Health Insurance

Best Cheap Health Insurance in Tennessee (2023)

Tennessee residents can find affordable health insurance on the state health insurance marketplace. Either the Clear Silver or Cigna Connect 4100 is the cheapest Silver health insurance policy in over two-thirds of counties in the state.

The average cost of a 2023 health insurance plan in Tennessee is $478 for a 40-year-old. This is 4% more expensive than the rate for 2022 plans, a difference of $19 per month.

The best plan for you depends on both your coverage needs and location, as plans and rates change by county.

Cheapest health insurance by plan tier

To help you find the best policy that fits your needs, we compared Tennessee plans by plan tier and found the cheapest health insurance plans in the state for each level of coverage. These policies are not available in every county but can provide a good starting point in comparing the monthly premium and out-of-pocket expenses you can expect for each plan tier.

For example, the cheapest Bronze policy, the Bronze B08E, has a monthly premium of $342 for a 40-year-old in Tennessee, but its deductible is $6,700 higher than the deductible for the CMS Standard Gold SELECT, the cheapest Gold policy. However, you would need to pay $119 more per month for the Gold plan.

Plan tier
Cheapest plan
Monthly cost
Deductible
Out-of-pocket maximum
CatastrophicSecure$330$9,100$9,100
BronzeBronze B08E Free Telehealth$342$8,700$8,700
SilverSilver S28E $30 PCP Copay at Blue of TN + Free Telehealth$439$875$1,875
GoldCMS Standard Gold SELECT$461$2,000$8,700

Two important elements that affect your monthly premium are age and metal tier. As you grow older, your insurance premium across all metal tiers will increase.

On average, a 40-year-old in Tennessee would pay $116 more per month than a 21-year-old for a Silver plan. The monthly premium similarly increases for higher metal tiers. For instance, a Gold plan would have a monthly premium that is 16% higher on average than the premium for a Silver plan.

Cost of health insurance in Tennessee

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Finding your best health insurance coverage in Tennessee

The best health insurance plan for you in Tennessee changes depending on where you live because the availability and monthly premium of a policy can change from county to county.

For example, the Silver S28E $30 PCP Copay at Blue of TN + Free Telehealth is available in just five counties and costs $439 per month for a 40-year-old. However, regardless of where you live, you will be able to choose from different metal tiers of coverage at a variety of rates.

When choosing a policy, higher metal tier health plans, like Gold plans, may come at higher monthly premiums, but they provide better coverage, which means lower out-of-pocket costs. So, if you expect to have high medical costs in the coming year, you may wish to choose a higher metal tier, as the lower deductibles, copays and coinsurance would offset the costs of the more expensive premium.

On the other hand, if you have no expected medical costs and are comfortable with covering a high portion of unexpected medical costs, then you may wish to get a lower metal tier plan to take advantage of the cheaper rates.

Gold plans: Best for high expected medical costs

Despite a higher monthly premium than Silver or Bronze plans, Gold plans provide the lowest out-of-pocket costs like deductibles, copays or coinsurance. Gold plans will typically offer you the lowest net expenses if you use or expect to use your health insurance often.

Ultimately, these health plans are often best if you have high expected medical costs, such as needing consistent medical attention due to chronic conditions, or if you are concerned about being able to pay out of pocket for an unexpected condition.

The cheapest Gold plan in Tennessee is the CMS Standard Gold SELECT. Compare all tiers in Tennessee above.

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

Silver plans offer a middle ground between the expensive monthly premiums of a Gold plan and the higher deductibles, copays and coinsurance elements of Bronze and Catastrophic plans.

If you are part of a lower-income household, Silver plans may also be the best choice for you, as you may qualify for cost-sharing reduction (CSR) subsidies. These CSR subsidies would further lower your out-of-pocket expenses. Typical Silver plans cover about 70% of your health care costs, while you pay 30%. But under CSR subsidies, you could qualify for a Silver plan that covers up to 94% of your health care costs.

The cheapest Silver plan in Tennessee is the Silver S28E $30 PCP Copay at Blue of TN + Free Telehealth. Compare all tiers in Tennessee above.

Bronze and Catastrophic plans: Best for young, healthy people

Although Bronze plans are available to everyone, Catastrophic plans require you to be under age 30 or qualify for an exemption. If you're insured under a Catastrophic health care plan, you cannot use premium tax credits to reduce the monthly costs.

Catastrophic is the lowest tier available on the state exchange, which means these plans could offer the cheapest monthly premiums at the expense of high out-of-pocket costs if you were to use your health insurance.

We wouldn't recommend these health plans unless you can afford the higher cost-sharing in the case of a medical emergency.

The cheapest Bronze plan in Tennessee is the Bronze B08E Free Telehealth. The cheapest Catastrophic plan is the Secure. Compare all tiers in Tennessee above.

Short-term health insurance in Tennessee

Tennessee residents can get short-term health insurance through providers outside of the exchange at any time during the year. For this reason, a short-term plan can be a good option if you need quick, temporary coverage or miss open enrollment.

Most short-term health plans do not cover all the essential benefits — like maternity care, mental health services and prescription drugs — which should be considered when selecting a plan that fits your health needs.

Tennessee follows federal guidelines when it comes to regulating short-term health insurance. Initial coverage terms are limited to one year and can be renewed for up to 36 months.

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Best cheap health insurance companies in Tennessee

There are six health insurance companies on the Tennessee state exchange:

  • Ambetter of Tennessee
  • BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee
  • Cigna Health and Life Insurance Co.
  • Oscar Insurance Co.
  • UnitedHealthcare Insurance Co.
  • US Health and Life Insurance Co.

BlueCross BlueShield and Ambetter of Tennessee are the only insurers available across the entire state. None of the other insurers are available in every county. However, Cigna Health and Ambetter typically offer the lowest rates for a Silver plan if they are available in your county.

Cheapest health insurance plan by county

Finding the best health plan for you can be difficult, as the set of insurance plans changes depending on where you live in Tennessee.

To help you with your search, we identified the most affordable Silver health insurance policies available on the state exchange by county.

County Name
Cheapest plan
Age 40
Couple, age 40
Couple, age 40 and child
AndersonSilver S27L $60 PCP Copay + Free Telehealth$455$909$1,181
BedfordClear Silver$504$1,007$1,309
BentonCigna Connect 4100$502$1,005$1,306
BledsoeCigna Connect 4100$502$1,005$1,306
BlountSilver S27L $60 PCP Copay + Free Telehealth$455$909$1,181
BradleyCigna Connect 4100$502$1,005$1,306
CampbellSilver S27L $60 PCP Copay + Free Telehealth$455$909$1,181
CannonClear Silver$504$1,007$1,309
CarrollCigna Connect 4100$502$1,005$1,306
CarterCigna Connect 4100$502$1,005$1,306
CheathamClear SELECT Silver with Select Providers$459$918$1,193
ChesterCigna Connect 4100$502$1,005$1,306
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Average cost of health insurance by family size in Tennessee

The size of your family will directly affect your monthly health insurance premium, as a policy is priced based upon the age of each person covered. Children below the age of 15 qualify for lower health insurance premiums at a flat rate. However, once they reach 15, the monthly premium will increase as they grow older.

For example, the average monthly health insurance premium for a family of three in Tennessee, assuming two 40-year-old parents and a child, is $1,386. With each child, the average cost of a Silver health plan increases by $319, so a family of four would cost an average of $1,705 per month to insure.

Family size
Average cost
Individual and child$853
Couple, age 40$1,067
Family of three (adult couple and a child)$1,386
Family of four (adult couple and two children)$1,705
Family of five (adult couple and three children)$2,025

Adults are assumed to be 40 years old. Children are assumed to be 14 or younger. Sample rates are based on the average cost of a Silver plan in Tennessee.

Health insurance rate changes in Tennessee

Over the past year, the average cost of a health insurance plan in Tennessee has increased by 4%, or $19 per month, for a 40-year-old. Bronze plans in particular experienced the largest decrease in average cost, with rates rising 13% since 2022.

Each insurer sets premiums for its own policies. Then these are sent to the Tennessee health insurance exchange for approval before being offered to residents.

Metal tier
2022
2023
Change
Catastrophic$323$3302%
Bronze$380$43013%
Silver$508$5335%
Gold$625$620-1%

Rates are based on a 40-year-old adult.

Is health insurance expensive in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, health insurance is 5% cheaper than the U.S. average. The average monthly cost for Tennessee residents on a Silver plan is $533, while the national average is $560 per month.

How do I apply for health insurance in Tennessee?

To apply for health insurance in Tennessee, go to the federal health insurance exchange. We recommend comparing plans first to find the best fit for your situation. When you're ready to apply, you must create an online account and answer a few questions to start the process.

Does Tennessee have free health insurance?

While individual health insurance plans are generally not free, Tennessee residents can access free or low-cost health insurance through the state's Medicaid program, called TennCare. To qualify, you must meet income requirements plus other factors such as age, caretaker status or disability.

Methodology

This analysis used health insurance plan details and rate data provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. Using the CMS public use files (PUFs), ValuePenguin calculated the typical rates a resident of Tennessee would pay according to their family size and county of residence. 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.