Best Cheap Health Insurance in South Dakota (2025)
Sanford Health Plan is the best health insurance company in South Dakota. Silver plans start at $482 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in South Dakota
Cheapest health insurance companies in South Dakota
Avera Health Plans has the most affordable health insurance plans in South Dakota with rates starting at $469 per month.
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Affordable health insurance in South Dakota
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Avera Health Plans | $469 - $770 |
| Sanford Health Plan | $482 - $880 |
| Wellmark of South Dakota, Inc. | $650 - $768 |
- Sanford Health Plan has the best cheap coverage in SD. The company has the highest-rated plans in the state.
- Avera has the most affordable coverage for everyone in South Dakota. The Avera Standard plan is the cheapest option nearly everywhere in SD. However, the amount you'll pay for this plan depends on where you live because rates differ by county.
- Avera sells the cheapest Bronze, Silver and Gold plans in SD. However, Sanford has the most affordable Catastrophic coverage.
Best health insurance companies in South Dakota
Sanford Health Plan has the best health insurance in South Dakota.
Sanford Health Plan has a strong 4.5 out of 5-star rating from HealthCare.gov. That means Sanford offers the best coverage in South Dakota. Star ratings measure customer satisfaction, plan quality and management.
Best-rated health insurance companies in South Dakota
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Sanford Health Plan | 4.5 | |
| Wellmark of South Dakota, Inc. | NA | |
| Avera Health Plans | 3.0 |
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Best health insurance in SD for doctor network size
Wellmark, a Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS), has the best health insurance in SD if you want to be able to see a large network of doctors.
Wellmark is a Blue Cross Blue Shield company, which has the largest network of doctors and hospitals in the nation. That makes Wellmark a good choice if you want the freedom to choose from a wide range of doctors over getting the best price.
How much does health insurance cost in SD?
Health insurance costs an average of $690 per month, at full price, or $92 per month after .
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How much you pay for health insurance depends on factors like your age, coverage level, income and where you live.
- Plans that pay less of your medical bill typically have cheaper monthly rates. But you may still save money by choosing a higher plan tier, if you need a lot of medical care. A lower plan tier might make more sense if you don't often visit the doctor.
- You'll pay more for coverage as you get older. On average, a 60-year-old in North Dakota will pay more than twice as much as a 40-year-old for the same level of coverage.
- The less you earn, the larger health insurance discount you can get. That's because the size of your discount, also called a subsidy, depends on your household income.
- Where you live determines the number of plans you have access to and how much your coverage costs.
Get affordable health insurance in SD
Health insurance costs $92 per month in South Dakota, on average, for people who qualify for discounts.
The amount you pay for health insurance each month depends on your income. You'll save more if you earn less. Roughly one-third of South Dakota residents with marketplace coverage pay less than $10 per month for health insurance after discounts.
To qualify for health insurance subsidies, you need to earn less than $60,240 per year as a single person (roughly $124,800 for a family of four).
Cheap South Dakota health insurance plans by city
Avera Health Plans has the cheapest health insurance in Sioux Falls. Silver plans cost $469 per month, on average.
Avera also has the cheapest coverage everywhere in South Dakota. That includes the state's larger cities, such as Rapid City, Aberdeen, Brookings and Watertown.
Cheapest health insurance by SD county
County | Cheapest plan | Monthly rates |
|---|---|---|
| Aurora | Avera Health Plans Standard | $636 |
| Beadle | Avera Health Plans Standard | $642 |
| Bennett | Avera Health Plans Standard | $735 |
| Bon Homme | Avera Health Plans Standard | $636 |
| Brookings | Avera Health Plans Standard | $642 |
Cheapest Silver plan with rates for a 40-year-old
Best health insurance by level of coverage
The best health insurance plan for you depends on how much you make and your health care needs.Consider a higher plan tier if you have an ongoing illness or disability. Gold plans have the highest monthly cost, but these plans cover a large portion of your bill when you go to the hospital. Bronze plans have cheap monthly rates, but you'll pay more for care.
Silver plans offer a good middle ground between Gold and Bronze plans. These plans have average monthly rates and affordable costs when you get care. Plus, Silver plans are eligible for extra discounts, called cost-sharing reductions.
Gold plans: Best if you need expensive medical care
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold plans are a good choice if you expect to need a lot of care in the coming year. That's because Gold plans pay for a large portion of your bill when you go to the hospital. But, Gold plans rarely make sense otherwise because of their high monthly rates.
Gold plans cost $731 per month, on average, in South Dakota.
Silver plans: Best for those with average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver plans are a good option for people who only visit the doctor a few times per year. That's because Silver plans balance average rates with middle-of-the-road costs when you go to the doctor.
Silver plans cost $690 per month, on average, in South Dakota.
Bronze: Best if you're young and healthy
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Consider a Bronze plan if you're young, healthy and rarely go to the doctor. Bronze health plans have cheap rates, but you'll pay more of your medical bill when you get medical care.
Bronze plans cost $540 per month, on average, in South Dakota.
Catastrophic plans: Best for protection against high medical bills
Catastrophic plans rarely make sense because they have poor coverage and they're not eligible for marketplace subsidies.
Catastrophic plans are only available if you're younger than 30 or you qualify for a hardship exemption. These plans have cheap rates, but most coverage won't start until you pay a $9,200 deductible.
Because Catastrophic plans aren't eligible for discounts, you can usually get a cheaper plan with better coverage if you earn a low income.
Catastrophic health plans cost $388 per month, on average, in South Dakota.
Medicaid: Free health insurance if you have a low income
You can qualify for free government health insurance, called Medicaid, if you earn a low income in South Dakota.
Those who earn less than about $21,000 per year ($44,000 per year for a family of four) may qualify for Medicaid. You may be eligible for Medicaid at a higher income if you're pregnant, a parent or you have a qualifying disability.
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. |
If you earn less than about $38,000 per year as a single person ($78,000 per year for a family of four), you may qualify for extra savings, called cost-sharing reductions. Cost-sharing deductibles help pay for the costs you're responsible for when you go to the doctor, such as your deductible, coinsurance and copays.
Are health insurance rates going up in South Dakota?
Health insurance in South Dakota got 3% cheaper, on average, between 2024 and 2025.
Gold plan prices went down the most, at 4%, on average. Silver plans got an average of 3% cheaper, and Bronze plans became 1% more affordable, on average. Catastrophic plans remained flat year on year.
Tier | 2024 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $389 | $388 | 0% |
| Bronze | $546 | $540 | -1% |
| Silver | $715 | $690 | -3% |
| Gold | $761 | $731 | -4% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Obamacare health insurance in South Dakota
All Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver and Gold plans bought through the SD health insurance marketplace have to offer a minimum level of coverage. These include 10 essential services.
- Hospital care
- Doctor visits
- Emergency care
- Laboratory services
- Preventive and chronic disease care
- Pediatric services
- Prescription medications
- Rehabilitation care and devices
- Pregnancy, maternity and newborn care
- Mental health and substance use services
All plans bought through HealthCare.gov need to cover these 10 services regardless of the plan tier. The only difference between Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver and Gold plans is how you pay for care. Lower plan tiers have cheaper rates, but you pay more when you visit the doctor. Higher plan tiers cost more each month, but you pay a lower portion of your medical bill.
Average cost of health insurance by family size
A family of four pays an average of $2,207 per month for health insurance in South Dakota.
In South Dakota, an adult pays $690 per month for coverage, on average. It costs $413 per month, on average, to add a child age 14 or younger to your health plan.
Family size | Average monthly cost |
|---|---|
| Individual | $690 |
| Individual + Child | $1,103 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,380 |
| Family of three | $1,794 |
| Family of four | $2,207 |
Averages based on a Silver plan for 40-year-old adults and children who are under age 15.
Average cost of health insurance by plan type
South Dakota residents have the option to choose between several different coverage types. HMOs (health maintenance organization) are typically the cheapest each month, but these plans have the least flexibility. PPO (preferred provider organization) plans offer more freedom, but they cost more. Sanford and Avera sell HMO and PPO plans in South Dakota.
EPO (exclusive provider organization) occupy a middle ground between the two. In North Dakota, EPOs have the highest average cost. However, that's because Wellmark is the only company to sell this plan type.
Type | Cost |
|---|---|
| HMO | $500 |
| PPO | $694 |
| EPO | $711 |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan.
- HMO plans have the lowest average rates, but these plans limit you to a network of doctors unless you need emergency care. With an HMO, you need to choose a primary care doctor, and you'll have to get a referral before you can see a specialist.
- EPO plans don't require that you have a primary care doctor or get a referral before you see a specialist. But, you can't go outside your network of doctors unless you need emergency care.
- PPO plans give you the flexibility to see doctors outside of your network. Keep in mind that you'll also pay more for out-of-network care than you would for in-network care. PPOs don't require that you choose a primary care doctor or get a referral before you see a specialist.
Short-term health insurance in South Dakota
You can get a short-term health policy for up to three months at a time in South Dakota.
You can renew your coverage for up to four months total in a single year. For example, if you buy a policy that lasts for three months then you can renew it for one more month.
You can buy a short-term health insurance plan at any time during the year. That means you don't need to wait until open enrollment to get coverage. But, short-term plans are usually a bad deal because they offer worse coverage than regular health insurance.
Pros of short-term health insurance in SD
Cons of short-term health insurance in SD
Frequently asked questions
What's the best health insurance in South Dakota?
Sanford Health Plan has the best health insurance in South Dakota because of its high-quality coverage and cheap rates. Silver plans start at $482 per month for a 40-year-old woman who doesn't smoke.
What's the average cost of health insurance in South Dakota?
Health insurance in South Dakota costs $690 per month, on average, at full cost. However, most people pay much less for coverage because they qualify for discounts, called subsidies. The average cost of marketplace health insurance after subsidies is $92 per month in South Dakota.
Does South Dakota have state health insurance?
Yes, South Dakota residents can qualify for free government health insurance, called Medicaid if you earn less than about $21,000 per year (roughly $44,000 per year for a family of four). Pregnant women, families with children and people who have certain disabilities may qualify with a higher income.
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 South Dakota by county, age, family size and plan tier.
Other sources include KFF, S&P Global, and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).
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.