Best Cheap Health Insurance in Nebraska (2023)
Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Nebraska
Nebraskans can find affordable health insurance on the state exchange, or residents might qualify for health insurance through Medicaid, which the state expanded starting on Oct. 1, 2020.
For the 2023 plan year, the average cost of health insurance in Nebraska for a 40-year-old across all plan tiers is $566 per month. This is $1 per year less than the cost of coverage for 2022.
We researched all of the health plans available on the state exchange and found that the CMS Standard Silver offered by Ambetter from Nebraska Total Care is the cheapest Silver plan available in 53% of the state's counties.
Cheapest health coverage by plan tier
To help you find a policy that fits your needs, we analyzed Nebraska plans by plan tier to find the cheapest health insurance policies. Although the plans listed in the table below may not be available in every county, they can provide a good starting point in comparing the monthly premium and out-of-pocket expenses you can expect from each plan tier.
Plan tier | Cheapest plan | Monthly cost | Deductible | Out-of-pocket maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | Medica with CHI Health Catastrophic | $310 | $9,100 | $9,100 |
| Bronze | Medica with CHI Health Bronze Standard | $411 | $9,100 | $9,100 |
| Silver | Ambetter CMS Standard Silver | $550 | $5,800 | $8,900 |
| Gold | Ambetter Clear Gold | $579 | $900 | $8,700 |
Higher tiers of coverage have lower out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays or coinsurance but at the expense of higher monthly rates. For example, the cheapest Silver policy in Nebraska has a monthly premium of $550 for a 40-year-old — $139 more expensive per month than the cheapest Bronze policy.
In addition to coverage tiers, age is an important factor in determining your monthly health insurance premium. Regardless of plan tier, your monthly premiums will increase as you get older. As you can see below, a 40-year-old in Nebraska would pay on average 28% more for a Silver health insurance plan than a 21-year-old.
Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Finding your best health insurance coverage in Nebraska
The best health insurance plan in Nebraska for you will depend on the county you live in, as the availability of plans changes by county. And depending on where you live and which plan you choose, the monthly premium will differ.
The monthly premiums for health plans in the Gold tier are typically more expensive than Silver and Bronze premiums. However, they come with significantly cheaper out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles, copays and coinsurance. Plans in the Silver and Bronze tiers usually offer cheaper monthly premiums but costly out-of-pocket expenses.
If you have steep medical costs or recurring prescriptions, we recommend selecting a plan in a higher metal tier. However, if you're young and healthy and you can afford the higher cost-sharing, a plan in a lower metal tier may be best for you.
Gold plans: Best for high expected medical costs
The cheapest Gold plan in Nebraska is the Ambetter Clear Gold. Compare all tiers in Nebraska.
Gold plans are typically best if you use your insurance often because they have the lowest deductibles and copays. But you'll generally pay a higher monthly premium for a Gold plan.
For example, a Gold plan in Nebraska has an average monthly premium of $664 for a 40-year-old, which is $13 more than the average monthly premium of a Silver plan for a 40-year-old. However, the deductible on a comparable Gold plan is significantly lower than the deductible on a Silver plan.
Silver plans: Best for those with low incomes or average medical costs
The cheapest Silver plan in Nebraska is the Ambetter CMS Standard Silver. Compare all tiers in Nebraska above.
Silver plans fall between Gold plans and Bronze plans in terms of rates and out-of-pocket costs. We recommend you consider a Silver health insurance policy if you expect to have moderate health care costs during the year.
A Silver plan could be a top choice if you are part of a low-income household. Low-income households may qualify for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies, which lower your copays, coinsurance and deductibles and can be used with Silver plans.
Bronze and Catastrophic plans: Best for young, healthy people
The cheapest Bronze plan in Nebraska is the Medica with CHI Health Bronze Standard. The cheapest Catastrophic plan is the Medica with CHI Health Catastrophic. Compare all tiers in Nebraska above.
Health plans in the lower plan tiers, Bronze and Catastrophic, provide the cheapest monthly premiums at the expense of having the most expensive cost-sharing. Catastrophic plans have the lowest monthly premiums, but you must be under 30 or qualify for an exemption in order to purchase these plans, and you wouldn't be eligible for premium tax credits.
Bronze plans are open to everyone, but you'll pay higher out-of-pocket costs if you need medical care. We wouldn't recommend these policies unless you are young and healthy or can afford the higher deductibles, copays and coinsurance in the case of a medical emergency.
Health insurance rate changes in Nebraska
Health insurance rates, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums are determined yearly by insurance providers and then approved by federal regulators.
For 2023, the average cost of all health plans in Nebraska decreased by $1 per month compared to 2022. Premiums for Gold health insurance plans fell by 8%, while premiums for Catastrophic plans increased by 20% — the steepest incline among all plan levels.
Plan tier | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change (2022 to 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $378 | $348 | $417 | 20% |
| Bronze and Bronze Expanded | $540 | $511 | $530 | 4% |
| Silver | $772 | $685 | $652 | -5% |
| Gold | $773 | $724 | $664 | -8% |
Monthly premiums are for a 40-year-old adult.
For 2023, Expanded Bronze plans are no longer offered in Nebraska, and shoppers only have access to Bronze plans. The average cost for Bronze plans still increased by 4%.
Best cheap health insurance companies in Nebraska
There are currently four health insurance companies that service Nebraska on the state exchange: Ambetter from Nebraska Total Care, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Nebraska, Medica Insurance Co. and Oscar Insurance Co. These companies have a variety of policy offerings, but we recommend beginning your health insurance search with Ambetter, since it has the cheapest rates for Silver plans in much of the state, and Medica, as it offers the cheapest Bronze and Catastrophic plans.
Cheapest Silver health plan by county
Nebraska residents can choose from a variety of plans that differ by county. To help you find the best cheap health insurance policy for you and your family, we identified the most affordable Silver health insurance plans on the Nebraska exchange by county.
The table below features the Silver policy with the lowest monthly premium as well as sample rates for an individual, couple and family of three in each county.
County name | Cheapest Silver plan | Age 40 | Couple, age 40 | Couple, age 40 and child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adams | Everyday Silver | $558 | $1,116 | $1,450 |
| Antelope | Everyday Silver | $558 | $1,116 | $1,450 |
| Arthur | CMS Standard Silver | $550 | $1,100 | $1,430 |
| Banner | CMS Standard Silver | $550 | $1,100 | $1,430 |
| Blaine | Everyday Silver | $558 | $1,116 | $1,450 |
| Boone | Everyday Silver | $558 | $1,116 | $1,450 |
| Box Butte | CMS Standard Silver | $550 | $1,100 | $1,430 |
Average cost of health insurance by family size in Nebraska
The cost of health insurance for your family in Nebraska will be partially determined by coverage tier, the number of people covered and their ages. If you add children to your health insurance plan, each child will cost a flat rate for coverage until they are 15. After they turn 15, the monthly rate will increase as they grow older.
For instance, the average monthly health insurance cost for a family of three, assuming two 40-year-old parents and a child on a Silver plan, is $1,693. If you were to add another child to the plan, the monthly rate would increase by around $390. Consequently, for a family of four, the total monthly cost would be $2,083.
Family size | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Individual and child | $1,042 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,303 |
| Family of three (adult couple and a child) | $1,693 |
| Family of four (adult couple and two children) | $2,083 |
| Family of five (adult couple and three children) | $2,473 |
Adults are assumed to be 40 years old, while children are 14 or younger. Sample rates are based on the monthly average cost of a Silver plan in Nebraska.
Methodology
Health insurance premiums, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums were aggregated from data found on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. In the database, ValuePenguin was able to use the public use files (PUFs) to calculate average values by age, plan tier, family size and county to better understand the health insurance landscape in Nebraska. Plans and providers for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis; those excluded from this data set may not appear.