Best Cheap Health Insurance in Montana (2025)
Mountain Health CO-OP has the best health insurance in Montana. The company's cheapest Silver plan costs $491 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in Montana
Cheapest health insurance companies in Montana
Of the three health insurance companies in Montana, BCBS of MT has the most affordable quotes, followed by Mountain Health Co-Op, with Silver plans starting at $432 per month before discounts .
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Keep in mind that BCBS is the only company in Montana that sells point of service (POS) plans.
With a POS plan, you need a referral from your primary care doctor before you can see a specialist. That makes POS plans more restrictive than PPO plans. But, both POS and PPO plans let you see out-of-network doctors for a higher cost.
Affordable health insurance in Montana
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of MT | $432-$716 |
| Mountain Health CO-OP | $491-$658 |
| PacificSource | $610-$673 |
- Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana has the cheapest rates for about two-thirds of Montana residents. BCBS has the most affordable quotes in most of Montana's large cities including Billings, Missoula, Great Falls and Bozeman.
- Mountain Health CO-OP has the best low-cost medical insurance for rural Montanans. Mountain Health has the most affordable quotes for about a third of the individuals who live in Montana.
Best health insurance companies in Montana
Mountain Health CO-OP has the best overall health insurance in Montana because of its good customer service, affordable quotes and flexible coverage.
Mountain Health CO-OP stands out for its excellent 5 out of 5-star rating for member experience from HealthCare.gov. That means Mountain Health CO-OP customers have an easy time scheduling doctor visits and getting needed health services.
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Best-rated health insurance companies in Montana
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Mountain Health CO-OP | 3.0 | |
| Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana | 3.0 | |
| PacificSource Health Plans | 3.0 |
Mountain Health Co-op also gets significantly fewer complaints than an average company its size. Plus, Mountain Health has a good 4 out of 5-star rating from ValuePenguin editors.
PacificSource Health Plans: Best if you need frequent medical care
PacificSource is a good option if you need lots of medical care.
That's because PacificSource has the lowest average deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums of any company in Montana.
With PacificSource, you could pay up to an average of $7,633 each year for medical care. Blue Cross Blue Shield and PacificSource both have average out-of-pocket maximums over $8,000. The difference isn't huge, but it could help you save if you go to the doctor often or need expensive treatments.
How much does health insurance cost in Montana?
Montana marketplace insurance costs $636 per month at full price or $112 per month after discounts, on average.
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- Higher plan tiers have more expensive monthly rates. But these plans let you pay less when you visit the doctor.
- Health insurance rates increase as you get older. In Montana, 60-year-olds pay more than twice as much as a 40-year-old for the same coverage, on average.
- You might pay less if you qualify for discounts. The size of your discount depends on the amount of money you make. You'll save more if you earn less.
Save on Montana health insurance with discounts
Montana residents who qualify for discounts can save hundreds of dollars per month on marketplace coverage.
About nine out of 10 individuals who have coverage through the MT health insurance exchange qualify for discounts, called subsidies or premium tax credits. Your income impacts the size of your discount: The less you earn, the more you save.
About one-third of Montana residents with marketplace coverage pay under $10 per month.
To be eligible for subsidies, you need to make between $15,606 and $60,240 per year as an individual(between $31,200 and $124,800 for a family of four). It's important to remember that you can only get discounts with a Bronze, Silver or Gold plan from HealthCare.gov. And you can't get subsidies if your income qualifies you for Medicaid.
Affordable health insurance plans in Montana by city
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Montana has the most affordable medical insurance in most of Montana's largest cities including Billings, Missoula and Bozeman.
Mountain Health CO-OP has the cheapest rates in Butte.
Cheapest health insurance plan by Montana county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Beaverhead | Mountain Health CO-OP Plus Silver Standard | $586 |
| Big Horn | Mountain Health CO-OP Plus Silver Standard | $586 |
| Blaine | Mountain Health CO-OP Plus Silver Standard | $586 |
| Broadwater | Mountain Health CO-OP Plus Silver Standard | $627 |
| Carbon | BCBS Blue Focus Silver POS 206 | $432 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
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Best health insurance by plan tier
Gold plans have the highest monthly costs, but you'll pay less when you get medical care. That makes Gold plans the best choice if you have ongoing medical needs.
Silver plans have average rates and middle-of-the-road costs that you're responsible for paying when you visit the doctor. Silver plans are a good choice if you see the doctor just a few times per year.
Bronze plans have the cheapest average rates, but you'll pay a lot of money before most coverage starts. That means you should only choose a Bronze plan if you're in good health and can afford a large, unexpected medical bill.
Plan tiers don't have anything to do with the services you get. A Bronze and a Gold plan may offer the same benefits. The only difference is how you pay for coverage.
Gold plans: Best if you have frequent medical needs
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold plans cost an average of $680 per month and have a $1,311 deductible, on average, in Montana.
Gold plans are a good choice for individuals who have ongoing health problems. With a Gold plan, you'll pay very little before your coverage starts, and your annual costs are capped at an affordable level.
However, Gold plans have expensive monthly rates. If you're not seriously sick or injured, it usually doesn't make sense to get a Gold plan.
Silver plans: Best for most people
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver plans cost an average of $636 per month and have a $4,750 deductible, on average, in Montana.
Consider a Silver plan if you have average health needs. These plans balance affordable rates with middle-of-the-road costs when you get medical care.
Silver plans are also a good choice for individuals who earn a low income. That's because Silver plans are eligible for extra savings, called cost-sharing reductions, that significantly reduce what you pay when you get medical care.
Bronze plans: Best if you're healthy and have savings
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans cost an average of $464 per month and have a $7,422 deductible, on average, in Montana.
Bronze plans make sense for individuals who are young, healthy and can cover a large, unexpected medical bill from their savings. These plans have affordable rates, but you need to pay a high deductible before most services start.
Catastrophic plans: Best for preventing financial catastrophe
Catastrophic plans cost an average of $350 per month and have a $9,200 deductible, on average, in Montana.
Catastrophic plans are almost always a bad idea.
These plans have affordable quotes, but you need to pay $9,200 before coverage starts for non-preventive services. You can only buy a Catastrophic plan if you're younger than 30, or you qualify for a
A Catastrophic plan can help you avoid financial disaster if you become very sick or get into a bad accident. But, these plans usually aren't a good choice because of their high deductibles.
Catastrophic plans aren't eligible for subsidies. If you earn a low income, you can get a higher plan tier for less than you'd pay for a Catastrophic plan.
Extra discounts and free health insurance plans in Montana
Free and discounted medical insurance is available to Montana residents who make a low income.
Medicaid: Best for free health insurance plans in Montana
You may qualify for free health insurance, called Montana Medicaid, if you earn about $21,000 per year or less as an individual ($44,000 per year or less for a family of four). Pregnant women and children can get coverage with a higher household income.
Silver plans with cost-sharing reductions: Best if you don't qualify for Medicaid
| Silver plans will pay 73% to 94% of your medical costs if you have a low income. |
You may qualify for extra discounts, called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), if you make between $15,060 and $37,650 per year as an individual. Cost-sharing reductions help cover the portion of the bill you're responsible for paying when you visit the doctor.
You can only get cost-sharing reductions if you have a Silver health plan.
Are health insurance rates going up in Montana?
The cost of health insurance rose an average of 9% from 2024 to 2025.
Silver plans had the largest increase, at 12%, on average. Gold plans cost an average of 9% more each month. Bronze plans rose by an average of 7%, while Catastrophic plans got 3% more expensive, on average. But plans are expected to get significantly more expensive in 2026 across the board.
Catastrophic
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $312 | - |
| 2023 | $311 | 0% |
| 2024 | $339 | 9% |
| 2025 | $350 | 3% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Catastrophic
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $312 | - |
| 2023 | $311 | 0% |
| 2024 | $339 | 9% |
| 2025 | $350 | 3% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Bronze
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $392 | - |
| 2023 | $394 | 1% |
| 2024 | $432 | 10% |
| 2025 | $464 | 7% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Silver
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $479 | - |
| 2023 | $519 | 8% |
| 2024 | $568 | 9% |
| 2025 | $636 | 12% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Gold
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $516 | - |
| 2023 | $562 | 9% |
| 2024 | $623 | 11% |
| 2025 | $680 | 9% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Why is health insurance expensive in Montana in 2026?
Expiring tax credits, higher health care costs, inflation and expensive prescription drugs are projected to cause a rapid increase in Montana health insurance rates for 2026.
Health insurance companies in Montana have asked for permission to raise rates by 20% between 2025 and 2026. That's roughly in line with the national average.
There are several reasons for this surge in medical insurance rates. For example, growing adoption of costly GLP1 drugs such as WeGovy and Ozempic and tariff-driven price hikes are both contributing to higher quotes.
It's also important to note the role expiring Covid-era federal subsidies will play. Although these subsidies go directly to customers, a reduction could still impact health insurance rates more broadly. That's because more expensive health insurance quotes may cause healthier individuals to leave the marketplace, driving up rates for those who remain.
Tips for getting cheap Montana medical insurance in 2026
- Before you start shopping, check to see if you can get free government health insurance, called Medicaid.
- If you're not eligible for Medicaid, you may still qualify for discounted coverage through HealthCare.gov.
- You can find more affordable quotes by choosing a high-deductible health plan (HDHP).
- If you have a high-deductible health plan, you can save on your tax bill by contributing to a health savings account (HSA).
- When shopping for insurance, it's important to compare quotes from different companies to get the most affordable coverage available.
Essential health coverage in Montana
Plans bought through the Montana Health Insurance Exchange offer several important protections. For example, all plans sold on HealthCare.gov have to cover 10 essential benefits.
Services all Obamacare plans cover
- Hospital care
- Outpatient care
- Emergency care
- Laboratory services
- Coverage for babies
- Prescription drug coverage
- Preventive and wellness care
- Rehabilitation services and devices
- Care for pregnant women and newborns
- Mental health and substance use disorders
Plus, all marketplace plans have caps on how much you'll have to pay for care in a single year, called an out-of-pocket maximum.
Finally, companies can't consider your health history when calculating quotes or selling coverage. That means you won't pay a higher rate or get denied coverage if you have a serious disease like cancer or diabetes.
Average cost of health insurance by family size in Montana
How much you pay in total for your health insurance plan depends on the size of your family.
In Montana, you'll pay an average of $381 per month for each child under the age of 15 in your family. After age 15, medical insurance rates increase with a child's age.
A family in Montana with a single 40-year-old and one 14-year-old pays $1,017 per month before discounts on average. A couple with one child pays an average of $1,652 per month, and a family of four pays $2,033 per month, on average.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $636 |
| Individual + Child | $1,017 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,272 |
| Family of three | $1,652 |
| Family of four | $2,033 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children who are under age 15.
Short-term health insurance plans in Montana
Earlier this year, the incoming administration undid a new rule that would limit short-term health plans to three months. Although the government hasn't announced when this change will go into effect, short-term health insurance with terms of up to 364 days could be available in Montana sometime in 2025.
Short-term plans are usually a bad option because they offer fewer benefits and protections than Obamacare plans. However, if you need coverage outside of open enrollment and you're not eligible for what's called a special enrollment period, short-term plans are a good stopgap option.
Pros of short-term health insurance plans in Montana
Cons of short-term health insurance plans in Montana
Frequently asked questions
Is $200 a month expensive for health insurance in Montana?
No, $200 per month is an affordable price to pay for individual health insurance in Montana. That's less than a third of the average cost of coverage before discounts in the state.
How do I get health insurance in Montana?
The best way to get health insurance in Montana is by shopping for coverage on HealthCare.gov. It's easy to compare the coverage options in your area, and you'll automatically see what discounts, called subsidies, you're eligible for.
Who has the best health insurance in Montana?
Mountain Health CO-OP has the best health insurance in Montana because it offers a combination of cheap quotes, quality plans and flexible coverage. The company gets fewer complaints than an average company its size according to the NAIC.
What is the cheapest health insurance in Montana?
Blue Cross and Blue Shield (BCBS) of Montana has the cheapest Obamacare plans in Montana, at $432 per month, on average, for individual coverage before discounts. But BCBS's cheapest plans are POS plans, which offer less flexibility than PPO plans.
What's the average cost of health insurance in Montana?
The average cost of a medical insurance plan in Montana is $636 per year if you pay full price or $112 after discounts.
Methodology
Montana health insurance rate data for 2025 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 and counties. Only plans and insurance companies for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis. Rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless otherwise noted.
Rates for plans with subsidies are for all shoppers during 2024 open enrollment who got advance premium tax credits (APTCs) on their monthly bills.
To find the best health insurance in Montana, ValuePenguin's experts reviewed each company's rates, coverage, service and unique features. Each company was assigned a score based on these metrics.
Other sources include S&P Global Capital IQ and the NAIC (National Association of Insurance Commissioners). Information about projected health insurance rate increases for 2026 came from KFF.
Senior Writer
Talon Abernathy is a ValuePenguin Senior Writer who specializes in health insurance, Medicare and Medicaid. He's also contributed to other insurance verticals including home, renters, auto, motorcycle and flood insurance.
Talon came to ValuePenguin in 2023. Since his arrival, he's helped to expand the site's health insurance-related content offerings. He enjoys helping readers understand the ins and outs of America's all too complicated health insurance landscape.
Before coming to ValuePenguin, Talon worked as a freelance writer. His prior work has touched on a broad range of personal finance-related topics including credit-building strategies, small business incorporation tactics and creative ways to save for retirement.
Insurance tip
In many parts of the country, you can qualify for a free Silver health insurance plan if you meet certain income requirements. Government subsidies in the form of premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions may mean you'll pay nothing for coverage.
Expertise
- Health insurance
- Medicare and Medicaid
- Flood insurance
- Homeowners insurance
- Renters insurance
- Auto and motorcycle insurance
Referenced by
- The Miami Herald
- Money.com
- MSN
- Nasdaq
- The Sacramento Bee
- Yahoo! Finance
Education
- BA, University of Washington
- Certificate in Copyediting, UC San Diego
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.
