Best Cheap Health Insurance in Ohio (2023)
For 2023, the average cost of health insurance in Ohio is $457 per month for a 40-year-old.
Compare Health Insurance Plans in Ohio
The cheapest Silver health insurance policy in most of Ohio is the Constant Care Silver 1 plan from Molina Healthcare. However, the same set of insurers isn't available in every county, so the most affordable health coverage may differ depending on where you live.
Ohio residents can find affordable health insurance on the state exchange or through Medicaid, depending on income, although your best health plan will depend on your budget and expected costs. We recommend comparing multiple companies before purchasing a plan.
Cheapest health insurance coverage by plan tier
We recommend using these low-cost health insurance policies as a starting point to determine the costs and benefits you can expect from a given tier of coverage.
Health insurance plans are categorized into tiers, corresponding to the benefits and out-of-pocket expenses you can expect from a policy.
We studied affordable health insurance policies in Ohio across each tier and identified the lowest-cost options to help you find the best health insurance plan for a given level of coverage.
Compare Health Insurance Plans in Ohio
The cost of medical coverage is largely based on your level of coverage as well as your age, with older people facing much higher rates.
For a Silver health care plan, a 40-year-old in Ohio will pay $112 more per month on average than a 21-year-old for the same level of coverage. A 60-year-old will pay $577 more than a 40-year-old for the same health plan.
The cheapest plans listed below aren't available in every county, as no insurer offers plans statewide through the Ohio marketplace, but we recommend using these to determine the premiums you can expect.
Plan tier | Cheapest plan | Monthly cost | Deductible | Out-of-pocket maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | Market HMO Young Adult Essentials - Southern Ohio | $226 | $9,100 | $9,100 |
| Bronze | SummaCare Bronze 8000 with SCConnect Network | $305 | $8,000 | $9,100 |
| Silver | SummaCare Silver 6000 with SCConnect Network and 3 Free PCP Visits | $392 | $200 | $1,000 |
| Gold | Gold Classic - Standard (Select) | $448 | $3,500 | $6,550 |
Finding your best health insurance coverage in Ohio
The health insurance policies available to you will vary depending on where you live in Ohio, but in every county, you'll be able to choose from multiple metal tiers of coverage. The best cheap health plan for you will be based, in part, on your income and expected medical expenses since these impact the rates you'll pay and the coverage you'll need.
Higher metal tiers tend to have costlier premiums, but their lower cost-sharing makes them ideal for families that expect to have large or consistent health care expenses.
On the other hand, lower metal tier health plans often have cheaper rates, but their high out-of-pocket expenses mean they're only ideal if you have emergency savings and don't expect to need costly medical care.
Gold plans: Best for families with high or consistent medical expenses
Gold health insurance plans are often the best option for families with higher expected medical costs. Gold policies tend to have the highest monthly premiums but the lowest out-of-pocket costs.
You’ll have to pay much less yourself before your health insurance provides coverage. This is a great benefit if you have ongoing prescriptions, you have a chronic condition or you can't manage a large, unexpected expense and would prefer higher, but predictable, premiums.
Silver plans: Best for low-income families or average medical costs
Ohio has expanded Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), meaning a household income of up to 138% of the federal poverty level can qualify for Medicaid. Low-income families that don't qualify might get their best rates with a Silver plan.
Silver health insurance policies are the only ones that qualify for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies if your household income falls below a certain threshold. Silver plans are also a good middle ground, as they often combine more affordable medical insurance rates than Gold plans with lower out-of-pocket expenses than you'd face with a Bronze plan.
Bronze/Catastrophic plans: Best for young families with savings
If you're under the age of 30 or you're eligible for a hardship exemption, you may qualify for a Catastrophic health insurance plan. These might offer the lowest monthly premiums and the highest cost-sharing. Note that these plans do not qualify for premium tax credits.
We wouldn't recommend Catastrophic or Bronze health plans, which are available to everyone in Ohio, unless you're confident in your ability to cover the out-of-pocket expenses if you need health care. Your health insurance won't provide coverage until you meet your out-of-pocket deductibles and copays.
So, for instance, the SummaCare Bronze 8000 with SCConnect Network plan premium can be as little as $305 per month for a 40-year-old, which is much cheaper than the $436 premium for the SummaCare Silver 6000 with SCConnect Network and 3 Free PCP Visits. The deductible for the Bronze plan, however, is $7,800 more expensive than the deductible for the Silver plan.
Health insurance rate changes in Ohio
Health insurance rates, deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums are determined annually by health insurance providers and then submitted for approval to state and federal regulators.
For 2023, the cost of health insurance rose by an average of 3% across all plan tiers. The cost of Bronze plans increased by the largest amount: 7%, or $26 per month, compared to 2022.
Plan tier | 2022 | 2023 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $289 | $296 | 3% |
| Bronze | $392 | $418 | 7% |
| Silver | $490 | $513 | 5% |
| Gold | $599 | $601 | 0% |
Monthly premiums are for a 40-year-old adult.
Short-term health insurance in Ohio
Ohio residents have the option of purchasing short-term health insurance plans. Coverage can last up to 12 months, which is similar to federal guidelines. However, Ohio does not allow you to renew short-term health insurance after the initial coverage period has ended.
You may want to consider a short-term health policy if you miss the open enrollment period or if you lose employer-sponsored health care. It is important to note that short-term plans do not guarantee the same essential benefits as qualified health insurance policies.
Compare Health Insurance Quotes in Ohio
Best cheap health insurance companies in Ohio
There are currently 10 health insurance companies on the Ohio state exchange. However, none of these insurers offers coverage in every county. So the best insurer and policy available will differ based on your location.
- Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield
- Ambetter from Buckeye Health Plan
- AultCare Insurance Co.
- CareSource
- MedMutual
- Molina Healthcare
- Oscar Health Insurance
- Oscar Insurance Corp. of Ohio
- Paramount Insurance Co.
- SummaCare
Depending on where you live, you may be able to choose from up to eight insurers, though only two health insurance companies are available in some counties. For instance, if you live in Meigs County, you can compare plans from two insurers, while residents of Stark County can choose from eight insurance providers.
Cheapest health insurance plan by county
To help you get started in your search for the best health insurance plan, we compared all Silver policies in Ohio and identified the cheapest Silver plan offered in each county. The Constant Care Silver 1 plan from Molina Healthcare has the most affordable rates in 65% of Ohio's 88 counties.
County name | Cheapest Silver plan | Monthly cost (age 40) |
|---|---|---|
| Adams | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Allen | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Ashland | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $439 |
| Ashtabula | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Athens | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Auglaize | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Belmont | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Brown | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Butler | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Carroll | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $439 |
| Champaign | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
| Clark | Constant Care Silver 1 | $435 |
Average cost of health insurance by family size in Ohio
The cost of health insurance is based on each person covered, and the number of people on the policy will directly impact your premiums.
Children ages 14 and younger are typically covered at a flat rate, meaning the cost of coverage won't likely increase until they're older.
A couple in Ohio would pay double the monthly rate of a single person for a Silver health plan, or $1,027 on average, assuming both people are 40 years old. However, adding a child under the age of 15 would only increase the monthly health insurance rate by an average of $307, meaning a family of three would pay $1,334 for a health plan.
Family size | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Individual and child | $821 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,027 |
| Family of three (adult couple and a child) | $1,334 |
| Family of four (adult couple and two children) | $1,642 |
| Family of five (adult couple and three children) | $1,949 |
Adults are assumed to be 40 years old. Children are assumed to be under 15. Sample rates are based on the average monthly cost for a Silver plan in Ohio.
Frequently asked questions
How can I get free health insurance in Ohio?
Health insurance through the ACA is generally not free, but cost-saving programs are available to help with premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. You'll learn whether you qualify for these options when you apply for coverage through the health insurance marketplace. As an alternative, you may be able to get free or low-cost health insurance in Ohio through Medicaid, depending on your income and family size.
How do I get health insurance in Ohio?
To get health insurance in Ohio, you apply through the federal health insurance exchange at HealthCare.gov. After you create an account, the site will help you find the right ACA-compliant HMO or PPO plan for your budget and health care needs.
What is the average cost of health insurance in Ohio?
The average cost of health insurance in Ohio, across all plan tiers, is $457 per month for a 40-year-old. However, prices vary by tier, from $296 on average for a Catastrophic plan to $601 per month for a Gold policy.
Methodology
Health insurance rates and plans in this report were compiled from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. ValuePenguin, using the public use files (PUFs), calculated averages by plan tier, age, family size and county to understand the health insurance marketplace within Ohio. 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.