Best Cheap Health Insurance in West Virginia (2023)
Affordable health insurance in West Virginia can be purchased through the state insurance exchange or acquired through Medicaid if your household income falls below 138% of the federal poverty level.
The average monthly health insurance premium, across all plan tiers, is $757 in West Virginia for a 40-year-old — this represents a 5% increase over the past year.
After comparing Silver health insurance policies, we concluded that the CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver is the cheapest Silver plan in the state. CareSource West Virginia Co. and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia are the two companies covering the state. Both companies offer a variety of health insurance policies across all metal tiers.
Cheapest health insurance by plan tier
To help you find your best policy, we compared all health plans on the West Virginia exchange and identified a cheap health insurance policy for each level of coverage. The table below shows the cheapest health insurance policy for each plan tier, along with each plan's deductible, out-of-pocket maximum and premium. These plans should be used as an initial point for evaluating your health insurance needs and the coverage you can expect from a given plan tier.
Plan tier | Cheapest plan | Monthly cost for a 40-year-old | Deductible | Out-of-pocket maximum |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | my Blue Access WV Major Events PPO Catastrophic 9100 | $501 | $9,100 | $9,100 |
| Bronze | CareSource Marketplace Bronze First | $681 | $7,700 | $8,700 |
| Silver | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $838 | $6,500 | $8,700 |
| Gold | my Blue Access WV PPO Gold 0 | $909 | $0 | $7,500 |
Find Cheap Health Insurance Quotes in Your Area
Health insurance in West Virginia is divided into coverage levels: Catastrophic, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The higher tiers have the most expensive rates along with the lowest deductibles, while a tier like Bronze has high deductibles with cheap monthly premiums.
One of the key factors in determining the price of a health insurance policy is age. The older you are, the more you tend to pay for coverage. For example, for a Silver health plan, a 40-year-old will pay $181 more on average per month in premiums than a 21-year-old. This jump in monthly costs becomes even larger for a 60-year-old, who will pay $934 more than a 40-year-old for Silver coverage.
Finding your best health insurance coverage in West Virginia
The best health insurance coverage for you in West Virginia should be determined by taking into account your county, level of income and expected medical expenses. West Virginia opted to expand its Medicaid program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This allows individuals with household incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level to be eligible for Medicaid coverage.
If you do not fall into this category, you might be able to buy health insurance on the West Virginia exchange. The plans offered to you will be dependent on your county, but all eligible residents can choose among policies at all metal tiers. The tiers vary by their typical premium amounts, deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses.
Start by shopping for Silver plans
The cheapest Silver plan in West Virginia is the CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver. Compare all tiers in West Virginia.
Silver plans are typically middle-ground policies that fall in between Gold and Bronze plans with regard to premiums and deductibles. For example, in West Virginia, the monthly health insurance cost of a Silver plan for a 40-year-old is $871 on average. This is $76 less per month than the premium for a Gold plan, which is $947 per month. So unless you believe you are very healthy or know you will have large medical expenses, you should consider a Silver health plan.
All metal tiers offer premium tax credits, but Silver plans are also eligible for extra cost-sharing reductions if your household income falls below 250% of the federal poverty line. In this case, you would be eligible to receive discounts on your deductible, copayments and coinsurance.
Gold plans: Best if you expect high medical costs
The cheapest Gold plan in West Virginia is the my Blue Access WV PPO Gold 0. Compare all tiers in West Virginia above.
Gold plans are the highest-tier plans available in West Virginia. A Gold health plan has the most expensive monthly premiums but also the lowest deductible. Gold plans work well if you expect to have high medical costs throughout the year. For example, if you need prescription drugs, a Gold plan with a low deductible might allow you to save money.
Bronze and Catastrophic plans
The cheapest Bronze plan in West Virginia is the CareSource Marketplace Bronze First. The cheapest Catastrophic plan in West Virginia is the my Blue Access WV Major Events PPO Catastrophic 9100. Compare all tiers in West Virginia.
Catastrophic plans may offer low monthly rates, but they are limited to those under 30 years old or those who qualify for an exemption. Furthermore, these plans 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. Also, Catastrophic plans are not eligible for premium tax credits.
Bronze plans are open to everyone and similarly offer lower premiums and higher deductibles. These health plans are best suited for healthy and young people who expect few medical expenses throughout the year. These policies only provide most of their coverage if you have surpassed the high deductible level, such as in the case of an extreme medical emergency where there are very high medical costs.
Health insurance companies in West Virginia
West Virginia residents can choose between two insurance providers on the state marketplace: CareSource West Virginia Co. and Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield West Virginia. Both companies offer policy options in every county, but you could be limited to certain health plans depending on where you live.
Cheapest health insurance plan by county
Depending on where you live, you may pay a different rate for a particular health insurance policy since prices are determined by county. But the CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver plan, which is the cheapest Silver plan everywhere in the state, is the same price no matter where you live. A 40-year-old will pay the same monthly rate of $838 anywhere in West Virginia.
Below we have listed each West Virginia county and monthly rates for the CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver plan depending on the size of your family.
County | Cheapest Silver plan | Age 40 | Couple, age 40 | Couple, age 40 and child |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbour | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $838 | $1,676 | $2,178 |
| Berkeley | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $838 | $1,676 | $2,178 |
| Boone | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $838 | $1,676 | $2,178 |
| Braxton | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $838 | $1,676 | $2,178 |
| Brooke | CareSource Marketplace Low Premium Silver | $838 | $1,676 | $2,178 |
Average cost of health insurance by family size in West Virginia
Along with age and your county of residence, the size of your family will directly impact health insurance costs. For example, the average Silver health insurance policy that covers a family of three, with a couple and one child, costs $522 more per month in West Virginia than a policy for just a couple.
Rates also go up notably if you add another adult to your plan. Going from one adult to two on a Silver plan raises your rates by $871 per month.
Family size | Average cost |
|---|---|
| Individual and child | $1,393 |
| Couple, age 40 | $1,743 |
| Family of three (adult couple and a child) | $2,265 |
| Family of four (adult couple and two children) | $2,786 |
| Family of five (adult couple and three children) | $3,308 |
Adults are assumed to be 40 years old. Children are assumed to be 14 or younger. Sample rates are based on the average monthly cost of a Silver plan in West Virginia.
Health insurance rate changes in West Virginia
The costs of health insurance plans are set by each insurer offering coverage in West Virginia, though rate schedules are given to the state exchange for approval.
Across all policies, the average cost of a health plan in West Virginia increased by 5% compared to 2022.
Plan tier | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | Change (2022 to 2023) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catastrophic | $482 | $493 | $501 | 2% |
| Bronze and Expanded Bronze | $641 | $675 | $709 | 5% |
| Silver | $694 | $831 | $871 | 5% |
| Gold | $874 | $893 | $947 | 6% |
Monthly rates are based on a 40-year-old adult.
For 2023, Expanded Bronze plans are no longer offered in West Virginia, and shoppers only have access to Bronze plans. Even with this change, the average cost for Bronze plans increased by 5%.
Methodology
West Virginia health insurance policy data was aggregated from filings on the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. ValuePenguin calculated average rates across age, plan tier, county and family size using 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.