Cheapest Health Insurance in Wisconsin (2026)


Key Takeaways
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The most affordable health insurance in Wisconsin comes from MercyCare Health Plans at $545 monthly, followed by Group Health Cooperative Scw at $635 and Dean Health Plan at $637.

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We found MercyCare Health Plans dominates Wisconsin's health insurance market across key demographics, including seniors, young adults, teens, children and adults, plus leads in HMO plans and Health Savings Account eligibility, while other insurers lead in different plan categories.

When we analyzed Wisconsin's marketplace plans, the spread between the cheapest and most expensive carrier was $209 per month, $2,508 annually for the same 40-year-old profile. MercyCare Health Plans leads at $545 monthly, average deductible runs at $4,038, which is $2,079 more than HealthPartners' $1,959 for PPO coverage. At $206 in monthly savings, the $2,079 deductible gap offsets those savings within 10 months of claims.

Group Health Cooperative Scw and Dean Health Plan at $635 and $637 monthly are close in premium cost. Group Health Cooperative Scw's Platinum option carries a $2,625 maximum out-of-pocket. Dean Health Plan's EPO plans average $5,950.

Cheapest Health Insurance Providers in Wisconsin

Wisconsin residents save $206 monthly with MercyCare Health Plans at $545 average monthly rates compared to the statewide average. 

Group Health Cooperative Scw ranks second at $635 monthly. Dean Health Plan follows at $637. MercyCare has the cheapest health insurance across Wisconsin. Its lower premiums come with higher deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs.

Mercycare Health Plans$545$206$6,540$2,472
Group Health Cooperative Scw$635$116$7,620$1,392
Dean Health Plan$637$114$7,644$1,368
Network Health$639$112$7,668$1,344
Aspirus Health Plan$648$103$7,776$1,236
HealthPartners$664$87$7,968$1,044
UnitedHealthcare$673$78$8,076$936
Quartz$700$51$8,400$612
Caresource$702$49$8,424$588
Medica$754$3$9,048$36

* We determine average monthly costs by rounding the mean of all monthly plan rates for each provider in Wisconsin. We calculate average monthly savings by comparing each provider's average rate against the statewide average to demonstrate the cost difference below the state benchmark.

MercyCare Health Plans

MercyCare Health Plans

MoneyGeek Rating
4.7/ 5
5/5Affordability
3.5/5Deductible
5/5MOOP
  • Avg. Monthly Rate

    $545
  • Avg. MOOP

    $5,551
  • Avg. Deductible

    $4,038

Most Affordable Wisconsin Health Insurance by Category

MercyCare Health Plans provides the most affordable rates across Wisconsin demographics. Selecting the best health insurance provider requires more than premium comparisons. Your rate depends on age, chosen plan type and metal tier selection.

ChildrenMercycare Health Plans$327$3,927$4,226$2,290
TeensMercycare Health Plans$391$4,687$4,226$2,290
Young AdultsMercycare Health Plans$438$5,257$4,226$2,290
AdultsMercycare Health Plans$547$6,561$4,226$2,290
SeniorsMercycare Health Plans$1,161$13,932$4,226$2,290
PPOHealthPartners$619$7,426$5,014$1,959
HMOMercycare Health Plans$547$6,561$4,226$2,290
POSAspirus Health Plan$716$8,587$5,657$3,100
EPODean Health Plan$576$6,906$5,950$2,305
With Health Savings Account EligibilityMercycare Health Plans$551$6,609$5,025$5,025

* These are average rates for all plan types and metal levels, with teens at 18 years old, young adults at 26 years old, adults at 40 years old and seniors at 60 years old. For plan type costs, we used average rates for 40-year-olds. 

HealthPartners PPO costs $72 more per month than MercyCare HMO, yet it carries a $331 lower deductible, $1,959 versus $2,290. For Wisconsin residents who file claims regularly, that deductible advantage narrows the cost gap between PPO and HMO

The HSA-eligible MercyCare plan costs $4 more per month than the standard HMO, $551 versus $547. The trade-off is a higher deductible of $5,025, which doubles as the HSA contribution ceiling, a structure suited to high earners who fund the account fully.

Most Affordable Wisconsin Health Insurance by Metal Level

For 40-year-olds in Wisconsin, Dean Health Plan has the most affordable Expanded Bronze coverage at $387 monthly. MercyCare Health Plans leads Bronze at $388 per month and Silver at $547 monthly.

Aspirus Health Plan provides the cheapest Catastrophic plans at $393 per month and MercyCare Gold coverage costs $556 per month with a $1,500 deductible. Group Health Cooperative Scw Platinum coverage costs $635 monthly with no deductible and a $2,625 maximum out-of-pocket limit.

Expanded BronzeDean Health Plan$387$4,641$7,800$5,750
BronzeMercycare Health Plans$388$4,657$7,500$7,500
CatastrophicAspirus Health Plan$393$4,722$10,600$10,600
SilverMercycare Health Plans$547$6,561$4,226$2,290
GoldMercycare Health Plans$556$6,675$6,150$1,500
PlatinumGroup Health Cooperative Scw$635$7,624$2,625$0

Aspirus Catastrophic runs $393 monthly against MercyCare Bronze at $388, $10,600 for Catastrophic versus $7,500 for Bronze. For $5 more per month, Bronze cuts your worst-case annual exposure by $3,100.

Platinum from Group Health Cooperative Scw at $635 monthly with no deductible pays off only if you expect to hit your deductible every year. The $88 monthly gap over MercyCare Silver takes 26 months of premium payments to recoup through deductible savings alone.

Cheap Wisconsin Health Insurance: Personalized Picks

The table below lets you filter Wisconsin health insurance plans by age, plan type, metal level and HSA eligibility to find the lowest rate for your profile.

Data filtered by:
HMO
Silver
40
No
Group Health Cooperative ScwBetter Together Hmo Silver 6000 Ded/8900 Moop$543HMOSilver$5,657$3,10040No
Mercycare Health PlansMercycare Silver Standard$543HMOSilver$5,117$2,61740No
Mercycare Health PlansMercycare Silver 2,500 (3 Free Pcp Visits)$546HMOSilver$5,600No Data40No
Group Health Cooperative ScwBetter Together Hmo Silver 5500 Ded/8500 Moop With Vision$548HMOSilver$5,024$3,52940No
Mercycare Health PlansMercycare Silver Health Savings$551HMOSilver$1,963$1,96340No
Security Health PlanEnrich $5,500 - 40% Copay$554HMOSilver$10,000No Data40No
Group Health Cooperative ScwBetter Together Hmo Silver 5975 Ded/5975 Moop Hsa$596HMOSilver$2,159$2,15940No
Network HealthPrestige Silver$596HMOSilver$5,657$3,10040No
Security Health PlanEnrich $3,500 - 30%$597HMOSilver$9,200No Data40No
Network HealthPrestige Silver Essential + 3 Free Pcp Visits$616HMOSilver$5,400$2,87140No

At the same $543 monthly rate, MercyCare Silver Standard carries a $2,617 deductible and $5,117 maximum out-of-pocket versus Group Health Cooperative Scw at $3,100 and $5,657. Same price, lower exposure.

How to Get Cheap Health Insurance in Wisconsin

These guidelines can help you find comprehensive coverage at a fair price.

  1. 1
    Look Beyond the Cheapest Plans

    Gold and Silver plans often mean lower annual costs than Bronze for anyone who uses care. In MoneyGeek's Wisconsin rate data, switching from MercyCare Bronze to Silver adds $159 monthly for a 40-year-old but cuts the deductible from $7,500 to $2,290. Silver pays for itself in 33 months.

  2. 2
    Review Your Medical Spending

    Calculate what you spent on health care last year to guide your choice. If you visited doctors three times and filled two prescriptions totaling $800, a high-deductible plan with a $7,000 deductible might save you $120 monthly compared to premium options.

  3. 3
    Explore HMO Options

    HMO plans run cheaper than PPO coverage in Wisconsin. MercyCare HMO averages $547 monthly for a 40-year-old versus HealthPartners PPO at $619, a $72 monthly gap or $864 annually. The HMO cost advantage holds if your doctors are in MercyCare's network. Regular specialist referrals or out-of-state care can push costs past what the lower premium saves.

  4. 4
    Verify Subsidy Eligibility

    Premium tax credits through HealthCare.gov reduce monthly payments based on household income. Check your eligibility before buying any plan during open enrollment, credits apply only to marketplace plans, not employer-sponsored coverage.

  5. 5
    Explore Medicare Options if You Qualify

    Wisconsin residents who qualify can review Medicaid, Medicare Advantage plans in Wisconsin and Medicare Supplement plans in Wisconsin for cost and coverage details.

  6. 6
    Time Your Purchase Right

    Open enrollment offers the best plan selection and the lowest rates each year. Missing this means you have to wait until next year unless you experience a qualified life event like marriage, job loss or moving to Wisconsin.

  7. 7
    Compare Provider Networks

    Verify your current doctors accept the insurance plan you're considering. Call their offices directly or check the insurer's online directory. Switching doctors mid-treatment can disrupt care and cost extra.

Cheapest Health Insurance in Wisconsin: Bottom Line

MercyCare Health Plans posts the lowest average monthly rate in Wisconsin at $545. Healthy adults save $2,472 annually against the statewide average.

For anyone managing a chronic condition or taking regular prescriptions, HealthPartners and Dean Health Plan are worth the comparison. Their monthly premiums run higher. For frequent users, the lower deductibles and out-of-pocket limits offset that gap over a full year.

Group Health Cooperative Scw's Platinum option at $635 with no deductible pays off only if you expect to hit your deductible annually. At $88 more per month than MercyCare Silver, the break-even on deductible savings runs 26 months.  

Seniors turning 65 should check Medicare eligibility before buying a marketplace plan. At $1,161 monthly, MercyCare is the cheapest marketplace option for 60-year-olds in MoneyGeek's rate data, but Medicare or Medicare Advantage costs less for many buyers once they qualify.

Affordable Health Insurance in Wisconsin: FAQ

Find answers to the most common health insurance questions for Wisconsin residents:

How do I get cheap health insurance in Wisconsin?

How much does health insurance cost in Wisconsin?

Does Wisconsin require health insurance?

What is the income limit to get BadgerCare in Wisconsin?

Our Methodology

We gathered plan data from the federal health insurance marketplace. Our analysis covered all available plans from 10 carriers across Wisconsin for consumers aged 18 to 60. We examined costs at five age points: 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60.

Our cheapest overall rankings focus on 40-year-old monthly premiums as this age group is the most common and provides a clear comparison. Age-specific rankings reflect their own premium costs. Lower premiums often come with higher deductibles and out-of-pocket maximums, which increase your costs when you use care.

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About Mark Fitzpatrick


Mark Fitzpatrick, Licensed P&C Insurance Expert, MoneyGeek

Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident insurance expert. He has spent nearly a decade analyzing the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he has produced original research on hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.

He covers economics and insurance at MoneyGeek, and his work has been featured in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR, among other outlets.

Like all MoneyGeek analysts, he draws on independent cost and consumer experience data. No insurance company partnership influences his recommendations.

Fitzpatrick earned his degrees from Johns Hopkins University (M.A. Economics and International Relations) and Boston College (B.A.). He began his career in financial risk management at State Street. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.