Best Cheap Health Insurance in Pennsylvania (2026)

Best and cheapest health insurance in Pennsylvania

Cheapest health insurance companies in Pennsylvania

Affordable health insurance in Pennsylvania

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Best health insurance companies in Pennsylvania

Highmark has an overall rating of 4.0 from HealthCare.gov because of its excellent customer service and affordable rates. That means its plans are high quality and its customers are usually satisfied with their experience.

Best-rated health insurance companies in Pennsylvania

UPMC, Ambetter and Independence Blue Cross are also good options, but they aren't as widely available as Highmark. If you're not sure which company to go with, get quotes from all four, if you can get them where you live, to compare prices and coverage.

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How much does health insurance cost in Pennsylvania?

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Health insurance discount changes in Pennsylvania for 2026

That's up 83% from the cost after discounts in 2025, which was about $129 per month. Discounts probably aren't going to be as big in 2026. Congress could still extend the bigger discounts that are expiring at the end of 2025, but if they don't, discounts will go back to the way they were before 2021.

Health insurance rates in Pennsylvania after subsidies (2025 vs. 2026)

Congress could make massive changes to the program or restructure it altogether.

As it stands now, you can use rate subsidies on any Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum plan. You can't use subsidies on Catastrophic plans.

To qualify, your income has to be between $15,650 and $62,600 if you're single or between $32,150 and $128,600 for a family of four. You can't get subsidies if you can get Medicaid based on your income.

The other type of discount you might qualify for is called a cost-sharing reduction. This lowers your medical bills instead of your monthly rate.

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Cheap Pennsylvania health insurance plans by city

But the cheapest company for you changes depending on where you live in PA. In Pittsburgh, UPMC has the cheapest Gold plan, while in Reading, the cheapest plan comes from Ambetter.

The best way to find affordable health insurance in PA is to get quotes from several companies. That lets you compare rates and coverage so that you find an affordable plan that also works for your medical needs.

Cheapest health insurance plans by PA county

Best health insurance in PA by level of coverage

In Pennsylvania, many people will be better off with Gold plans because they often cost less than Silver plans and let you pay less when you visit the doctor. If you like Highmark, a Platinum plan may even be better since it could be cheaper than a Gold plan, but Platinum plans aren't widely available. If you don't need much medical care, a Bronze plan might be a better option.

Platinum plans: Best if you need frequent medical care

Platinum plans are best if you go to the doctor often or need expensive medical care. These plans pay the highest portion of your medical bills. In Pennsylvania, coverage on a Platinum plan starts right away. That's because the plans have no deductible.

Highmark is the only company in PA that sells Platinum plans. You can only get Platinum plans in Allegheny, Butler, Erie, Washington and Westmoreland counties in western Pennsylvania. If your doctor doesn't take Highmark insurance or if you would prefer another company, a Gold plan is a better option.

Gold plans: Best for most people

Gold plans are the best option for most people, especially people who need medical care often. With a Gold plan, you'll pay less when you go to the doctor compared to a Silver or Bronze plan. That's because Gold plans have low deductibles, copays and coinsurance.

Gold plans are also a good option if you earn more than $39,125 per year as a single person or $80,375 per year as a family of four. Unlike in most states, Gold plans in PA are usually cheaper than Silver plans if you pay full price. If you make less than that, a Silver plan is probably better because you might qualify for a few discounts.

Silver plans: Best if you have a low income

Silver plans give you a middle-ground level of coverage. They can be a good option if you go to the doctor a handful of times each year or have manageable health conditions.

Silver plans are best if you have a low income and average health needs. That's because you could qualify for discounts that let you pay less when you visit the doctor. To qualify, you have to make between $15,650 and $39,125 per year as a single person or between $32,150 and $80,375 as a family of four.

You might also qualify for savings on your monthly rate. If you get both these discounts, a Silver plan might be cheaper and pay for more of your health care bills than a higher-tier plan.

Bronze plans: Best if you're healthy and have emergency savings

Bronze plans typically have the lowest monthly rates. You may save money with a Bronze plan if you don't have to go to the doctor often.

But even a single accident or unexpected illness can be expensive to treat, and with a Bronze plan, you have to pay a higher share of your medical bills compared to other plan tiers. You should only consider a Bronze plan if you have enough money saved up to meet your policy's high deductible.

Catastrophic plans: Best as a last resort

A Catastrophic plan is only a good idea if you can't afford anything else but you can't get Medicaid. Catastrophic plans require you to pay up to $10,600 of your medical bills yourself each year, so make sure you have savings in the bank.

You can only get a Catastrophic plan if you're under 30 or qualify for an exemption. And you can't use premium tax credits to lower your monthly rate.

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Cheap or free health insurance in Pennsylvania if you have a low income

If you have a low income in Pennsylvania, you might qualify for cheap or even free health insurance through Medicaid. If you make too much to qualify for Medicaid, you might still get discounts that lower what you have to pay at the doctor.

Medicaid in Pennsylvania

Medicaid is a type of free health insurance that the government offers to people with low incomes. In Pennsylvania, you can qualify for Medicaid if you earn about $22,000 or less per year as a single person or roughly $44,000 per year for a family of four.

Seniors who earn a low income might qualify for both Medicare and Medicaid, which could help lower their medical bills even more.

Use cost-sharing reductions for cheaper medical care

If you earn between $15,650 and $39,125 per year as a single person or between $32,150 and $80,375 per year as a family of four, consider buying a Silver health insurance plan.

In this income range, you qualify for discounts that lower what you pay when you go to the doctor, called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs). These discounts are only available for Silver plans, but they could make your coverage the same as or even better than a Gold or Platinum plan.

And if you also qualify for rate subsidies, your monthly cost for insurance could be cheap too.

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Are health insurance rates going up in PA in 2026?

Average health insurance costs in Pennsylvania rose by 17% across all plan levels from 2025 to 2026.

Silver plans had the biggest increase, going up by 23% year-over-year. Gold plans, the most popular plan tier in the state, cost 16% more in 2026 compared to 2025. Over the last five years, Gold plans have gone up by 43%.

Why is health insurance expensive in PA in 2026?

The cost for GLP-1 weight loss drugs, like Ozempic and Wegovy, is also driving up rates. Increased health care costs mean insurance companies have to pay more money when people get medical care. To make up for it, the companies charge higher rates.

What to do if your plan is too expensive in 2026

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COBRA insurance in Pennsylvania

COBRA lets you keep the health insurance you had with your job when you leave, get fired or retire, but you have to pay the full cost each month. You can usually have COBRA insurance for a year and a half from the time you leave your job, but it can last up to three years in some cases.

Because COBRA is so expensive, it's almost always cheaper to get a marketplace plan from Pennie. But COBRA might be a good idea if you rely on a specific coverage that your employer plan had.

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Short-term health insurance in Pennsylvania

You can buy a short-term plan at any time of the year. That makes it a good option if you're not in open enrollment (Nov. 1 to Jan. 15) and if you don't have what's called a qualifying life event that lets you get marketplace coverage outside of open enrollment.

But these plans usually have worse coverage than marketplace plans, which makes them a poor choice if you need health insurance for more than a few months.

Pros of short-term health insurance in PA

Cons of short-term health insurance in PA

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Health insurance enrollment by income level in Pennsylvania

People with lower incomes are more likely to drop their health insurance coverage if rates go up. In fact, Pennie reported that for every one new enrollment so far in 2026, two existing customers have canceled their plans.

People who make between about $23,000 and $31,000 per year as a single person or between about $48,000 and $64,000 per year as a family of four have had the highest level of cancellation.

Enrollment by income

Older people (between 55 and 64) are canceling plans at the highest rate. You're more likely to face health issues as you age, and you generally don't get Medicare until you're 65, which means this age group could be left with staggering medical bills if they develop health problems.

Younger people (between 26 and 34) are also canceling their plans at a high rate. This could cause a problem for future financial security. If you have a major health issue come up at a younger age and you don't have health insurance to help pay for the costs, that medical debt could hinder your financial growth for years.

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Frequently asked questions

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Methodology

Pennsylvania health insurance rate data for 2026 is from Pennie, Pennsylvania's state health insurance marketplace site. ValuePenguin used the state marketplace data to find average rates for different plan tiers, geographic locations and family sizes.

Rates

Rates are based on a 40-year-old with a Gold plan, unless otherwise noted. Rates for Bronze plans include regular and Expanded Bronze plans for 2024, 2025 and 2026, when the plans are available. Your costs and plan options will vary; plans aren't always available in all parts of a state or county.

Subsidies

Rates after subsidies are estimates for a 40-year-old with a Benchmark Silver plan and are based on how subsidies were structured before 2021. Prices are calculated using KFF's rates for full-price Benchmark plans, federal poverty levels (FPLs), IRS rules about premium tax credits and Congressional reports about expanded tax credits. The total cost in the state uses rates calculated by income, which are weighted using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data on the incomes of those who purchased plans during 2024-2025 open enrollment. The median was used for each income range. Unknown incomes were excluded from the calculations. Incomes of 100% of the federal poverty line and 500% of the federal poverty line were assumed for enrollees who earn less than 100% FPL and more than 500% FPL, respectively. Information about state subsidies, when available, was sourced from state marketplaces.

Ratings

ValuePenguin's experts rank companies based on cost, coverage options, customer satisfaction and unique value. Ratings are out of 100 possible points. ACA ratings show how the company performs in Pennsylvania for medical care, member experience and plan administration. The 2026 plan quality data from CMS is based on data from the previous year. Ratings are not available for new plans or plans with low enrollment.

More sources

Enrollment trends, including plan selections by tier and enrollment by income, are from CMS data for the 2024-2025 open enrollment period.

Info about why Pennsylvania health insurance companies are raising rates is from the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Other sources include KFF, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and S&P Global Capital IQ.