4 Best Health Insurance Companies of 2026

Health insurance can help you pay for prescription medications, doctor visits, and otherwise expensive procedures. Having coverage can mean a world of difference to both your health and your finances. But when it comes to finding the right policy, not all carriers are created equally when it comes to the best health insurance provider. 

Certain carriers offer better quality coverage and more affordable rates than others. That's why we created a list of four of the best health insurance companies of 2026. We evaluated these carriers based on their customer satisfaction ratings, plan benefits, types of coverage plans available, overall value, ACA metal levels available, and availability by state.

The 4 Best Health Insurance Companies of 2026

While many different carriers offer coverage, you're looking for the best health insurance provider. That's why we've made this list of the best health insurance companies this year. 

We even broke it down by category, including the best overall health insurance company, the best large health insurance company, the best health insurance company for self-employment, and the best health insurance company for value. When you're ready to get the coverage you need, start by looking into these top-rated carriers. 

• Best Health Insurance Company Overall: Kaiser Permanente
• Best Large Health Insurance Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Best Health Insurance Company for Self-Employment: UnitedHealthcare
• Best Health Insurance Company for Value: Oscar

Best Health Insurance Company Overall: Kaiser Permanente

What is the best health insurance company of 2026? We chose Kaiser Permanente as the best health insurance company overall, thanks to its outstanding customer service and highly accessible, top-notch medical care. 

Kaiser Permanente not only offers the best medical insurance but also continues to top the charts in terms of customer satisfaction ratings. 

Pros:	Cons:
High-quality medical care	Coverage is only offered in 8 states
Highly-accessible coverage	Limited provider network
Outstanding customer service ratings
Policies are easy to manage through an online portal

Kaiser Permanente was founded nearly 80 years ago. The insurance company is the country's leading not-for-profit health plan. Kaiser Permanente has 12.4 million policyholders across the eight states it serves. The carrier has over 235,000 employees and physicians offering high-quality medical care.

Best Large Health Insurance Company: Blue Cross Blue Shield

The best large health insurance company of 2026 is Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS). BCBS outshines its top competitors, UnitedHealthcare and Humana, thanks to its high-quality health coverage and extreme popularity. 

The insurance company offers health maintenance organizations (HMOs), exclusive provider organizations (EPOs), and preferred provider organizations (PPOs) among its wide range of health coverage plan options. 

BCBS offers coverage in all 50 states, and its network is huge, including 90% of U.S. hospitals and doctors. The carrier also partners with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America to offer trauma-informed approaches to behavioral healthcare and combat the nation's youth mental health crisis.

Pros:	Cons:
The largest network of medical providers in the county	More expensive coverage than other providers
The most popular health insurance company in the US	10% of the nation's doctors and hospitals don't accept BCBS
Top-quality medical coverage
Coverage is available nationwide

Blue Cross Blue Shield was founded in 1929. The carrier has since become the nation's largest and most popular health insurance coverage provider. Coverage is offered in all 50 states. BCBS has 115 million members nationwide, and coverage is accepted by more than 1.7 million hospitals and doctors in the U.S. 

Best Health Insurance Company for Self-Employment: UnitedHealthcare

The best health insurance company for self-employed individuals in 2026 is UnitedHealthcare (UHC). The carrier offers comprehensive care and top-quality health insurance plans. 

UHC also offers a highly user-friendly app and many optional coverage add-on benefits. It earns the title of the best health insurance carrier for self-employment because its management system allows individuals to save time by streamlining their coverage easily. 

UHC plans can include benefits like access to wellness programs, free primary care, and inexpensive prescription medications, as well as add-on coverage for disability, dental, and vision. 

Pros:	Cons:
Highly user-friendly mobile app	Coverage availability is limited in some states
Ability to schedule telehealth appointments through the app	More expensive plans than average
Lots of partnerships	Negative customer feedback reported on the Better Business Bureau's website
Many coverage benefits available

UnitedHealthcare was founded in 1977 and is part of the UnitedHealth Group family. The carrier's network expands across more than 1.3 million physicians and care professionals and 6,700 hospitals and care facilities. 

UHC is known for providing top-quality health insurance coverage as well as offering many optional coverage benefits and a handy mobile app to manage its policies.

Best Health Insurance Company for Value: Oscar

The best health insurance company for value in 2026 is Oscar. The insurance company offers the cheapest health insurance plans for every age group (i.e., 25, 35, 45, and 60 years old) as well as the best value for silver and bronze plans. 

Oscar also offers the lowest physician copays available at $0. The carrier's silver and bronze plans are known to offer low out-of-pocket costs, as well. 

The carrier also provides many different medical management plans, such as those for weight loss, depression, heart disease, etc. Oscar also offers benefits when policyholders meet their annual step goals, such as Amazon gift cards.

Pros:	Cons:
Offers $0 physician copays	Coverage only available in 22 states
Offers member benefits for meeting goals	Poor customer reviews
Affordable out-of-pocket costs with bronze and silver plans
Most affordable plans across each age group
Easy-to-understand plan documents
Convenient mobile app

Oscar was founded in 2012. The carrier offers coverage in 18 states across the U.S. and has $180 million in private equity. 

Oscar is known for its convenient mobile app and easily understood plan documents, as well as its affordable coverage, $0 physician copays, affordable bronze and silver plans, and member benefits for achieving health goals.

How We Score the Best Health Insurance Companies of 2026

We use a comprehensive methodology when scoring and evaluating the best health insurance companies. We consider each carrier's customer reviews, financial strength, Better Business Bureau ratings and accreditations, and more. 

We also consider each health insurance carrier's NCQA health insurance plan ratings, which consider customer satisfaction, preventive care, and other clinical measures. The insurance company's National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) complaint index score also compares the rate and volume of its complaints vs. other carriers of the same size. 

Finally, we consider each carrier's AM Best financial strength ratings when calculating our scores. If you're looking for the best local health insurance provider, an independent insurance agent in your area is qualified to help you.

How to Choose the Best Health Insurance Provider for You

When evaluating the best and worst health insurance companies for you, there are a few different criteria you'll want to consider for each option. Weighing the value a carrier provides vs. the cost of its coverage is one of the keys to finding the right health insurance provider for you. Consider each of the following factors:

• Costs: You'll need to weigh a carrier's policy costs vs. the overall benefits you'll receive from them. More expensive plans may be worth it to you if they feature benefits like rewards or a large provider network.  
• Deductible vs. premium: You'll also need to evaluate your budget and how much you can afford to spend on a policy's deductible (i.e., the amount you'll have to pay out of pocket per claim) and premium (i.e., the amount you pay to have coverage per month or year, depending on your plan). A plan with a higher deductible can come with a much lower premium, but consider that you'd have to pay a much higher amount out of your own pocket if you needed to file a claim.
• Plan type: Health insurance companies offer different types of health plans, and you'll need to take time to consider which is right for you. If you don't anticipate needing to use your coverage much, you might choose a more limited plan, such as one that only offers catastrophic coverage and comes with a lower deductible. However, if you consider your current health status and anticipate needing more doctor's visits, medications, etc., you'll need to choose a much more comprehensive plan that includes these costs.
• Look at available providers: Of course, the providers that offer coverage in your area are also key factors in your decision. Not every carrier offers coverage nationwide. When you do find a carrier that offers coverage in your state, consider their coverage network next. Insurance companies with larger networks are accepted by more medical care providers, such as doctors, hospitals, etc.

Consider working with a local independent insurance agent to get the best health insurance rates and a plan that meets your specific needs.

Understanding the Cost of Health Insurance

The average cost of health insurance in the U.S. is $539 per month. However, many different factors affect the cost of health insurance for each individual. 

For example, the individual's health status at the time of applying for health insurance can influence policy costs, as does the level of coverage chosen. Deductible amounts chosen also impact the cost of health insurance. 

Here's an overview of the average cost of health insurance plans from each of the large health insurance carriers on our list for a 40-year-old adult policyholder.

Health Insurance Company	Plan Issuer	Silver Level Plan	Gold Level Plan
Blue Cross Blue Shield	Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas	$609	$662
Kaiser Permanente	Kaiser Permanente in Oregon	$519	$544
Oscar Health	Oscar Insurance Company in Texas	$567	$596
UnitedHealthcare	UnitedHealthcare in Texas	$585	$620

FAQs About the Best Health Insurance Companies