Best Cheap Health Insurance in Alaska (2024)

In Alaska, Gold plans are cheaper than Silver plans, and they pay for more of your medical bills. Only two health insurance companies sell plans on HealthCare.gov in Alaska: Moda and Premera Blue Cross Blue Shield. Comparing your options across both companies could help you find the best cheap plan for you.

How much does health insurance cost in Alaska?

In Alaska, health insurance costs $842 per month, on average, for a 40-year-old with a Gold plan. While Gold plans are cheaper than Silver plans in AK, rates still vary depending on your age, where you live, how many people you insure, the plan tier you buy and whether you smoke or use tobacco.

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Even though health insurance rates in Alaska are high, most people don't pay full price for a plan. Depending on your income, you may qualify for a discount on your monthly rate called a rate subsidy. In Alaska, you can make up to $72,000 per year as a single person or $150,000 per year as a family of four and be eligible. Many people find a plan for $10 or less once subsidies are applied.

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Cheapest health insurance in Alaska

The best cheap health insurance in Alaska is the Pioneer Gold plan from Moda. Gold plans pay the largest portion of your medical bills. And Moda's Pioneer Gold plan can be up to $76 cheaper than the state average.

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Finding your best health insurance coverage in Alaska

To find the best health insurance in Alaska, consider your monthly budget and how much medical care you need. For most people, it makes sense to buy a Gold plan, since they give you the highest level of coverage and are cheaper than Silver plans. But if you are young and healthy, a Bronze plan could be a good choice.

Gold plans: Best for most people

Gold plans are the highest plan tier offered in Alaska, which means they pay the highest portion of your medical bills. This lets you pay less when you go to the doctor. Because Gold plans are cheaper than Silver plans in Alaska, they're a good option for most people with moderate to high medical care needs.

Silver plans: Best for average medical costs

Silver plans aren't usually the best deal in Alaska, even though they're a good option in most states. If you buy a Silver plan in AK, you'll generally pay more than you would for a Gold plan, which gives you more coverage. Typically, though, Silver plans have a good balance between cost and coverage.

Bronze plans: Best if you are young and healthy

Bronze plans have the cheapest monthly rates, but they also pay the least toward your medical bills. That means if you have a Bronze plan, you will pay more when you get health care. If you are young and healthy, these plans can be a good idea. But if you need medical care often, they're not the best fit.

Medicaid: Best if you have a low income

Medicaid is a health insurance program for low-income households. In Alaska, you can actually make more than you can in other states — that is, up to about $25,000 per year as an individual or about $51,000 as a family of four — and still qualify for Medicaid. Alaska has programs for low-income adults, children, pregnant women, seniors and those who are blind or disabled.

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Are health insurance rates going up in Alaska?

Health insurance in Alaska costs more in 2024 compared to 2023. Gold plans, the most popular option in the state, cost $112 more per month this year. Alaska's health insurance rates are the highest in the nation.

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Best cheap health insurance companies in Alaska

Plans are available throughout the state, whereas Moda is only available in certain areas. And most medical offices accept Premera BCBS coverage, which gives you more flexibility in choosing where to get medical care. The vast majority of health insurance plans in AK come from Premera BCBS.

Cheapest health insurance companies in AK

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Cheapest health insurance plan by Alaska county

Where you live changes what plans are available, so the cheapest Silver plan varies by county. The Standard Gold plan from Premera BCBS is the cheapest Silver plan in most counties in Alaska. But in Anchorage, where almost 40% of Alaska's population lives, the Moda Pioneer Gold plan is the cheapest Silver option.

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Average cost of health insurance by family size in Alaska

A couple with two young children pays $2,690 per month, on average, for a Gold plan in Alaska. Children age 14 and under are charged a fixed rate of $504 per month. Once a child turns 15, their rate begins to increase every year.

Short-term health insurance in Alaska

Short-term health insurance can help you fill gaps in coverage, like if you are between jobs. A plan can last up to a year, and you can only have the plan for a total of three years.

But if you need coverage for a year or more, buying a plan from HealthCare.gov is usually better than buying a short-term health insurance plan. That's because short-term health plans aren't required to cover the same things as plans from HealthCare.gov. If you buy a short-term health insurance plan, make sure you review the coverage so you know what to expect when you go to the doctor.

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Frequently asked questions

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Methodology

2024 health insurance plans and rates for Alaska are from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) government website. ValuePenguin used the public use files to average rates across a variety of metrics, such as plan tier, family size and county.

Plans and providers for which county-level data was included in the CMS Crosswalk file were used in our analysis; those excluded from this data set may not appear. Other sources include the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Kaiser Family Foundation and the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.