Best Health Insurance for 2023

Blue Cross Blue Shield has an average NCQA rating of 3.7 out of 5 stars, the second highest of the insurers we reviewed. In addition to HMO plans, BCBS offers PPO, EPO, and POS plans, which is great if you don’t want to be restricted to in-network providers. Plans are available nationwide but vary by region, and Marketplace plans are not available in all areas.

BCBS offers four metal levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum) and catastrophic coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace. Notably, it offers the best-value Gold plans (meaning overall costs, including premiums and deductibles, are relatively low). This makes it a good option for people who prefer robust coverage. Some BCBS companies also offer additional benefits, like $0 virtual care and medical management programs for depression, pain management, heart disease, asthma, diabetes, and high blood pressure. However, we found that in some states, physician copays were relatively high.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is also an excellent choice for small business health insurance plans and is our top pick in that category.

Oscar has the lowest physician copays ($0) and offers the lowest cost plans across age groups (25, 35, 45, and 60 years old). In particular, its bronze and silver plans offer particularly low out-of-pocket costs. It also offers a wide range of medical management programs, including ones for asthma, diabetes, depression, pain management, heart disease, high blood pressure and cholesterol, low back pain, pregnancy, and weight loss.

You can get $0 virtual care with most plans and up to $75 in Amazon gift cards for meeting your annual step goals. Oscar’s convenient mobile app lets you sync your steps or request virtual care.

We also love that Oscar’s plan documents are easy to understand, and the company offers a variety of plan options, including high-deductible and $0 deductible plans to meet different needs. Though not all plan types are available everywhere, Oscar has PPOs, HMOs, and EPOs, and offers four different metal tiers. But Oscar has limited state availability so isn’t an option for everyone. 

Note that Oscar's plans only received a 2-star rating from Healthcare.gov and an average 2.75-star rating from the NCQA. These ratings indicate relatively poor member experiences compared to other companies. 

Kaiser Permanente’s plans have the highest member experience ratings of any of the providers we reviewed. Kaiser’s plans have an average 4.3-star rating from the NCQA and all are rated 5 stars by Healthcare.gov. Plus, the company came in first across multiple regions in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Commercial Health Plan Study. Not surprisingly, Kaiser Permanente received far fewer complaints than expected according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). 

Most plans include 24/7 virtual care at no cost, but coverage options are limited, as is state availability. 

Kaiser Permanente is only available in eight states and the District of Columbia and the insurer generally offers HMO plans, which restrict care to in-network providers. Kaiser Permanente offers four metal levels plus plans with minimum coverage, so people looking for an HMO in one of the states the insurer serves have a good variety of options. The company also offers medical management programs for several conditions, including depression. 

With Aetna’s no- or low-cost coverage for MinuteClinic visits, you can access a variety of services with greater convenience and on short notice. You can schedule an appointment online to visit your local MinuteClinic seven days per week. Depending on your health needs, you may be able to get a prescription and pick it up on-site. In some cases, this could be a good alternative to more expensive (and time-consuming) urgent care or emergency room visits.  

Aetna’s premiums were higher than average in the ZIP codes we reviewed, but if you qualify for the premium tax credit, you could get that amount reduced to zero. This is not the case with all other companies, even if you qualify for the tax credit, and it’s why Aetna is one of the best health insurance companies for the self-employed. 

Aetna offers HMOs, PPOs, EPOs, and HMO-POS plans in Bronze, Silver, and Gold metal tiers. The company also offers plans with medical management programs for a variety of conditions. Aetna’s plans have an average NCQA rating of 3.4 out of 5 stars. The company does not offer dental coverage, however, and ACA plans are not available nationwide.

UnitedHealthcare is the largest health insurance company in the country and has an extensive provider network. The company’s health plans are well-rated for member experience, with an average of 3.5 out of 5 stars from the NCQA. But it stands out for its Medicare Advantage plans, which are ranked even higher by the NCQA (3.9 stars, on average). The CMS gives UHC's Medicare Advantage plans an average 4.2 Medicare star rating, which makes it the second-highest-ranked provider of Medicare plans in the country (behind Kaiser Permanente).

UnitedHealthcare has an A+ (Superior) financial strength grade from AM Best, which was the highest of the health insurance providers we reviewed. And the company offers a lot of options for different needs, including child and adult dental coverage, short-term coverage, student coverage, and plans for small businesses. 

But there are limits to UnitedHealthcare’s offerings as well. The company doesn’t have any PPO plans for individuals and families and doesn’t offer extended coverage for various conditions through medical management programs. And premiums are not low, so it may not be the most budget-friendly option (but check your state’s specific plans). You should also check the company’s J.D. Power ranking for your state since it fares poorly for customer satisfaction in some regions.