Cheapest Health Insurance in Washington (2026)

Community Health Plan of Washington is the cheapest health insurance company in Washington, with an average monthly premium of $499, $184 less than the statewide average of $683. Choosing Community Health Plan over the state's most expensive insurer, Blue Cross Blue Shield, saves you $2,208 per year.

The five cheapest insurers all have average premiums below the state average. Community Health Plan of Washington, Coordinated Care Corporation, Kaiser Permanente, LifeWise Health Plan and Molina Healthcare range from $499 to $667 per month. UnitedHealthcare, BridgeSpan and Blue Cross Blue Shield all exceed the state average, with annual premiums above $9,800. Rates reflect averages across all available marketplace plans and vary based on your age, location and the plan you choose.

* Average monthly rates represent the rounded mean of each provider's monthly plan rates in Washington. Average monthly savings show how much cheaper each provider is compared to the statewide average monthly rate. Your actual rates will vary based on age, location and chosen plan.

Filter plans by age, coverage type and metal level to find the most affordable health insurance for your needs:

HMO plans require you to choose a primary care physician and get referrals to see specialists. They don't cover out-of-network care except in emergencies, which helps keep premiums lower than plans with broader provider networks. Based on MoneyGeek's analysis of Washington marketplace plans, Coordinated Care Corporation has the cheapest Bronze HMO at $373 per month and the cheapest Gold HMO at $505 per month.

All three Bronze HMO insurers in the state have a $6,000 deductible, so you'll pay most routine medical costs before coverage begins. Kaiser Permanente's Bronze plan costs $98 more per month than Coordinated Care's but has a $900 lower maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) at $9,250, which could reduce your total costs if you expect high medical expenses. Gold HMO plans lower deductibles to $1,300 to $1,450 and MOOPs to $7,767 to $7,900, but increase monthly premiums by $132 to $140 compared to Bronze plans.

EPO plans let you see specialists without a referral, but like HMOs, they don't cover out-of-network care except in emergencies. Based on MoneyGeek's analysis of Washington marketplace plans, Community Health Plan of Washington has the cheapest Bronze EPO at $357 per month and the cheapest Gold EPO at $469 per month.

Bronze EPO premiums in Washington range from $357 to $581 per month, with deductibles from $6,000 at Community Health Plan of Washington and BridgeSpan to $7,483 at UnitedHealthcare. Kaiser Permanente's Bronze EPO has the lowest maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) at $8,783 while costing $478 per month. It’s a better value for people who expect higher medical expenses. Gold EPO plans reduce deductibles to $1,133 to $1,450 and MOOPs to $7,733 to $8,125, but monthly premiums vary by more than $300 across the seven insurers.

Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest health insurance in Washington for younger adults through its Catastrophic HMO, with monthly premiums of $178 at age 18 and $200 at age 26. For adults ages 40 to 60, Community Health Plan of Washington is cheapest, with monthly premiums for its Bronze EPO ranging from $357 at age 40 to $757 at age 60.

* Rates reflect the lowest-cost marketplace plan at each age. Catastrophic plans are limited to adults under 30 or people who qualify for an exemption, and they carry high deductibles and MOOP limits.

HMO plans are cheaper than EPO plans at both metal tiers in Washington. Bronze HMO plans average $449 per month compared to $515 for Bronze EPO plans, a $66 difference. The gap widens at the Gold tier, where HMO plans average $568 per month versus $696 for Gold EPO plans. If network flexibility isn't a priority, an HMO plan will save you $792 to $1,536 per year depending on the metal tier you choose.

Before comparing plans, check your eligibility for financial assistance on Washington Healthplanfinder. Subsidies, Apple Health eligibility and your county all affect which plans are available and what you'll actually pay.

MoneyGeek analyzed rate data from Washington Healthplanfinder for Bronze and Gold plans across all nine insurers available on the 2026 marketplace. We collected premium, deductible and maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) data for ages 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60 to show cost differences across the full age spectrum, from teens through pre-Medicare adults.

For "cheapest overall" rankings, we used average monthly premiums for 40-year-olds as the baseline. A 40-year-old reflects the median marketplace consumer in Washington and gives the most consistent comparison across insurers. For age-specific sections, actual premium data for each age group determines which insurer has the lowest rates for that demographic.

Washington's marketplace includes only HMO and EPO plans. Rankings are separated by plan type because the two structures have different cost and access tradeoffs. HMOs require referrals and carry lower premiums, while EPOs allow direct specialist access at a higher cost.