Best Cheap Health Insurance in Washington, D.C. (2025)
Kaiser Permanente has the best cheap health insurance in Washington, D.C. Its Silver plans start at $526 per month before discounts.
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Best and cheapest health insurance in Washington, D.C.
Cheapest health insurance companies in Washington, D.C.
Of the two companies on the marketplace in D.C, Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest health insurance plans, followed by CareFirst, with Silver rates starting at $526 per month, on average, before discounts.
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Affordable health insurance in Washington, D.C.
Company |
Cost
| |
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | $526-$589 |
| CareFirst | $582-$590 |
- Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest Silver, Gold and Platinum plans in Washington, D.C. The company's Silver plans start at $526 per month. Kaiser also has the highest-quality coverage according to HealthCare.gov.
- CareFirst sells the most affordable Bronze plans in the District. That makes CareFirst a good option if you're young and healthy.
- CareFirst is a Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) company. That means CareFirst customers can use the BCBS network of doctors and hospitals, which is the largest in the nation.
Best health insurance companies in Washington, D.C.
Kaiser Permanente is the best health insurance company in Washington, D.C.
The company scored a perfect 5-star rating from HealthCare.gov. These ratings measure customer satisfaction, plan quality and management.
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Best-rated health insurance companies in Washington, D.C.
Company |
Editor rating
|
ACA rating
|
|---|---|---|
| Kaiser Permanente | 5.0 | |
| CareFirst | 4.0 |
- Kaiser Permanente also has a good rating of 4 out of 5 stars from ValuePenguin editors. In contrast, CareFirst scored a poor 2.5 out of 5 stars.
- Kaiser Permanente runs its own hospitals in addition to its insurance business. If you have Kaiser insurance, you have to use a Kaiser hospital. This means you're trading flexibility for more streamlined coverage and billing.
How much is health insurance in Washington, D.C.?
Health insurance in Washington, D.C., costs $573 per month, on average, at full cost or $447 after discounts.
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- You'll pay more for health insurance as you get older. Coverage is typically cheap in your 20s and 30s and gets significantly more expensive as you enter middle age.
- Higher plan tiers have high monthly rates, but you'll pay less when you get medical care. Lower plan tiers cost less each month, but you're responsible for a larger portion of your hospital bill.
Save on Washington, D.C., health insurance with discounts
Roughly 1 in 5 people in Washington, D.C., who have marketplace health insurance qualify for discounted rates.
Those who qualify for discounted coverage pay $447 per month, on average. That's an average savings of $126 per month.
The size of your discount, also called a premium tax credit or subsidy, depends on how much money you make. Typically, you pay less for health insurance if you make a lower income.
If you make between about $21,000 and $60,000 per year as an individual (about $35,000 to $125,000 per year for a family of four), you'll automatically see discounted rates when you shop for coverage on DC Health Link, the District's health exchange.
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Best health insurance by plan tier
To find the best health insurance plan tier for you, consider your health, savings and the discounts you qualify for.
You may qualify for extra discounts if you earn a low or average income and you have a Silver plan. These discounts, called cost-sharing reductions (CSRs), help you pay for most of the costs you're responsible for when you go to the hospital.
Platinum plans: Best if you have a serious health condition
| Platinum plans pay for about 90% of your medical care. |
Platinum plans cost an average of $812 per month in Washington, D.C.
Platinum health plans pay for most of the costs you're responsible for when you go to the doctor. That makes these plans a good choice if you have a serious medical condition, such as cancer, heart disease or a stroke.
If you don't have severe medical needs, a Platinum plan rarely makes sense because of its high monthly costs.
Gold plans: Best if you have ongoing medical issues
| Gold plans pay for about 80% of your medical care. |
Gold plans cost $684 per month, on average, in Washington, D.C.
Gold plans have high monthly rates, but they cover a large portion of your bills when you get medical care. Consider a Gold plan if you have an ongoing medical problem.
Silver plans: Best for average medical needs
| Silver plans pay for about 70% of your medical care. |
Silver health plans cost an average of $573 per month in Washington, D.C.
Silver health plans have average rates and middle-of-the-road costs that you're responsible for paying when you go to the hospital. A Silver plan is a good option if you have average medical needs.
Bronze plans: Best if you're healthy and you have savings
| Bronze plans pay for about 60% of your medical care. |
Bronze plans cost an average of $498 per month in Washington, D.C.
Bronze plans have affordable rates but high costs that you're responsible for paying when you go to the doctor. A Bronze plan may be a good choice if you're young, healthy and can afford to pay a large, surprise medical bill from your savings.
More discounts and free health insurance in Washington, D.C.
You may be eligible for extra discounts or free coverage if you live in Washington, D.C., and you have a low income.
Medicaid: Free coverage for those who qualify
You can qualify for free government health insurance, called Medicaid, if you make $32,379 per year or less as an individual. Pregnant women, families with young children, those younger than 21, elderly people and those with qualifying disabilities may be eligible for Medicaid with a higher income.
It will be harder for many people to get Medicaid in Washington, D.C., in 2026. If you're single and you don't have kids, you'll have to make less than about $21,000 per year to qualify.
Silver plans with cost-sharing reductions (CSRs): Best for discounted coverage
| 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 earn less than about $38,000 per year as a single person ($78,000 for a family of four) and you have a Silver health plan. Cost-sharing reductions help pay for the costs that you're responsible for when you go to the doctor, such as your deductible, copays and coinsurance.
Basic Health Plans may soon be available for people with low incomes in D.C.
Washington, D.C., is working to start a Basic Health Plan, which lets you get coverage if you have a low income but can't get Medicaid. The plan will be called the Healthy DC Plan.
However, coverage isn't yet available. The Healthy DC Plan is still waiting on federal approval to get up and running.
Are health insurance rates going up in Washington, D.C.?
The cost of health insurance in Washington, D.C., rose by 4%, on average, between 2024 and 2025.
Gold plans had the largest increase, at 7%, on average. Both Platinum and Bronze plans rose by an average of 5%, and Silver plans went up by 6%, on average. Rates are probably going to go up even more in 2026.
Bronze
Silver
Gold
Platinum
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $382 | - |
| 2023 | $436 | 14% |
| 2024 | $474 | 9% |
| 2025 | $498 | 5% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Bronze
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $382 | - |
| 2023 | $436 | 14% |
| 2024 | $474 | 9% |
| 2025 | $498 | 5% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Silver
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $424 | - |
| 2023 | $475 | 12% |
| 2024 | $538 | 13% |
| 2025 | $573 | 6% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Gold
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $502 | - |
| 2023 | $580 | 16% |
| 2024 | $642 | 11% |
| 2025 | $684 | 7% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Platinum
Year | Cost | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $633 | - |
| 2023 | $715 | 13% |
| 2024 | $770 | 8% |
| 2025 | $812 | 5% |
Monthly costs are for a 40-year-old.
Why is health insurance expensive in D.C. in 2026?
Higher medical costs are driving up the price of health insurance in 2026.
The cost for health care — including doctor visits, treatments and medications — is going up. As that happens, medical insurance companies have to pay more for your care. To make up for the increase, health insurance companies raise rates for everyone. The health insurance companies in Washington, D.C., have asked to be able to raise rates by an average of 10% in 2026.
Expensive medications, especially weight-loss drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy, are also increasing the cost for health insurance. These medications are expensive and gaining popularity. It costs health insurance companies a lot of money to pay for these drugs for their customers, so rates go up for everyone to balance it out.
Another reason rates could be higher in 2026 is the end of extra discounts, called "enhanced subsides." These bigger discounts have been in place since 2021, but they're going to expire at the end of 2025 unless Congress renews them. If they're not continued, the discounts on the marketplace in 2026 won't be as big, which means you'll pay more even if you get financial help.
What to do if your rate goes up in 2026
- Get quotes and compare plans. Each company and plan has its own rate, so it can be helpful to get quotes and see if there's a more affordable option. But before you buy a new plan, make sure your doctors are in network.
- Consider a lower coverage tier. If you don't go to the doctor often, consider dropping to a lower-tier plan, such as Bronze. You'll get a cheaper monthly rate, but you'll have to pay for more of your health care as a tradeoff.
- Open an HSA. If you have or switch to a Bronze plan, you can get a health savings account (HSA), which lets you set aside pre-tax money to use for medical costs. This is a new perk with Bronze plans in 2026, because they're now considered high-deductible health plans.
- Check for discounts. If you have a low income, use a subsidy calculator to see if you get discounts. Even though the savings might not be as big in 2026, they'll still help you save if you qualify.
- See if you can get Medicaid. If you have a very low income, check to see if you can get Medicaid in D.C. If you qualify, most of your health care should be free or very cheap.
Plans sold through the Washington, D.C., health marketplace, DC Health Link, are required to cover certain services, called minimum essential coverage. This includes 10 important coverage types, such as rehabilitation services, prescription drugs, care for pregnant women and mental health services.
Marketplace plans have other important protections. For example, all marketplace plans limit how much you'll have to spend in a single year on out-of-pocket costs with an out-of-pocket maximum. Plus, companies aren't allowed to consider your health history when selling coverage or setting rates. That means you won't face higher prices if you currently have (or have had in the past) a serious illness, like cancer or heart disease.
DC Health Link also lets you compare plans by the size of their network. You can filter by plans that have nationwide coverage, coverage in D.C. and Maryland, or coverage only in D.C.
Short-term health insurance in Washington, D.C.
Short-term health insurance is not currently available in Washington, D.C., because of restrictive local rules.
If you need to buy medical insurance outside of open enrollment (Nov. 1 through Jan. 31), see if you're eligible for a special enrollment period.
You may qualify if you've recently lost your coverage for any reason, or if you've moved, married, divorced, had a child or lost your job.
If you were recently laid off or fired, you can keep your workplace coverage by enrolling in COBRA. Keep in mind that your costs will go up by a lot because you'll now have to pay for the portion of your monthly bill that your employer used to cover.
Marketplace coverage usually makes better sense from a financial standpoint. However, COBRA can be a good option if you want to continue seeing the doctors in your network or you've met your annual deductible.
Frequently asked questions
What's the best cheap health insurance in Washington, D.C.?
Kaiser Permanente has the best cheap health insurance in Washington, D.C. The company scored a perfect 5-star rating from HealthCare.gov. Plus, Kaiser has the cheapest rates in D.C. for Silver, Gold and Platinum plans.
What is a disadvantage of choosing Kaiser?
If you have Kaiser Permanente insurance, you have to use a Kaiser Permanente hospital. That's a disadvantage for those people who want to see a doctor who's not in the Kaiser Permanente system. Plus, you're further limited to the doctors in your plan's network because Kaiser only sells HMO plans in Washington, D.C.
What is the average cost of health insurance in Washington, D.C.?
Medical insurance in Washington, D.C., costs $573 per month, on average, for a Silver plan. Coverage averages $447 per month for the roughly 1 in 5 D.C. residents who qualify for discounts.
Is $200 a month expensive for health insurance in D.C.?
No, $200 per month is a cheap rate for health insurance in Washington, D.C. On average, a 21-year-old pays $427 per month and a 40-year-old pays $573 per month for a Silver plan. You could get coverage for $200 per month or even less if you have a low income and you get discounts.
Methodology
Washington, D.C., 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.
Rate increase request info for Washington, D.C., health insurance companies comes from the Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker.
Rates are for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan, unless otherwise noted. Other sources include S&P Global Capital IQ, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) and DC Health Link.
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.
