Best Cheap Health Insurance in Wisconsin (2026)

Best and cheapest health insurance in WI

Cheapest health insurance companies in Wisconsin

Affordable health insurance in Wisconsin

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Best health insurance companies in Wisconsin

Dean Health Plan gets a high 4-star rating from HealthCare.gov, with high marks for medical coverage and customer satisfaction. The company has high-quality health insurance plans with good coverage and lower deductibles than average.

Additionally, Dean Health has the cheapest Bronze plans in Wisconsin, with rates starting at $353. Bronze plans are popular in Wisconsin. Dean Health is also widely available. About 4 in 10 people in Wisconsin can get a plan from Dean Health.

Best-rated health insurance companies in Wisconsin

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How much does health insurance cost in Wisconsin?

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Health insurance discount changes in Wisconsin for 2026

That's about a 67% increase. Marketplace discounts, called subsidies, might not save you as much in 2026 as they have in past years. That's because the bigger discounts are expiring at the end of 2025. Unless Congress renews them or decides on another format, the discounts will roll back to their pre-2021 structure as of Jan. 1, 2026. They'll still save you money, just not as much.

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

You can use subsidies to get a cheaper rate on any Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum plan in Wisconsin. You can't use subsidies on Catastrophic plans.

You're usually eligible for discounts if you make between $15,650 and $62,600 per year as a single person or between $32,150 and $128,600 per year as a family of four. Even if you have a higher income, you may still get a discount so that you won't pay more than 8.5% of your income on health insurance. However, all these rules could change as Congress debates the future of the subsidy program.

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Cheap Wisconsin health insurance plans by city

Network Health is also the cheapest health insurance company in Appleton and Oshkosh. But in Madison, Group Health Cooperative has the cheapest Silver plans, and in Green Bay, Anthem has the cheapest rates.

Your health insurance options differ widely depending on where you live in Wisconsin. It's a good idea to review all the companies and plans in your area to find the best option for you.

Cheapest health insurance plans by WI county

Best health insurance by level of coverage

To get the best deal on health insurance, choose your level of coverage based on the amount of medical care you expect to need.

If you think you'll have high medical costs, it's worth it to pay more for a plan with better benefits so you'll pay less at the doctor. But if you only need routine medical care, you may save money by choosing a plan with less coverage, even if you pay more for doctor appointments.

All tiers of coverage will give you free checkups and preventive care as soon as the plan begins and cap your costs if you get very sick or badly injured.

Platinum plans: Best for expensive medical care

Platinum plans cost $635 per month, on average, in Wisconsin.

Platinum medical insurance plans have the highest level of coverage in Wisconsin. You'll only pay an average of $250 for your deductible before your health coverage starts paying toward your medical bills.

With a Platinum plan, you'll pay much less when you get medical care compared to other plans. However, you can only get Platinum plans if you live around Madison. Group Health Cooperative is the only company that sells Platinum plans in Wisconsin in 2026.

Gold plans: Best if you go to the doctor often

Gold plans cost an average of $770 per month in Wisconsin.

Gold health insurance plans have good coverage — and unlike Platinum plans, you can get them no matter where you live in Wisconsin.

If you have a chronic illness or are expecting to need an expensive procedure but don't have access to a Platinum plan because of where you live, consider a Gold plan.

Silver plans: Best health insurance for most people

In Wisconsin, a Silver plan costs an average of $722 per month. Silver plans balance affordable monthly rates and moderate medical costs.

Silver plans are a good level of coverage for most people. Your medical costs won't be as high as if you had a Bronze plan, and you'll usually pay less each month than you would for a Gold plan.

Bronze plans: Best if you're healthy and only need routine care

Bronze plans are one of the cheapest tiers of coverage, costing an average of $558 per month in Wisconsin. This can help keep your monthly costs low.

However, you typically won't have much coverage until after you've paid for thousands of dollars of medical care yourself. As such, Bronze plans are a good deal if you only expect to go to the doctor a few times for routine health care.

A Bronze plan will protect you from high costs if you have an unexpected injury or get very sick. But it's a good idea to have enough savings to cover the plan's high deductible so you'll be prepared if there's an emergency.

Catastrophic plans: Basic coverage for emergencies

A Catastrophic plan costs an average of $500 per month in Wisconsin.

A Catastrophic health plan will only start covering your medical costs after you've paid $10,600 in medical bills yourself. They're only a good choice if you want coverage for emergencies. Plus, you'll have to pay full price because these plans aren't eligible for discounts.

In many cases, a Bronze plan will give you much better coverage for a lower monthly cost after the discounts are applied.

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

If you have a low income, you could lower your health costs through Medicaid or the cost-sharing reduction (CSR) program, which helps you get an insurance plan with great benefits.

Free health insurance in Wisconsin through Medicaid

Medicaid is the best health insurance if you have a low income. With Medicaid, your insurance and your medical care can be very low-cost.

However, it's harder to get Medicaid in Wisconsin than in other states because Wisconsin hasn’t expanded eligibility.

BadgerCare Plus is the name of Wisconsin's Medicaid program if you're younger than age 65.

Use cost-sharing reductions for cheaper medical care

If you earn too much to qualify for Medicaid, you might be able to get cheap medical care by signing up for a Silver health insurance plan on HealthCare.gov and using the cost-sharing reductions program to lower your health costs.

You'll automatically get cost-sharing reductions if you're enrolled in the Silver plan and meet the income criteria. You have to make between $15,650 and $39,125 per year as an individual or between $32,150 and $80,375 per year as a family of four. On HealthCare.gov, you'll know the discount is applied when the plan says "Extra savings" in orange.

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Are health insurance rates going up in WI in 2026?

Platinum plans had the smallest increase, at 5%. Gold plans had an increase of 17%. Catastrophic plans saw the largest increase, costing 52% more in 2026 compared to 2025.

The most popular plan tiers in Wisconsin, Bronze and Silver, are both more expensive in 2026. Bronze plans went up by 16%, and Silver plans went up by 19%. Since 2022, Silver plans have gone up by 40%.

Why is health insurance expensive in WI in 2026?

When it costs more to go to the doctor or get medication, health insurance companies have to pay more toward your medical bills. That extra cost adds up across all their customers. To balance it out, medical insurance companies raise rates for everyone.

Another reason that rates could be higher in 2026 has to do with discounts. For the last five years, people with low incomes have gotten bigger discounts, called "enhanced subsidies," on HealthCare.gov plans. However, these extra discounts are only valid until the end of 2025, unless Congress extends them. This means that any discounts you get next year won't be as big.

What to do if your rate goes up in 2026

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Average cost of health insurance by family size in Wisconsin

The cost of health insurance goes up for each person you add to the plan. However, rates for children are much cheaper than rates for adults.

In Wisconsin, it costs an average of $432 per month for each child you add to your family medical insurance plan.

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Short-term health insurance in Wisconsin

Short-term health insurance plans are available in Wisconsin. You can buy these plans at any time during the year, but they usually offer worse coverage than Affordable Care Act (ACA) health insurance.

Pros of short-term health insurance in Wisconsin

Cons of short-term health insurance in Wisconsin

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Health insurance enrollment by income level in Wisconsin

This is particularly concerning in the context of how much more expensive health insurance is going to be in 2026. People with low incomes are going to feel the effects of rate increases and discount changes more so than people with higher incomes. Because they have less freedom in their budget to account for higher rates, people with low incomes are probably more likely to drop their health insurance entirely if they can no longer afford it.

Enrollment by income

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Frequently asked questions

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Methodology

Wisconsin health insurance rate data for 2026 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, geographic locations and family sizes.

Rates

Rates are based on a 40-year-old with a Silver 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 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 Wisconsin 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 on why 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.