Summary: Best Health Insurance In North Carolina

Best Health Insurance Companies In North Carolina

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC

UnitedHealthcare

Cheapest Health Insurance by Plan Type in North Carolina

Health insurance companies that sell health plans on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace may offer four types of health plans: health maintenance organization (HMO), point of service (POS), exclusive provider organization (EPO) and provider organization (PPO) plans.

• Cheapest HMO in North Carolina: AmeriHealth Caritas Next
• Cheapest POS in North Carolina: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC
• Cheapest EPO in North Carolina: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC
• Cheapest PPO in North Carolina: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of NC

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in North Carolina?

Health insurance costs in North Carolina vary by age, location, metal tier chosen, smoking status and the plan type you choose. Your health and gender aren’t factors in premiums when you buy a health insurance policy from the Affordable Care Act marketplace.

Cost of PPO, HMO, EPO and POS Plans in North Carolina

Our evaluation found that PPOs cost an average of $903/month and HMOs average $663/month in North Carolina. Here are average costs among the top health insurance companies in North Carolina.

Cost of Health Plans by Metal Tier in North Carolina

Silver health plans cost an average of $757/month in North Carolina. Here’s a look at prices among the top-scoring North Carolina health plans in our evaluation.

Average Cost of Bronze Plans in North Carolina at Age 27

ACA law allows children to stay on a parent’s health plan until age 26. After that, they may need their own plan from the state’s health insurance marketplace. Since younger people usually need less healthcare, we looked at average prices for bronze plans at age 27 in North Carolina. Overall, expect to pay an average of $418 a month for a bronze plan at age 27.

Average Cost of Silver Plans in North Carolina at Age 40

Silver plans are the most popular health plan tier and have an average cost of $648 a month for 40-year-olds in North Carolina. Here’s a look at the average costs by county.

Average Cost of Gold Plans in North Carolina at Age 60

Before you’re eligible for Medicare at age 65 you may be looking for a good health plan. Gold plans can be a smart choice for older people who may require more healthcare. The average cost for a Gold plan at age 60 in North Carolina is $1,522 a month. Here’s how average costs look in North Carolina counties.

How to Find the Best Health Insurance Plan in North Carolina

Platinum Plans: Good for People Who Need Regular Healthcare

Platinum plans are the most expensive ACA marketplace plans and they’re also the most rare. Less than 10% of ACA plans are platinum plans, so there’s a good chance you might not even be able to buy one.

If a health insurance company in your area offers platinum plans, these types of plans may work for you if you need regular healthcare and several costly prescriptions. These plans have low health insurance deductibles and coinsurance, so you pay lower amounts when you receive healthcare. But they also have the most expensive premiums, so you pay the most for coverage each month.

Gold Plans: Good for People Who Want Lower Out-of-Pocket Expenses

Gold plans have lower out-of-pocket costs than silver or bronze plans, but they come with higher health insurance premiums. If you get regular healthcare, a gold plan could be a good option since you will pay less when you need care compared to a silver or bronze plan.

You’ll want to balance the monthly premiums with the out-of-pocket costs like coinsurance and deductibles when you’re choosing an ACA plan.

Silver Plans: Good for People Who Are Looking to Balance Premiums and Out-of-Pocket Costs

If you want to avoid very high deductibles but also don’t want to spend a fortune on premiums, a silver plan might be a savvy choice. Silver plans have lower out-of-pocket costs than bronze plans and lower premiums than platinum and gold plans, which make them a good balance.

Silver and bronze plans are the most common ACA plans offered, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting a silver plan in your area.

Bronze Plans: Good for People Who Want the Lowest Premiums

Bronze plans are an excellent option if you don’t use healthcare often and want the cheapest coverage. The trade-off is that bronze plans have higher out-of-pocket costs when you get healthcare.

If you want the cheapest health plans that still offer comprehensive coverage, a bronze plan could be a smart option.

Some health insurers also offer “expanded bronze” plans. These plans have higher coinsurance levels for in-network costs (up to 65%) than standard bronze plans (average of 60%).

More: Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum Health Insurance

Catastrophic Plans: Good for Young People Who Don’t Often Need Healthcare

The ACA marketplace offers catastrophic health insurance to people under age 30 and those who have severe economic issues like homelessness. If you qualify for a catastrophic plan, you may like the low monthly premium but watch out for the high out-of-pocket costs.

One thing that makes catastrophic plans different from other health plans is that they don’t have coinsurance. Instead, you’ll have to deal with an extremely high deductible when you receive care. Once you’ve spent that deductible amount on healthcare, a catastrophic plan pays the rest of your in-network healthcare costs for the year.

Methodology

We analyzed Affordable Care Act marketplace health insurance companies in North Carolina to determine the best options. Our ratings are based on:

• Average premiums (30% of score):  We calculated average premiums for health insurance companies that offer ACA plans in North Carolina. Averages were based on premiums for buyers ages 21, 27, 30, 40, 50 and 60. Source: HealthCare.gov.
• Complaints made to state insurance departments (30% of score): We used complaint data from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.
• Average silver plan deductible (20% of score): The deductible is how much you have to pay for healthcare in a year before the health plan begins picking up a portion of the costs. Companies with health plans that had low deductibles got more points. Source: HealthCare.gov.
• Breadth of health plans (10% of score): Health insurance companies may offer up to four types of plan benefit designs (PPO, HMO, EPO and POS). We gave points to companies that offer more types of plans. Source: HealthCare.gov.
• Metal tier offerings (10% of score): The ACA marketplace has four metal tier levels. We gave points to companies that offered more tier options. Source: HealthCare.gov.

Read more: How Forbes Advisor Rates Health Insurance Companies