Best Cheap Health Insurance in Minnesota 2023

The cheapest Silver health insurance policy in Minnesota is the UCare M Health Fairview Silver HSA, which is the best-priced plan in eight counties. Another cheap option is the Blue Plus Minnesota Value HSA Silver $3000 Plan 401, which is the most affordable in 32 counties.

In Minnesota, cheap health insurance is available through the MNsure private health insurance marketplace. Alternatively, if your household income falls below 138% of the federal poverty level, then you are eligible to get health insurance through Medicaid.

Cheapest health insurance by metal tier

MNsure marketplace plans are available if you currently do not have health insurance through an employer or are self-employed.

We researched and compared all the plans offered on the Minnesota exchange to find the most affordable health insurance option at each level of coverage. Each plan has a deductible, out-of-pocket maximum and monthly premium. This table should be used to evaluate the plans offered in Minnesota and help you to gauge which tier fits your financial needs.

Minnesota's health insurance exchange is broken down into three different metal tiers: Bronze, Silver and Gold. The highest tier has the most expensive premiums but lower deductibles, which allow for quicker access to coinsurance benefits. For example, the average monthly premium for the cheapest Gold plan is $87 more expensive than the monthly premium for the Bronze policy, but the deductible is $6,200 less.

The premium you are required to pay for a policy is determined in large part by your age — as you get older, a higher premium is required to pay for the same level of health insurance. For example, in Minnesota, a 60-year-old would pay on average 94% more for a Silver plan than a 40-year-old, or $380 more per month. The jump in cost is smaller between 21-year-olds and 40-year-olds — $88 — since health conditions are much more prevalent among seniors.

Health insurance rate changes in Minnesota

The average cost of health insurance in Minnesota across all three tiers increased by 1% from 2022 to 2023. Silver plans had the greatest increase across the three metal tiers, increasing by an average of 4% for 2023.

Finding the best health insurance coverage in Minnesota

The best health insurance coverage depends on your medical and financial situation, along with the availability of policies in your county. Minnesota has expanded Medicaid coverage in the state. This allows anyone who has a household income that falls below 138% of the federal poverty line to get Medicaid coverage.

When deciding on an individual plan, it is vital to evaluate your situation and then choose a plan that has premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums that work for you. Otherwise, you may end up overpaying for unnecessary coverage or committing to pay unaffordable out-of-pocket costs.

Below we have provided a breakdown of the metal tiers and who each policy would best serve.

Gold plans: Best if you expect high medical costs

Gold plans are the most expensive health insurance policies offered in Minnesota. Although these policies cost the most, they often have the most affordable deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses. For this reason, Gold plans can be great if you tend to have high medical costs during the year. In this case, you would be able to reach the low deductible very quickly and then begin to get coinsurance benefits from the plan provider.

The cheapest Gold plan in Minnesota is the Blue Plus Metro MN Gold $1300 Plan 455.

Silver plans: Best for people with low incomes or average medical costs

Silver plans are the middle-ground policies on the health insurance marketplace. We recommend beginning your health insurance search with Silver plans since these plans have affordable premiums along with an attainable deductible. Once the deductible is met, cost sharing begins between you and the insurer.

Silver plans are also the only plans on the Minnesota marketplace that are eligible for cost-sharing reductions, which reduce copays, coinsurance and deductibles. You can become eligible for these reductions if you have a household income below 250% of the federal poverty level. Due to these reductions, Silver plans can sometimes be the most cost-effective option.

The cheapest Silver plan in Minnesota is the UCare M Health Fairview Silver HAS.

Bronze: Best if you are young and healthy

Bronze health policies have the lowest premiums but the highest deductibles. This high deductible requires you to pay thousands of dollars before any coinsurance benefits begin. For this reason, Bronze policies are best if you are healthy or young and will not incur regular medical costs like monthly prescription drugs. You should also make sure that you're financially able to pay the high deductible in the case of a medical emergency.

The cheapest Bronze plan in Minnesota is the UCare M Health Fairview Bronze HSA.

Short-term health insurance in Minnesota

You can buy short-term health insurance in Minnesota. Typically, short-term plans can only provide coverage for up to one year, but in Minnesota, short-term health insurance can only last six months. Plans are issued on a nonrenewable basis.

Federal regulations for short-term policies do not require these plans to cover all the essential benefits. This includes health services like prescription drugs and maternity care. If you need comprehensive coverage, you should not buy a short-term health insurance policy. Consider other options instead, such as the state marketplace.

Health insurance companies in Minnesota

In Minnesota, there are currently five insurers that sell plans through the MNsure marketplace:

The availability of insurers changes by county. Your location directly affects your coverage options. Out of all of these companies, BlueCross BlueShield Minnesota and Medica are the most widely available health insurers in the state.

Cheapest Silver plan by county

The availability and cost of individual health insurance policies depend on the county that you live in. As you can see in the table below, the UCare Silver HSA is $122 more expensive for a 40-year-old who lives in Goodhue County than someone the same age in Aitkin County. It is important to note these differences so that you can find a plan that fits your income level.

Methodology

We retrieved health insurance rates for 21-, 40- and 60-year-old shoppers using MNsure, Minnesota's health insurance exchange. ValuePenguin organized this data according to county, age and metal tier to allow readers to compare rates easily.