Best Cheap Health Insurance in Oregon (2023)

The cheapest Silver health insurance in Oregon for most people is from Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Oregon, a plan called the Silver 6500 Individual and Family Network. This is the most affordable Silver plan in half of the state's counties. Alternatively, shoppers could find cheap coverage with Providence Health Plan's Connect 5000 Silver plan, depending on availability.

Cheapest health insurance coverage by plan tier

We compared health insurance plans in Oregon to assist you in your search for the best coverage. The plan tier and the ages of those covered by the plan largely affect the monthly premium on your health insurance plan.

A lower tier (Catastrophic or Bronze) carries higher out-of-pocket costs but has more affordable monthly premiums. But as age increases, premiums across all plan tiers increase. For example, a 40-year-old would pay about $107 more per month for a Silver plan, as compared to a 21-year-old. But a 60-year-old pays about $554 per month more than a 40-year-old, which is more than double the price.

The table below shows the cheapest plans available in Oregon for each plan tier.

Although the plans in the table may not be available in your county, they show how health plans typically work: Higher metal tiers tend to have more expensive monthly costs, but they have lower deductibles, saving you from large upfront costs for medical care. For example, when we compare the cheapest Bronze plan to the cheapest Silver plan, the Bronze option costs $103 less per month but has a $4,000 higher deductible.

Finding the best health insurance coverage in Oregon

Because the county in which you live determines health insurance plan availability and cost, the best health insurance plan for you may depend on where you live. The best health plan for you also depends on your medical needs and financial situation. Within each tier, the costs and benefits will differ, but all plans within a given tier will offer a similar level of coverage.

Typically, policies in the higher metal tiers have costlier monthly premiums, but they also have lower out-of-pocket expenses, like deductibles, copays and coinsurance. If you think you may become sick or already have high recurring medical costs, like ongoing prescriptions, a policy in a higher metal tier may be the best choice for you. Alternatively, if you're young and healthy, getting a policy in a lower metal tier may help you save money.

Gold plans: Best for high expected medical costs

The cheapest Gold plan in Oregon is the Kaiser KP OR Gold 2000/20.

Plans in the higher metal tiers typically cover the largest portion of out-of-pocket costs, which means paying lower deductibles, copays and coinsurance. These health insurance plans are the most cost-effective if you expect to incur high medical expenses due to chronic conditions or costly prescriptions.

On average, you can expect a Gold plan to cover roughly 80% of your health care expenses, while you pay the other 20%. But these benefits come at the expense of a higher monthly premium compared to Silver or Bronze plans.

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

The cheapest Silver plan in Oregon is Providence Health Plan's Connect 5000 Silver.

Silver policies offer a middle ground between Gold plans and Bronze plans. For example, the deductible you would have to meet on Providence Health Plan's Connect 5000 Silver plan would be $4,500. That means you would need to pay this amount for your medical costs before the plan begins to cover your expenses.

When compared to other plans from the same company, the Silver plan's deductible is much lower than that of the Standard Bronze plan, but it's higher than the $0 deductible of the Standard Gold plan.

This metal tier also stands out for lower-income households, which can qualify for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies with a Silver health plan, lowering their out-of-pocket expenses. Typical Silver plans cover about 70% of your health care costs, while you pay 30%. By using CSR subsidies, you could qualify for a Silver plan that covers up to 94% of your health care costs.

Bronze and Catastrophic plans: Best for young, healthy people

The cheapest Bronze plan in Oregon is Regence BlueCross BlueShield's Bronze Virtual Value 8500 Legacy LHP. The cheapest Catastrophic plan in the state is the PacificSource Navigator Catastrophic.

Catastrophic plans may offer the lowest monthly rates, but they're limited to people younger than 30 or those who qualify for an exemption. They also are not eligible for premium tax credits. These health plans also provide the least coverage and are only recommended if you have the financial means to cover a large portion of your health care expenses in case of an emergency.

Bronze plans are open to everyone and similarly offer cheaper monthly premiums than higher metal tier plans alongside reduced coverage and higher out-of-pocket costs. So, if you need medical care during the year, you will have to pay more out of pocket before coverage kicks in.

Short-term health insurance in Oregon

You can buy short-term health insurance in Oregon at any time during the year. For this reason, considering a short-term plan is an option if you miss open enrollment or lose coverage through a job. However, you should carefully evaluate these policies before buying one, as these plans are not required to cover the essential health benefits.

In Oregon, regulators follow state guidelines, rather than federal rules, when it comes to short-term policies. The state imposes a three-month coverage limit for short-term health plans, including renewals.

Health insurance companies in Oregon

In Oregon, there are currently six health insurance providers on the exchange.

The available health insurance plans change depending on your location. Most counties have two to three insurance company options, but larger counties likely have more. Regardless of where you live, a range of plans at all coverage tiers is available to fit your medical and financial needs.

Cheapest health insurance plan by county

The insurers and health insurance plans available on the state exchange will vary depending on your county, so we identified the cheapest Silver plan in every county in Oregon to help you get started. Below, you can find sample monthly quotes for an individual, a couple and a family of three for the cheapest Silver plan in your county.

Average cost of health insurance by family size in Oregon

When considering your family’s health insurance options, keep in mind that factors like the number of people who need coverage and their ages will affect the monthly premium. If you add children to your health insurance plan, each child will cost a flat rate for coverage until they are 15 years old. After reaching 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 $1,231 in Oregon. If you were to add another child to the plan, the monthly premium would increase by $245. For a family of four, the total monthly cost of health coverage would be $1,476.

Health insurance rate changes in Oregon

The cost of health insurance is set by individual health insurance companies. Once an insurer determines the rates, they are sent to the federal health insurance exchange for approval.

Overall, the cost of health insurance increased by 6% from 2022 to 2023. The largest increase in price is for Catastrophic plans, which increased by 13%.

For 2023, Expanded Bronze plans are no longer offered in Oregon, and shoppers only have access to Bronze plans. Even with this change, the average cost for this tier of coverage increased by 7%.

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, age, family size and region using reference cost data from the 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.