best level of coverage depends on your health needs.
Best health insurance companies in Colorado
Kaiser Permanente is the best health insurance company in Colorado, earning a perfect 5-star rating from HealthCare.gov.
Best-rated health insurance companies in Colorado
Company |
Editor rating
|
Plan quality rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | 5.0 | |
| Anthem | 4.0 | |
| Elevate Health Plans | NA | |
| Select Health | NA | |
| Cigna | 4.0 |
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Kaiser Permanente has top quality plans with high customer satisfaction and affordable rates. It's also the most popular health insurance company in Colorado with about half the health insurance plans in the state.
The downside of Kaiser Permanente is that you can usually only use the doctors at Kaiser's medical facilities.
Best health insurance in Colorado for access to doctors
Anthem has the best health insurance plans if you want more choice about where you get medical care and the doctors you use.
Anthem is the Blue Cross Blue Shield affiliate in Colorado, and it works with many of the doctors and hospitals in the state. The company has a few different networks of doctors in Colorado so be sure the plan you choose covers the doctors you use.
The downside is that Anthem plans are expensive in Colorado, with the cheapest plan costing $494 per month.
How much does individual health insurance cost in Colorado?
Health insurance in Colorado costs an average of $535 per month if you pay full price or $133 per month if you qualify for discounts based on your income.
Your health insurance costs are based on your age, the plan you choose, and your income.
- Younger people typically pay less each month.
- Lower plan tiers like Bronze are usually cheaper but offer less coverage.
- If you qualify for subsidies, rates are a sliding scale based on your income.
In Colorado, it usually costs more to buy a Silver plan than a Gold plan, even though the Gold plans have better coverage. If you're looking at a Silver plan, compare your options for Gold, too. You might find that you can get more coverage at a lower price. However, a Silver plan will be the best deal if your income qualifies you for discounts on your medical costs.
Get inexpensive health insurance in Colorado
Health insurance in Colorado costs an average of $133 per month if you qualify for subsidies.
Subsidies can make health insurance affordable, and 29% of Colorado shoppers pay less than $10 per month for a plan. Health insurance subsidies can be applied to Bronze, Silver, or Gold plans from any company you choose.
Eligibility for discounted rates is based on your income. You can qualify if you earn less than $58,320 as an individual or less than $120,000 as a family of four. The lower your income, the more you'll save on a plan.
Cheap Colorado health insurance plans by city
The cost of health insurance changes depending on where you live.
- Cigna has the cheapest health insurance in Denver, costing $404 per month.
- Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest health insurance in Colorado Springs, at $422 per month.
Cheapest health insurance by CO county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rate |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Cigna Connect Option Silver | $404 |
| Arapahoe | Cigna Connect Option Silver | $404 |
| Baca | Anthem Option Silver Pathway Standard | $593 |
| Bent | Anthem Option Silver Pathway Standard | $593 |
| Boulder | Cigna Connect Option Silver | $412 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old. These 39 counties include 90% of Colorado's population.
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Best health insurance by level of coverage
In Colorado, the best health insurance plan for you depends on your monthly budget and how much medical care you need.
Gold plans: Best if you need frequent medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold plans have the best coverage. If you need ongoing or complex medical care, Gold plans can save you money overall.
Gold plans cost an average of $459 per month in Colorado. They'll help you save on medical costs because of their low deductibles, coinsurance and copays.
Silver plans: Best if you have a low income to get discounts
| Silver plans will pay 74% to 90% of your medical costs if you have a low income. |
If you earn less than about $36,000 per year as an individual or $75,000 per year as a family of four, you'll usually get the best deal with a Silver plan because of a program where you can get discounts on your medical bills.
The cost sharing reductions program improves your medical coverage if you qualify. But the program is only available if you choose a Silver plan.
In Colorado, Silver plans cost an average of $535 per month. This means that Silver plans can sometimes be more expensive than Gold. So if you don't qualify for medical cost reductions, check if a Gold plan is more affordable than Silver in your area.
Bronze plans: Best if you're young and healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans can be good if you are healthy and don't need much medical care. They have the cheapest monthly rates, costing an average of $386 per month. But you'll have to pay a larger part of your medical bills.
A Bronze plan will help you save overall if you only go to the doctor a few times per year. You'll also get free preventive care and your medical bills will be capped if you get very sick or badly injured.
However, your costs for expensive treatment can be high before the plans full benefits kick in. Be sure you have enough savings to pay for a medical emergency if you choose a Bronze plan.
Medicaid: Free health insurance if you have a low income
If you make less than about $20,000 as a single person or $41,000 as a family of four, Medicaid is the best health insurance option. You'll get great coverage for free or very little cost.
Medicaid is a federal program for people with low incomes. Even if you have a higher household income, you might still qualify for Medicaid if you are pregnant or under age 19.
You can apply for Medicaid in Colorado through the Health First Colorado, where you can also check your benefits or find a doctor after you're enrolled.
Are health insurance rates going up in Colorado?
The average cost of health insurance in Colorado increased by about 6% on average between 2023 and 2024.
Tier | 2023 | 2024 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bronze | $354 | $386 | 9% |
| Silver | $489 | $535 | 9% |
| Gold | $465 | $459 | -1% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Silver and Bronze plans increased the most, by an average of 9% each. But Gold plans got slightly cheaper from 2023 to 2024, making them an even more appealing option over Silver plans.
Colorado insurance marketplace: Connect for Health
All marketplace health insurance plans provide important benefits to protect your health and finances.
- You get free checkups and preventive care as soon as the plan begins.
- You won't be denied coverage or pay more for a plan if you have a pre-existing condition.
- All plans protect you from major medical debt through the out of pocket maximum.
Short-term health insurance in Colorado
You can't buy short-term health insurance in Colorado. The state changed its rules for short-term health insurance in 2019. Although short-term health insurance is allowed in Colorado, no insurance companies sell short-term policies.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest health insurance in Colorado?
The cheapest Silver plan in Colorado is the Connect Colorado Option Silver from Cigna. It costs as little as $401 per month, which is 25% less than the state average cost for a Silver plan. If Cigna isn't available in your area, the Colorado Option Silver Pathway Standard plan from Anthem could be the cheapest option.
What is the best health insurance company in Colorado?
Kaiser Permanente is the best health insurance company in CO. It has a perfect five-star rating from HealthCare.gov and consistently high customer satisfaction reviews. Kaiser Permanente also has low rates, with a Silver plan costing an average of $448 per month in CO. And Kaiser Permanente is the most popular health insurance company in Colorado. Its plans make up nearly half of all health insurance plans in the state.
How much does Obamacare cost in Colorado?
A Silver policy from Colorado's state marketplace costs an average of $535 per month. Plans sold on the Connect for Health Colorado site are often called Obamacare plans or Affordable Care Act plans. These plans are often the best health insurance if you don't get coverage from a job or qualify for Medicare or Medicaid.
Methodology
Health insurance rates and plans for 2024 were pulled for 39 counties in Colorado that account for 90% of the state's population.
The average cost of health insurance is based on a 40-year-old buying a Silver plan, unless otherwise specified. All rates and plan information come from the Connect for Health Colorado state health insurance exchange. Using the premiums, averages were determined for variables such as metal tier, age and county.
Additional sources include KFF, S&P Global, and NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners).
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.