Best Cheap Health Insurance in Oklahoma 2023

The cheapest Silver health insurance in Oklahoma for most people comes from Blue Cross Blue Shield. The plan — the Blue Advantage Silver PPO‚ 204 — is the most affordable health insurance in 57% of Oklahoma's counties. Alternatively, shoppers may find cheap coverage with the Blue Preferred Silver PPO, 201 plan (also offered by Blue Cross Blue Shield) or the CommunityCare Silver L21 Select Plus plan.

Affordable health insurance plans in Oklahoma can be found on the state exchange, but the best plan for you will depend on your county and the tier of coverage.

Cheapest health insurance by plan tier

To help you find the best policy for the level of coverage that fits your situation, we compared Oklahoma plans by tier and identified a cheap health insurance plan in each category.

The table below provides a good starting point in comparing the costs and benefits you can expect from a given tier of coverage by showing the out-of-pocket costs and minimum monthly premiums for policies in Oklahoma.

Two important factors that affect your monthly insurance premium are age and metal tier. As you get older, regardless of coverage tier, your monthly premium will increase. Higher metal tiers also raise the monthly rate you need to pay.

For example, a 40-year-old in Oklahoma would pay $138 more per month for the same Silver policy than a 21-year-old. However, the same 40-year-old would pay $713, or 53%, less than a 60-year-old would for the same policy.

Finding your best health insurance coverage in Oklahoma

The best health insurance plan for you in Oklahoma varies by county, as available plans change according to the county you live in. For example, the Silver Simple plan from Oscar Insurance Co. is available in fewer counties than other health insurance plans but is the cheapest Silver plan where it's available.

Higher metal tier health plans, like Gold policies, tend to have more expensive monthly premiums than Silver and Bronze policies but much lower out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles, copays and coinsurance.

So if you have recurring medical costs from chronic conditions or prescriptions, or you are worried about the high costs of an unexpected illness, you should consider a higher metal tier plan. Alternatively, if you are young and healthy and want a lower monthly premium, a lower metal tier policy may be best.

Gold plans: Best for people who expect high medical costs

The cheapest Gold plan in Oklahoma is the Oscar Insurance Co. Gold Classic - Standard. Compare all tiers in Oklahoma above.

Gold health insurance plans tend to have the lowest costs if you need to use your insurance since Gold plans may have lower deductibles and copays. However, the monthly premium may be higher.

For example, the minimum monthly premium on a Gold plan for a 40-year-old in Oklahoma is $474 — $132 more per month than the cheapest Bronze plan. But a Gold plan may have a much lower deductible than a Bronze plan. These health plans are best if you have high expected medical costs, such as ongoing prescriptions, or are concerned about being able to pay out of pocket for an unexpected condition.

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

The cheapest Silver plan in Oklahoma is the Silver Simple - PCP Saver from Oscar Insurance Co. Compare all tiers in Oklahoma above.

Silver health plans may be the best type of health insurance plan if you want lower out-of-pocket costs than a Bronze plan but a more affordable monthly premium than a Gold plan.

If your income is low, keep in mind that this middle-ground option is also eligible for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies that would lower your out-of-pocket expenses. Typically, Silver plans pay 70% of your medical costs, so you would pay for the remaining 30% — but Silver plans could cover up to 94% under the CSR subsidies.

Bronze and Catastrophic plans: Best for young people

The cheapest Bronze plan in Oklahoma is the Bronze Simple - Standard from Oscar Insurance Co. The cheapest Catastrophic plan is the CommunityCare Catastrophic Select. Compare all tiers in Oklahoma above.

Bronze and Catastrophic plans are often the most affordable plans — but in exchange, they have the highest out-of-pocket costs. Despite the low premiums, you must be under 30 years old or qualify for an exemption to buy a Catastrophic plan. Also, Catastrophic plans are not eligible for premium tax credits.

Bronze plans are available to everyone, but the lower monthly rate means higher out-of-pocket costs compared to Silver or Gold plans. So if you need medical care during the year, you would have to pay more money out of pocket before coverage kicks in. If you expect few medical expenses or can afford to cover the high cost-sharing in the event of an emergency, a Bronze plan may be the best option for your health insurance coverage.

Best cheap health insurance companies in Oklahoma

There are six insurers on the Oklahoma exchange for 2023, one more than in 2022, but a provider’s availability depends on the shopper's location. The insurers that offer health insurance on Oklahoma's exchange are:

Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medica are available across the state but don't necessarily offer the cheapest coverage in every county. For example, the Silver Simple plan is the cheapest Silver plan in Canadian, Logan and Oklahoma counties. If you live in one of these counties, we recommend beginning your search for affordable coverage with Oscar Insurance Co.

Cheapest health insurance plan by county

To help you get started on your search for a health insurance plan in Oklahoma, we identified the cheapest Silver health insurance policies available on the state exchange by county. Depending on where you live, the available policies and their pricing may vary.

For example, in Comanche, the Blue Advantage Silver PPO, 204 plan costs $614 per month, which is $33 more than the plan’s cost in Adair County. Despite this discrepancy, however, the plan remains the cheapest option in both counties.

Average cost of health insurance by family size in Oklahoma

Depending on a family’s size and the age of each person, health insurance rates change based on the number of people who need coverage. Children under 15 years old qualify for lower health insurance premiums at a flat rate. However, once a child reaches age 15, the monthly premium will increase as they grow older.

For example, the average monthly health insurance premium for a family of three with two 40-year-old parents and a child is $1,648. With each extra child, the average cost of a Silver health plan increases by $380, so it would cost an average of $2,028 per month to insure a family of four.

Health insurance rate changes in Oklahoma

Individual health companies set policy premiums. Once an insurer determines the rates, they are sent to the federal health insurance exchange for approval.

The average cost of health insurance increased by $2 per month from 2022 to 2023. However, changes to the cost of health insurance vary by metal tier. In the last year, the cost of Bronze policies rose by 4%, while Gold rates decreased by 3%.

Methodology

The health insurance premiums and plan information used in this analysis were sourced from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. ValuePenguin determined the average rates by plan tier, family size and region using reference cost data from CMS public use files (PUFs). 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.