Get More Benefits &
Save More! Call For
More Info Today

How Much Is Health Insurance in Idaho?

Types of marketplace health insurance plans.

You can buy cheap health insurance in Idaho through the Your Health Idaho health insurance marketplace or obtain coverage by applying to Medicaid.

After comparing health insurance plans provided in the five largest counties in the state, we established that the IDID Southwest Silver 60 offered by Blue Cross of Idaho was the cheapest Silver metal tier health plan offered in Idaho. Even though this is the most affordable Silver policy in terms of monthly premiums, it may not be offered in your county. Some health insurance companies do not provide plans in every region of the state.

Cheapest Health Insurance Plans by Metal Tier

We compared health insurance plans from the Idaho marketplace to find the lowest-cost choices at every metal tier. The table below shows the cheapest individual health insurance plans in Idaho for each metal tier along with the monthly cost for a 40-year-old, deductible, and out-of-pocket maximum. These health insurance plans should be used to gauge what is affordable based on your financial situation.

Example of rates from the largest five counties in Idaho.

As you can see, health insurance in Idaho is categorized into three different metal tiers: Bronze, Silver, and Gold. All the three metal tiers cover the essential health benefits but vary in the amount that you would spend for that care. The Bronze tier has the cheapest premiums but the highest deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, meaning you would have to spend a lot on medical expenses before most benefits would start. On the other hand, Silver and Gold health insurance plans have more expensive premiums but lower deductibles.

How to Find the Best Health Insurance Plan in Idaho

The best health insurance for you will be based on the availability of plans in your area, as well as your health and financial situation. Expanded Medicaid is available in Idaho, meaning that anybody with a household income of less than 138% of the federal poverty level would be able to apply for the program. Nevertheless, Idaho has enacted an additional work requirement that only allows working people to be eligible for Medicaid.

When assessing health plans, you should begin by comparing the premiums and out-of-pocket maximums of plans to determine what is affordable for your situation. Essentially, if you expect to have moderate to high medical expenses throughout the year, then you should purchase an upper-tier plan with a smaller deductible but costly premiums.

Gold: Best If You Have High Expected Medical Expenses

Gold plans can be cost-effective if you have a lot of medical costs because of lower deductibles & out-of-pocket maximums.

Gold metal tier plans are the most expensive health insurance plans in Idaho in terms of monthly premiums. Nevertheless, these plans can be cost-effective if you have a lot of medical costs due to the lower deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. For instance, if you needed to have a prescription filled monthly for a costly drug, you would quickly reach the low deductible level and then begin coinsurance or copays with your insurer.

Silver: Best for Cheap Premiums and Average Deductibles

We would recommend Silver plans in most circumstances because these health insurance policies have modest premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums.

All health insurance policies except Catastrophic plans provide premium tax credits, but Silver policies in Idaho are also eligible for cost-sharing reductions if your family income falls below 250% of the federal poverty level. This coverage lowers the amount that you pay in premiums, deductibles, and out-of-pocket maximums. Due to this, Silver plans can be the most cost-effective tier of health insurance policy if you are eligible for the cost-sharing reductions.

Bronze: Best for Low-Income and Healthy People

The most affordable tier on the health insurance marketplace in Idaho is Bronze. This plan tier has low monthly premiums but also high deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums. This means that you would need to spend a lot on medical costs out-of-pocket before you would gain access to coinsurance. Due to this, you should only consider this plan if you are healthy and do not expect to have any costly health care costs.

Short-Term Health Insurance Plans in Idaho

Idaho short-term health insurance is available for buying through insurers outside of the state insurance marketplace. The state allows for these kinds of policies to have term lengths of up to one year but does not allow the plan to be renewed after the initial term. Short-term health insurance plans in Idaho, like those in every state, are not required to offer the same level of coverage as marketplace health insurance policies. Thus, they may not cover the essential health benefits, and you may not receive coverage for the treatment of existing conditions.

Resources and References:

• 10 Essential Health Benefits
• Marketplace Plans