Best Health Insurance Companies for Seniors & Retirees in 2026

Shopping for health insurance for seniors and retirees can sometimes be overwhelming, but we're hoping to make the process easier for you. We've done the research and ranked the best senior health insurance companies and plans, including their pros and cons, the overall best health insurance for seniors, the best carrier for customer service, and more.

For more information about how we evaluated each senior and retiree health insurance company, refer to our methodology section. Here's a breakdown of our top picks for the best senior and retiree health insurance companies of 2026.

The 5 Best Health Insurance Companies for Seniors & Retirees of 2026

• Best Senior Health Insurance Company Overall: Kaiser Permanente
• Best Senior Health Insurance Company If You're Under 65: Blue Cross Blue Shield
• Best Senior Health Insurance Company for Short-Term Health Insurance: UnitedHealthcare
• Best Health Insurance for Low-Income Seniors: Medicaid
• Best Senior Health Insurance Company for Customer Service: Kaiser Permanente

Best Senior Health Insurance Company Overall: Kaiser Permanente

Our pick for the overall best health insurance company for seniors is Kaiser Permanente. First, Kaiser Permanente offers the most affordable health insurance for seniors and retirees aged 60 and over. The carrier also has mostly positive customer feedback and high rates of overall customer satisfaction. 

Pros:	Cons:
Offers the most affordable health insurance for those aged 60 and over	Smaller provider network than most competitors
Great customer satisfaction ratings	Coverage is not offered in most states
Offers integrated care that combines the delivery of health services and health insurance

Kaiser Permanente was founded in 1945. The insurance company is the leading not-for-profit health plan in the U.S. Kaiser Permanente offers five different health insurance plans for seniors and has earned at least 4.5 out of 5 stars from the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). The carrier has more than 12.6 million members.

Best Senior Health Insurance Company If You're Under 65: Blue Cross Blue Shield

Our top pick for the best health insurance for seniors under the age of 65 is Blue Cross Blue Shield. BCBS earns our pick thanks to its highly rated plans that are available in most areas. 

BCBS works with Healthcare.gov, the health insurance marketplace, to offer some of the best deals available for traditional health insurance plans for seniors who are too young to qualify for Medicare and earn too much to qualify for Medicaid. The health insurance marketplace helps make health insurance more affordable for seniors with low to moderate incomes, thanks to premium tax credits that offer discounted rates.

Pros:	Cons:
Offers highly rated coverage (with an average of 4 stars from the NCQA)	While coverage is more affordable than that offered by some competitors, it's also more expensive than that offered by others
Coverage is available in most states	Some states have better-operating BCBS companies than others
Offers a large network of healthcare facilities and professionals
Has a lower-than-average complaint index through the NAIC

Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) was founded in 1910. As one of the nation's largest health insurance providers, one in three U.S. residents has healthcare coverage through BCBS. 

The carrier comprises 33 independent BCBS organizations that offer different plan options in different areas of the nation. While customers are highly likely to find health insurance plans through BCBS if they don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid, they may pay more for their coverage than they would from another provider.

Best Senior Health Insurance Company for Short-Term Health Insurance: UnitedHealthcare

Our top pick for the best health insurance for seniors who need short-term coverage is UnitedHealthcare. The carrier offers several short-term plan options for seniors, and these plans offer some of the broadest available coverage for short-term senior health insurance. 

UHC's short-term plans can be used to fill in coverage gaps, such as those faced by retirees who don't yet qualify for Medicare. Coverage also tends to be very affordable through UHC. Short-term plans are only available for customers aged 19 to 65, though.

Pros:	Cons:
Offers low-cost short-term senior health insurance	Short-term plans aren't regulated as traditional insurance policies are
Offers the broadest available coverage for short-term senior healthcare	Limited benefit options
Offers a variety of short-term plans that can bridge coverage gaps	Some seniors may not qualify for coverage due to their age or preexisting conditions
Offers low deductible options	Coverage is only offered in 29 states
Large network of healthcare facilities and providers in states where coverage is offered	Some plans have very high deductibles of $15,000 or more

UnitedHealthcare was founded in 1977. The carrier is the largest health insurance provider in the U.S., with a network of more than 7,000 hospitals and healthcare facilities and 1.7 million physicians and healthcare professionals. The carrier offers many short-term health insurance plans for seniors and retirees with coverage gaps and unique coverage needs.

Best Health Insurance for Low-Income Seniors: Medicaid

Our pick for the best health insurance for seniors on a low income goes to Medicaid. Medicaid offers free health insurance plans for low-income seniors and retirees. However, even seniors and retirees who are 65 or older and earn too much to otherwise qualify for Medicaid may still be able to obtain coverage if their medical costs are high enough. 

Pros:	Cons:
Offers free health insurance plans for qualifying low-income seniors and retirees	Strict income limits to qualify
Seniors and retirees age 65 and older might still qualify for coverage even if they earn more than the income limit and have high medical costs	Plans aren't available in all states
	Certain areas have additional qualification requirements

Medicaid was first established in 1965. Though the program was first created to offer health coverage to individuals receiving cash assistance, it has since greatly expanded. Today, Medicaid offers coverage for low-income families, individuals with disabilities at any age, pregnant women, and individuals in need of long-term care.

Best Senior Health Insurance Company for Customer Service: Kaiser Permanente

Our top pick for the best health insurance for seniors in terms of customer service is Kaiser Permanente. The insurance company's Medicare Advantage plans have earned very high ratings in terms of both quality and customer satisfaction. In fact, the NCQA's highest available star ratings are found on Kaiser's Medicare Advantage plans. 

Kaiser also earned first place on J.D. Power's Medicare Advantage Study just a couple of years ago. However, customer service of this quality comes at a cost, considering Kaiser's plans tend to have relatively high premiums but very low prescription drug deductibles. 

Pros:	Cons:
Top-rated carrier by J.D. Power for customer satisfaction	Plans are only available in eight states currently
Offers highly affordable drug deductibles	Premiums are high when compared to many competitors
Highest possible ratings by the NCQA	Only Medicare Advantage plans are offered
Offers high-quality plans

Kaiser Permanente was founded in 1945. The insurance company is the leading not-for-profit health plan in the U.S. Kaiser Permanente offers five different health insurance plans for seniors that have earned at least 4.5 out of 5 stars from the NCQA. The carrier has more than 12.7 million members.

How to Choose the Best Health Insurance Provider for Seniors & Retirees

Several factors affect which senior health insurance is right for every individual. These can include your eligibility for programs like Medicare and Medicaid or your need for a short-term plan. Here are a handful of some of the biggest factors that impact how to choose the best health insurance provider for yourself if you're a senior or retiree.

• Buying an Affordable Care Act plan: If you don't have the option to get health insurance through an employer, a spouse, or a parent's job, you can look into the ACA to find an affordable plan.
• Checking Medicaid eligibility: Medicaid's eligibility varies by state, but it is a federal/state low-income health insurance program. You'll need to check Medicaid options in your specific state to find out if you qualify.
• Check Medicare eligibility: Medicare is also a federal health insurance program that offers coverage for seniors and for some younger customers who qualify due to disabilities and preexisting conditions. You can qualify for Medicare if you're age 65 or older, or if you're younger and have certain disabilities or conditions.
• Check for short-term health insurance: You may be in a situation in which you're experiencing a gap in your health insurance, such as right after retirement, if you're in between jobs, you're still too young to qualify for Medicare, or you earn too much income to qualify for Medicaid. In this case, you can check for short-term health plans to bridge your coverage gap. Short-term plans are not available from every health insurance provider or in every state, but tend to offer affordable premiums for their duration.
• Look for catastrophic health insurance if you’re eligible: If you're under the age of 30 or enduring severe financial distress, such as due to homelessness, you might be able to qualify for catastrophic health insurance. These plans are sold through the ACA marketplace and offer high out-of-pocket costs in exchange for very low premiums, as they're intended to only be used if you need care and are otherwise healthy. 

Finding the best health insurance for seniors can be much easier when you enlist the help of an independent insurance agent who can shop and compare policies from several different carriers for you.

How We Score the Best Health Insurance Companies for Seniors in 2026

Several sources and criteria were evaluated to help us determine our picks for the best health insurance companies and plans for seniors and retirees in 2026. We used public data from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. 

Health insurance providers were also compared and ranked based on their coverage options, benefits, provider networks, average premium costs, average deductibles, customer service ratings, and coverage availability. We also considered each carrier's AM Best financial strength rating, J.D. Power Customer Satisfaction Survey rating, NCQA scores, and NAIC scores.

We can help you find a local senior health insurance provider through our independent insurance agent network. Independent insurance agents are trained experts who shop and compare policies from multiple carriers that offer coverage in your area. They can easily help you find a senior or retiree health insurance plan that provides the best overall blend of coverage and cost.

FAQs About the Best Health Insurance Companies for Seniors & Retirees