Cheapest health insurance by plan tier

We compared the health insurance plans available on the Florida marketplace and identified the cheapest policy in each plan tier to help you find the best option for your chosen level of coverage. Aside from the level of coverage, one of the most significant factors in determining health insurance rates is the age of each person insured.

A 21-year-old will receive 22% cheaper prices for health insurance in Florida than a 40-year-old. A 60-year-old will pay approximately twice as much as a 40-year-old.

The best health insurance plans you can choose from will vary by the county you live in, and not all of those listed below are available in every county. We recommend using these as a starting point when assessing the benefits and out-of-pocket costs you can expect from a health plan, as compared to monthly premiums.

How to find your best health insurance plans in Florida

Monthly costs are not the only factor to consider when it comes to your health care. Out-of-pocket costs in the form of deductibles, copays and coinsurance are just as important to compare when you shop because these amounts will determine how much you spend on medical care.

Households with higher expected medical costs should opt for a plan with better benefits such as a Gold or Platinum plan. In contrast, those who are relatively healthy or only expect to need routine care should look for cheaper options such as Bronze plans.

Start by browsing Silver plans

Unless you’re extremely healthy or you know you’ll have significant medical expenses, we advise beginning your shopping process by looking at the Silver metal tier health insurance plans. These plans often occupy a middle ground between Bronze and Gold plans, balancing what you pay each month for a plan and what you pay when you need medical care.

In this case, these plans can actually offer better benefits than higher-priced Gold and Platinum plans but at a much lower premium.

Younger and healthier people can save with Bronze and Catastrophic plans

Bronze and Catastrophic plans often have the lowest premiums available, but the downside is they have high deductibles. Many plans in these tiers will have their cost sharing near the maximum limits, meaning that you will first need to spend thousands of dollars before many of the plan's benefits kick in.

These types of health insurance policies only make sense if you want coverage for costly emergencies and have little to no need for routine care. Catastrophic plans are available to those under age 30, and for those 30 or older, you'll need a hardship exemption to be eligible. Keep in mind that all plan tiers except Catastrophic are eligible for premium tax credits that reduce your monthly insurance costs according to your income.

Health insurance rate changes in Florida

The largest price increase was for Bronze plans, which cost 10% more for 2023. The rates for Silver plans only increased by 2%, and the cost for a Gold plan remained stable.

Health insurance rates, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums are set yearly by health insurance companies. The plans are then sent to the federal exchange to be approved for the following plan year.

Short-term health insurance in Florida

Florida follows the regulations set by federal guidelines for short-term health insurance. This allows for the plans to provide coverage for up to 12 months and be renewable for up to 36 months. Furthermore, short-term plans do not need to cover the essential benefits that all Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace plans must cover.

You may want to consider purchasing short-term health insurance if you lose employer-sponsored coverage or miss open enrollment for an ACA marketplace policy. However, it is important to note that short-term plans require medical underwriting and typically do not provide coverage for preexisting conditions.

Cheapest health insurance plan by county

The cheapest Silver plan offered in your county will give you the best rate on a moderate level of coverage. These plans are the best starting point when shopping for insurance because, for most people, they will provide a balance of affordable monthly costs with reasonable medical benefits.

The monthly rates below are for full-priced plans. If you have a low to moderate income, our health insurance subsidy calculator will estimate how much you pay after discounts are applied.

Best cheap health insurance companies in Florida

Florida Blue HMO has the highest-rated health insurance plans that are widely available across most of the state. Its rates are about average in most Florida counties, though Florida Blue HMO has particularly low-cost plans available in some areas.

AdventHealth and Molina have the cheapest overall rates in Florida, both averaging less than $480 per month for a Silver plan.

Find plans

Recap of the best cheap health insurance in Florida

Frequently asked questions

Methodology

Health insurance premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums for Florida were compiled through the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. ValuePenguin used the public use files (PUFs) to calculate average premiums by plan tier, age, county and family size, and average costs are based on a 40-year-old buying a Silver plan.

Plans and providers for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis; those excluded from this data set may not appear.

Company ratings are based on HealthCare.gov data about the quality of plans in Florida. Additional rating information was sourced from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).