Best Cheap Health Insurance in North Dakota (2025)
Sanford Health Plan is the best health insurance company in North Dakota. Silver plans start at $483 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in North Dakota
Cheapest health insurance companies in North Dakota
Medica is the cheapest health insurance company in North Dakota. Silver plans start at $442 per month.
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Affordable health insurance in North Dakota
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Medica | $442 - $713 |
| Sanford Health Plan | $483 - $614 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota | $554 - $659 |
- Medica has the cheapest Bronze, Silver and Gold plans in ND. Sanford Health Plan has the most affordable Catastrophic plans.
- Medica has the cheapest coverage for roughly half the people in North Dakota, including those in Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks. Sanford Health Plan has the most affordable rates for about one in four people, and Blue Cross Blue Shield is the cheapest option for about one in five North Dakota residents.
Best health insurance companies in North Dakota
Sanford Health Plan is the best health insurance company in North Dakota.
Sanford Health Plan has a good 4-out-of-5 star rating from HealthCare.gov. That's the highest rating among health insurance companies on the North Dakota health exchange.
Best-rated health insurance companies in North Dakota
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health Plan | 4.0 | |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota | 3.0 | |
| Medica | NA |
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Best health insurance in ND for access to doctors
Consider Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota if you want the freedom to choose from a big selection of doctors and don't mind not getting the cheapest price. ]Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has the largest network of doctors and hospitals in the nation. That makes it a good choice for people who need a lot of speciality care or who travel frequently.
How much does health insurance cost in ND?
Health insurance costs an average of $627 per month in North Dakota, at full price, or $99 per month after .
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Your health insurance costs depend on several factors including the coverage you choose, your age, income and where you live in North Dakota.
- More expensive plan tiers typically pay more of the bill when you go to the hospital. It's a good idea to choose a higher plan tier if you have an ongoing health issue. However, you'll probably save money with a lower plan tier if you're young and in good health.
- Your monthly rate goes up as you get older. Costs rise slowly when you're younger before increasing sharply as you enter middle age.
- People who earn lower incomes qualify for larger discounts, called premium tax credits or subsidies.
- Where you live in North Dakota influences how much you'll pay for coverage and the number of plans you can choose from.
Get affordable health insurance in ND
Health insurance in North Dakota costs an average of $99 per month, after discounts.
How much you pay for health insurance depends in part on your household income. Discounts are typically larger if you earn less money. Nine in 10 people in North Dakota who have marketplace coverage qualify for discounts, and 3 in 10 North Dakota residents pay less than $10 per month for health insurance after discounts.
To qualify for discounts, called subsidies you need to earn roughly $60,000 per year or less as a single person (about $125,000 for a family of four).
Cheap North Dakota health insurance plans by city
Medica has the cheapest health insurance in Fargo where Silver plans cost $442 per month, on average.
Medica also has the most affordable coverage in North Dakota's other large cities, such as Bismarck and Grand Forks.
Cheapest health insurance by ND county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Sanford Health Plan Simplicity | $588 |
| Barnes | Sanford Health Plan Simplicity | $588 |
| Benson | Medica Altru Prime Silver | $539 |
| Billings | Sanford Health Plan Simplicity | $588 |
| Bottineau | Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota Trinity Silver | $554 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
Best health insurance by level of coverage
The best health insurance for you depends on your medical needs, income and savings.Silver plans balance average rates with middle-of-the-road costs you pay when you go to the hospital.
Gold plans: Best if you need expensive medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Consider a Gold plan if you think you'll need a lot of medical care in the near future. These plans have expensive monthly rates, but they pay for most of your bill when you go to the hospital.
Gold plans cost an average of $614 per month in North Dakota.
Silver plans: Best for those with average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver plans may be a good choice if you only go to the doctor a few times per year. These plans offer a good middle ground between Bronze and Gold plans. That's because Silver plans balance average rates with affordable costs you're responsible for paying when you go to the hospital.
Silver plans cost $627 per month, on average, in North Dakota.
Silver plans have higher rates on average than Gold plans in North Dakota because many North Dakota residents qualify for extra discounts that are only available with Silver plans, called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). Cost-sharing reductions can lower your hospital bill by thousands of dollars per year.
That means Gold plans have higher total costs even though they have cheaper average rates.
Bronze: Best if you're young and healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans are a good choice if you're young and healthy. These plans have cheap monthly rates, but you'll pay more when you go to the hospital. If you have a Bronze plan, it's important to have enough money in your savings account to easily cover your deductible. Otherwise, you may have a difficult time if you get sick or injured.
Bronze plans cost $428 per month, on average, in North Dakota.
Catastrophic plans: Best for protection against high medical bills
Catastrophic plans offer bare-bones coverage at a low price. These plans are usually not a good choice because you have to pay a $9,200 deductible before most coverage starts. Plus, Catastrophic plans are not eligible for discounts.
You can only buy a Catastrophic plan if you're under the age of 30 or you qualify for a hardship exemption.
Catastrophic health plans cost $247 per month, on average, in North Dakota.
Medicaid: Free health insurance if you have a low income
Free government health insurance, called Medicaid, is available to North Dakotans who earn a low income. You may qualify for Medicaid in North Dakota if you earn about $21,000 per year or less (roughly $44,000 per year or less for a family of four). Pregnant women, families with children and people who have qualifying disabilities can make more than those limits and still possibly quality.
Silver plans: Best if you have a low income but don't qualify for Medicaid
| Silver plans will pay 73% to 94% of your medical costs if you have a low income. |
You may be eligible for extra savings, called cost-sharing reductions, if you earn less than about $38,000 per year as an individual ($78,000 per year for a family of four). Cost-sharing reductions help cover the part of your medical bill that you're responsible for paying, such as your deductible, coinsurance and copays.
Are health insurance rates going up in North Dakota?
Health insurance in North Dakota rose by an average of 13% between 2024 and 2025.
Gold plans had the largest increase, at 16%, on average. Silver plans rose by an average of 14%, and Bronze plans got 11% more expensive, on average. Catastrophic plans had the smallest annual increase, at 3%, on average.
Tier | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $239 | $247 | 3% |
| Bronze | $387 | $428 | 11% |
| Silver | $548 | $627 | 14% |
| Gold | $528 | $614 | 16% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Obamacare health insurance in North Dakota
All plan tiers offered on the North Dakota health exchange – Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver and Gold – have to cover 10 essential services.
- Hospital care
- Doctor visits
- Prescription medications
- Rehabilitation care and devices
- Pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
- Emergency care
- Preventive care
- Pediatric services
- Laboratory services
- Mental health and substance use services
In addition to covering these services, all plans bought through HealthCare.gov offer several other important protections. For example, all Obamacare plans limit the amount you pay for medical care in a single year, called an out of pocket maximum. Plus, companies can't charge you higher rates or deny coverage based on your health history when you buy a plan through the North Dakota health exchange.
Average cost of health insurance by family size
Health insurance for a family of four costs $2,005 per month, on average, in North Dakota.The amount you pay for coverage depends on the size of your family. A single adult in North Dakota pays an average of $627 per month for health insurance. Coverage costs $375 per month, on average, for a child below the age of 15.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $627 |
| Individual + Child | $1,003 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,254 |
| Family of three | $1,630 |
| Family of four | $2,005 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children who are under age 15.
Average cost of health insurance in North Dakota by plan type
In North Dakota, you can choose between HMOs and PPOs when shopping for health insurance on HealthCare.gov.
Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| PPO | $442 |
| HMO | $554 |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan using the cheapest plan for each type.
- HMOs tend to have affordable monthly rates, but you can't go outside your plan's network of doctors unless you need emergency care. You also need to pick a primary care doctor and get a referral before you can go to a specialist.
- PPOs typically have more expensive rates, but you can see doctors outside of your network for a higher cost. Also, you can go to a specialist without a referral, and you don't need a primary care doctor.
Short-term health insurance in North Dakota
In January 2025, the new administration rolled back a Biden-era rule that would've limited short-term health plans to no more than three months.
There isn't a timeline for when this change will start, but short-term health insurance could be sold in North Dakota for up to 364 days sometime this year.
You can get short-term health coverage at any time during the year. That means you don't need to wait for open enrollment to buy short-term coverage.
However, short-term plans are almost always a bad choice because they have worse coverage and fewer protections than regular health insurance. It's a good idea to see if you qualify for a special enrollment period before shopping for a short-term plan.
Pros of short-term health insurance in ND
Cons of short-term health insurance in ND
Frequently asked questions
What's the best health insurance in North Dakota?
Sanford Health Plan has the best health insurance in North Dakota. The company has a strong reputation for customer satisfaction, affordable rates and good coverage.
Who has the cheapest health insurance in North Dakota?
Medica has the most affordable health insurance in North Dakota for roughly half the state's population. Silver plans start at $442 per year.
What health insurance companies are in North Dakota?
Sanford Health Plan, Medica and Blue Cross Blue Shield sell health insurance in North Dakota. You can
Methodology
Policy details and rates for 2025 plans came from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) website. ValuePenguin used the CMS public use files (PUFs) to find the average rates in North Dakota by county, age, family size and plan tier.
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.
