Summary: Best Health Insurance In North Dakota

Best Health Insurance Companies In North Dakota

Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota

Sanford Health Plan

Cheapest Health Insurance by Plan Type in North Dakota

Health insurance companies that offer health insurance policies on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) marketplace may provide four types of health plans. North Dakota insurers offer two types: health maintenance organization (HMO) and provider organization (PPO) plans.

• Cheapest HMO in North Dakota: Sanford Health Plan
• Cheapest PPO in North Dakota: Sanford Health Plan

How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in North Dakota?

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

Cost of PPO and HMO Plans in North Dakota

Our analysis found that PPOs cost an average of $537/month and HMOs average $511/month in North Dakota. Here are average premiums among the best health insurance companies in North Dakota.

Cost of Health Plans by Metal Tier in North Dakota

Silver health plans cost an average of $662/month in North Dakota. Here’s a look at prices among the top-scoring North Dakota health plans in our evaluation.

Average Cost of Bronze Plans in North Dakota 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 Dakota. Overall, expect to pay an average of $311 a month for a bronze plan at age 27.

Average Cost of Silver Plans in North Dakota at Age 40

Silver plans are the most popular health plan tier and have an average cost of $566 a month for 40-year-olds in North Dakota. Here’s a look at the average costs by county.

Average Cost of Gold Plans in North Dakota 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 Dakota is $1,176 a month. Here’s how average costs look in North Dakota counties.

How to Find the Best Health Insurance Plan in North Dakota

Platinum Plans: Good for People Who Need Frequent Healthcare

Platinum plans are the priciest 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 region sells platinum plans, these types of plans may work for you if you need regular healthcare and several costly prescriptions. Platinum plans have low health insurance deductibles and coinsurance, so you pay lower amounts when you need healthcare. But they also have the highest premiums, so you pay the most for coverage each month.

Gold Plans: Good for People Who Need Lower Out-of-Pocket Costs

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 get care than if you have a silver or bronze plan.

When choosing an ACA plan, you’ll want to weigh the monthly premiums with out-of-pocket costs like coinsurance and deductibles.

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

If you don’t want to pay very high deductibles but also don’t want to spend a fortune on premiums, a silver plan might be a good 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 an issue getting a silver plan in your region.

Bronze Plans: Good for People Looking for the Lowest Premiums

Bronze plans are the best choice if you don’t use healthcare often and want the cheapest monthly premium payment. The downside is that bronze plans have higher out-of-pocket costs when you get healthcare.

If you need the cheapest health plans that still offer comprehensive coverage, a bronze plan could be the best choice.

Some health insurance companies also have “expanded bronze” plans. These plans come with higher coinsurance levels for in-network care (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 dealing with severe economic issues like homelessness. If you qualify for a catastrophic plan, you may like the low monthly premium but be prepared for the high out-of-pocket costs.

One thing that makes catastrophic plans different from other options is that they don’t have coinsurance. Instead, you’ll have to deal with an extremely high deductible when you get medical care. Once you’ve paid that deductible, 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 Dakota 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 Dakota. 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