Best Cheap Health Insurance in Oregon (2024)

It is notably the cheapest Silver plan in and around Portland, which is home to over 40% of Oregon's population. While Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) has high-quality plans, Kaiser Permanente is the best health insurance company in Oregon overall.

How much does health insurance cost in Oregon?

A Silver health insurance plan in Oregon costs an average of $578 per month for a 40-year-old. But the cost of health insurance changes based on a few different metrics. Your age, the number of people on your plan, the plan tier you buy, where you live, if you smoke or use tobacco, and what health insurance company you pick all change your rate.

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The plan tier you buy has one of the biggest impacts on how much you pay. Higher-tier plans, like Gold, usually cost more each month since they give you more coverage. Your age can also change your rate significantly. The older you are, the more you are likely to pay since age typically makes it more likely that you will develop health issues.

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Cheapest health insurance in Oregon

Regence Blue Cross Blue Shield has the cheapest Bronze and Silver plans in Oregon. But if you want a Gold plan, Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest option.

If you don't have health insurance through your job, you can sign up for an Oregon health insurance plan on HealthCare.gov. You can enter your ZIP code to view the plans in your area and filter by company, plan level and even covered prescription medications.

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Finding your best health insurance coverage in Oregon

To find the best health insurance plan in Oregon, make sure you understand your medical needs, budget and overall financial situation. You should look for a plan that is affordable and gives you coverage for the health care you need.

You also need to make sure you can pay the total out-of-pocket limit on the plan in an emergency. Usually, the more health care you need, the higher the plan tier you should buy.

Gold plans: Best for frequent medical care

If you go to the doctor often, have a chronic or complex medical condition, or need expensive treatments, a Gold plan could be the best option. These plans pay a bigger portion of your medical bills and let you pay a lower share. That's because Gold plans have lower deductibles and out-of-pocket limits than other plan tiers. This usually offsets the higher monthly cost for those who need frequent health care.

Silver plans: Best for most people

Silver policies offer a middle ground between Gold plans and Bronze plans. While they aren't as cheap as Bronze plans, they still have good rates, and they give you more coverage. Silver plans usually have lower deductibles, coinsurance and copays compared to Bronze plans, which means you pay for less of your health care overall.

Bronze plans: Best for young, healthy people

Bronze plans have the cheapest monthly rates but come with a trade-off. You have to pay for more of your health care yourself since the deductibles, coinsurance and copays on these plans are generally higher. If you are generally healthy and don't go to the doctor often, a Bronze plan can be a good idea. But make sure you have enough money in the bank to pay a large portion of your health care bills if you have a serious issue, like a surgery or hospital stay.

Medicaid: Best if you have a low income

Medicaid is a government-funded health insurance program for people with low incomes. To qualify for the Oregon Health Plan, which is the state's Medicaid program, you can make up to about $20,000 as a single person or $41,000 as a family of four. You might be able to make more and still qualify if you are a child or are pregnant. For example, you could make up to $90,000 per year as a family of four and your children could still qualify for the Children's Health Insurance Program.

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Are health insurance rates going up in Oregon?

Health insurance is more expensive in Oregon for 2024 compared to past years. Bronze plans, which are the most popular option in the state, cost $65 more per month for 2024. That comes out to $780 more each year. Silver plans and Gold plans also cost more.

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Best cheap health insurance companies in Oregon

Kaiser has the cheapest average rate for Silver plans. It also has excellent customer satisfaction and high plan quality. And Kaiser's health insurance plans sync with its medical offices, which can make getting medical care and handling your bills easier. But it also means it can be harder to get care at a non-Kaiser facility.

Cheapest health insurance companies in Oregon

However, every company in Oregon has a rating of four out of five stars on HealthCare.gov, except BridgeSpan, which isn't yet rated. Although Kaiser Permanente is a standout company, most companies in Oregon offer high-quality plans and good customer service.

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Cheapest health insurance plan by Oregon county

Where you live in Oregon affects what companies and plans are available to you. Regence BCBS has the cheapest Silver health insurance plan in the Portland area. But throughout the rest of Oregon, PacificSource is more likely to have the cheapest Silver plan.

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Average cost of health insurance by family size in Oregon

In Oregon, a couple with two children under age 15 pays an average of $1,729 per month for a Silver health insurance plan.

It costs $287 per month to add a child who is 14 or younger to your Silver health insurance plan. Until your child turns 15, they are charged a flat rate each month that doesn't change with age. Once they turn 15, their rates will increase with each year.

It's more expensive to add an adult to your plan. A single 40-year-old pays an average of $578 per month for a Silver plan in Oregon, and the cost doubles when a partner joins your plan.

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Short-term health insurance in Oregon

A short-term health insurance plan could be a good choice if you are between jobs, just graduated from college, can't afford other coverage or otherwise only need a plan for a short period of time. Plans in Oregon can only last for a total of three months. If you need coverage for longer, you have to buy a new plan from a different insurance company. The same company can't sell you another plan within 60 days of your prior plan ending.

Short-term health insurance plans don't give you the same level of coverage that you would get from a Bronze, Silver or Gold plan from HealthCare.gov. You may not have coverage for prescription medications or mental health care, for example. Before you commit to a plan, make sure you understand what it covers.

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Frequently asked questions

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Methodology

The 2024 health insurance rates and plan information used in this analysis were sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. ValuePenguin determined the average rates by plan tier, age, family size and region using reference cost data from the CMS public use files (PUFs). 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. The information about popular plan tiers was provided by KFF.