Oscar has the cheapest health insurance in Michigan at $499 monthly, $135 below the statewide average but it offers EPO plans only. Though UnitedHealthcare at $539 and Ambetter at $554 cost $40 to $55 more than Oscar, but they both offer HMO plans.
Cheapest Health Insurance in Michigan: Affordable Plans for 2026
Updated: July 23, 2026
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
Key Takeaways
Oscar, UnitedHealthcare and Ambetter have the cheapest health insurance in Michigan, with average monthly rates ranging from $499 to $554.
Oscar leads on overall average price ($499 monthly) across EPO plans. Ambetter has the lowest rates at each age: $283 for children, $337 for teens, $378 for young adults, $472 for adults and $1,003 for seniors on HMO Silver plans. Blue Cross Blue Shield leads PPO plans at $810 monthly.
Who Has the Cheapest Health Insurance in Michigan?
| Oscar | $499 | $135 | $5,988 | $1,620 |
| UnitedHealthcare | $539 | $95 | $6,468 | $1,140 |
| Ambetter | $554 | $80 | $6,648 | $960 |
| Blue Care Network Of Michigan | $623 | $11 | $7,476 | $132 |
| Mclaren Health Plan Community | $649 | $-15 | $7,788 | $-180 |
| Priority Health | $716 | $-82 | $8,592 | $-984 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $748 | $-114 | $8,976 | $-1,368 |
*Average monthly costs represent the mean of all plan rates for each provider in Michigan, rounded to the nearest dollar. Monthly savings show the cost difference between each provider's average rate and the statewide benchmark.
MONEYGEEK EXPERT TIP
Michigan's individual marketplace premiums rose 29.2% on average from 2025 to 2026, per our analysis of ACA marketplace premiums. Higher prescription drug costs, rise in enrollee health expenses and the expiration of enhanced federal subsidies at the end of 2025 all lead to this.
Oscar
Cheapest for EPO Coverage
MoneyGeek Rating
5/ 5
5/5Affordability
5/5Deductible
5/5MOOP
Avg. Monthly Rate
$499Avg. MOOP
$6454Avg. Deductible
$3319
Ambetter
Cheapest for HMO
MoneyGeek Rating
4.5/ 5
5/5Affordability
2.5/5Deductible
5/5MOOP
Avg. Monthly Rate
$554Avg. MOOP
$5,188Avg. Deductible
$3,483
UnitedHealthcare
Cheapest for Wide Provider Network Coverage
MoneyGeek Rating
4.3/ 5
4.7/5Affordability
5/5Deductible
2.5/5MOOP
Avg. Monthly Rate
$539Avg. MOOP
$5,657Avg. Deductible
$3,100
How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Michigan by Metal Level?
In our Michigan rate data, the Catastrophic tier is the only level where the cheapest plan carries a higher deductible than the tier above it. Blue Care Network's Catastrophic at $420 is $16 per month more than UnitedHealthcare's Bronze at $404 and comes with a $2,650 higher deductible.
Expanded Bronze | Oscar | $372 | $4,464 | $7,313 | $4,575 |
Bronze | UnitedHealthcare | $404 | $4,854 | $7,950 | $7,950 |
Catastrophic | Blue Care Network Of Michigan | $420 | $5,037 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
Silver | Ambetter | $472 | $5,667 | $5,188 | $3,483 |
Gold | Oscar | $510 | $6,119 | $6,300 | $1,500 |
Cheap Michigan Health Insurance: Personalized Picks
Browse Michigan health insurance options by selecting age group, coverage type and benefit level to locate rates for your situation.
Data filtered by:
HMO
Silver
40
No
| Ambetter | Clear Silver | $464 | HMO | Silver | $4,250 | $4,250 | 40 | No |
| Ambetter | Standard Silver | $468 | HMO | Silver | $5,657 | $3,100 | 40 | No |
| Ambetter | Standard Silver + Vision + Adult Dental | $485 | HMO | Silver | $5,657 | $3,100 | 40 | No |
| Blue Care Network Of Michigan | Blue Cross® Local Hmo Silver Saver | $505 | HMO | Silver | $4,621 | $3,229 | 40 | No |
| UnitedHealthcare | Uhc Silver Value (No Referrals) | $531 | HMO | Silver | $5,936 | $2,243 | 40 | No |
| UnitedHealthcare | Uhc Silver Standard (No Referrals) | $534 | HMO | Silver | $5,657 | $3,100 | 40 | No |
| UnitedHealthcare | Uhc Silver Advantage (No Referrals) | $538 | HMO | Silver | $6,271 | $1,821 | 40 | No |
| UnitedHealthcare | Uhc Silver Value+ (Dental + Vision, No Referrals) | $549 | HMO | Silver | $5,936 | $2,243 | 40 | No |
| UnitedHealthcare | Uhc Silver Advantage+ (Dental + Vision, No Referrals) | $556 | HMO | Silver | $6,271 | $1,821 | 40 | No |
| Priority Health | Mypriority Balanced Silver Southeast Michigan Network | $562 | HMO | Silver | $5,343 | $2,036 | 40 | No |
How to Get Cheap Health Insurance in Michigan
Apply for the Healthy Michigan Plan if you earn under 133% of the federal poverty level. Compare subsidized Silver plans against Bronze options, and choose HMO networks that reduce premiums. The federal HealthCare.gov marketplace serves Michigan residents with premium tax credits that lower costs for most households.
- 1Look Beyond Bronze Plans
Oscar's Gold plan costs $11 more a month than Silver but cuts your deductible by $1,819. That extra $11 adds up to $132 a year. A single specialist visit costs more than $132 in most cases, so Gold saves money for a 40-year-old who uses their plan at all.
- 2Assess Your Medical Spending
Look back at last year's health care spending. A high-deductible plan saves money if you only visited the doctor twice and didn't need prescriptions. Say you spent $500 last year on two routine doctor visits and one urgent care trip. A Bronze plan with a $6,000 deductible would save you $150 a month over Gold, based on that usage profile.
- 3Review HMO Options
HMO plans cost less than PPO options in Michigan. Ambetter's average HMO Silver rate comes in at $472 a month, against Blue Cross Blue Shield's PPO Silver at $810 a month.
That $338 monthly gap is entirely about plan type, since both are Silver plans. HMO plans don't cover out-of-network care, which limits options outside major Michigan metros.
- 4Verify Subsidy Eligibility
Michigan uses the federal HealthCare.gov marketplace for 2026 enrollment, where subsidies make coverage affordable for most households. Adults earning up to 133% of the federal poverty level, about $21,226 a year for a single person in 2026, qualify for the Healthy Michigan Plan.
More than eight in ten Michigan marketplace enrollees for 2026 qualified for advance premium tax credits, per CMS enrollment data. The average subsidy came in at $536 a month.
- 5Time Your Purchase Right
Open enrollment for 2027 coverage spans Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, 2026, shorter than prior years because of a federal rule change. All plans selected during this window take effect January 1, 2027. Michigan residents enroll through HealthCare.gov.
If you miss the December 15 deadline, you're locked out until next November unless a qualifying life event applies: job loss, marriage, birth or loss of other coverage. A 40-year-old who goes uninsured for six months takes on full out-of-pocket medical risk during that gap.
Affordable Health Insurance in Michigan: FAQ
Oscar, UnitedHealthcare and Ambetter are Michigan's three cheapest providers, they range from $499 to $554 monthly for a 40-year-old. Silver-tier plans qualify for cost-sharing reductions if your income falls between 100% and 250% of the federal poverty level, which can reduce your deductible and out-of-pocket maximum below listed rates.
The 2027 open enrollment window is from November 1 to December 15, 2026. Missing that deadline means waiting until November 2027 unless you have a qualifying life event.
Health insurance in Michigan costs an average of $651 monthly ($7,814 annually) across all plan types, ages and metal levels. For 40-year-olds, the statewide benchmark is $634 monthly, rates range from $207 to $2,114 depending on your age, coverage tier and plan type.
Michigan doesn't require health insurance. The federal individual mandate penalty ended in 2019, so there are no tax penalties for going uninsured. Coverage limits your out-of-pocket medical costs and covers preventive care and treatment.
You can't get $100 monthly plans in Michigan without subsidies. Expanded Bronze starts at $372 for 40-year-olds and $337 for teens. Premium tax credits can drop your cost to $0. Check the Health Insurance Marketplace as income and household size affect your subsidy amount.
Yes, but only with a qualifying life event. Losing job-based coverage, marriage, child birth or moving to Michigan all qualify you for a special enrollment period giving you 60 days to enroll through HealthCare.gov. Without a qualifying event, you must wait for open enrollment from November 1 to December 15, 2026.
Silver-tier plans start at $1,510 per month for a family of four in Michigan. Bronze-tier plans start at $1,110. These are unsubsidized premiums, so your costs may be lower based on your income and household size. Low-income families in Michigan also qualify for the Healthy Michigan Plan, MIChild or Healthy Kids.
Our Methodology
MoneyGeek analyzed all plan types across seven providers on Michigan's HealthCare.gov marketplace for 2026. Rate data comes from federal CMS marketplace files for the 2026 plan year.
Research Approach
Five ages span this comparison from one end of adulthood to the other: 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60. Watching rates move across that range shows exactly how much cost changes between a young adult's first plan and the years right before Medicare kicks in for Michigan residents.
Why We Focus on 40-Year-Olds
Our primary affordability rankings are centered on 40-year-olds because that age falls right at the midpoint of Michigan's working-age population. Every provider comparison holds age steady, so price is the only variable actually shifting between plans.
Age-Specific Rankings
We also ranked insurers separately at each age bracket. A provider that's cheapest for young adults might not be most affordable for someone near 60, so these age-specific rankings help you find the best rate for your life stage.
All data comes from federal sources and covers metal tiers and plan types available to Michigan residents through the Health Insurance Marketplace.
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About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has spent nearly a decade analyzing the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he produces original research on hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
He covers economics and insurance at MoneyGeek, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among other outlets.
Like all MoneyGeek analysts, he draws on independent cost and consumer experience data. No insurance company partnership influences his recommendations.
Mark holds a B.A. from Boston College and an M.A. in Economics and International Relations from Johns Hopkins University. He started his career in financial risk management at State Street and is also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
Sources
- HealthCare.gov. "Health Insurance Marketplace." Accessed July 23, 2026.
- Michigan.gov. "Health Insurance." Accessed July 23, 2026.