With a score of 80 out of 100, Sanford Health Plan offers the best health insurance in North Dakota, excelling in affordability, customer service and coverage. But if it’s not available where you live, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medica also provide strong health insurance options.
Best Health Insurance in North Dakota
Updated: June 24, 2025
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Key Takeaways
Overall, Sanford Health Plan offers the best and most balanced health insurance coverage in North Dakota.
Medica provides the best cheap health insurance in North Dakota, with Silver-tier plans averaging $319 monthly, where available.
To find the best health insurance in North Dakota, educate yourself on companies available to you, decide coverage needs beforehand and compare plan quotes from several companies.
Best Health Insurance Companies in North Dakota
| Sanford Health Plan | 80 | Sanford Individual TRUE Standardized $5,000 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | 69 | DakotaBlue Trinity Silver |
| Medica | 68 | Essentia Choice Care with Medica Silver Share |
*Our picks are the best companies for 40-year-olds looking for Silver-tier plans.
Best Health Insurance in North Dakota by Category
While we've given our top picks overall, the best company for you may differ depending on your profile and preferred plan type. So below, we've broken down the top picks for common categories to make more personalized recommendations.
| Children/Families | Sanford Health Plan |
| Young Adults | Sanford Health Plan |
| Seniors | Sanford Health Plan |
| PPO | Sanford Health Plan |
| HMO | Sanford Health Plan |
Best North Dakota Health Insurance Reviews
So that you can learn about our recommendations, we've broken down our top picks overall, for affordability and customer service reputation.
Sanford Health Plan: Best Overall
pros
Strong regional presence with additional benefits
Flexible network options and nationwide access
Best overall for most North Dakotans
cons
Limited geographic coverage area
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Overall, Sanford Health Plan was our pick for the best health insurance in North Dakota due to its comprehensive coverage and excellent performance metrics. With a MoneyGeek score of 80 out of 100, it offers plan options with affordable rates, low out-of-pocket costs and handles claims well with fewer denials than other providers. Sanford Health Plan has a 5% denial rate, lower than most of the competition. As part of the largest rural health system in the United States, they offer integrated care that serves over 400,000 health plan members with HMO and PPO options.
Medica: Best Cheap Overall
pros
Cheapest rates in North Dakota for most plan tiers
Strong regional network and provider relationships
Comprehensive plan options and additional benefits
cons
Poor customer service reputation
Limited geographic availability and network restrictions
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
While Medica isn't our top overall pick, it does offer the most affordable rates in North Dakota. Silver plans start at $319 per month, and it has the cheapest Bronze, Silver and Gold plans in the state. Medica has the cheapest coverage for roughly half the people in North Dakota, including those in Fargo, Bismarck and Grand Forks, making it an excellent choice for budget-conscious consumers seeking basic coverage.
Blue Cross Blue Shield: Best Customer Reputation
pros
Extensive national network and brand recognition
Highest customer reputation score in North Dakota
cons
Largest number of in-network counties
No out-of-network coverage, unless there's a medical emergency
Higher premium costs compared to competitors
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Despite being a more expensive option for health insurance, Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota stands out for customer service as a trusted provider with deep local roots. It offers personalized service and unmatched access to care to hundreds of thousands of North Dakotans. With its commitment to challenging the cost and complexity of health care in the state and its extensive network coverage, BCBS ND provides comprehensive customer support and has built a reputation for reliability and member satisfaction throughout the state.
How to Find the Best Health Insurance for You in North Dakota
The following recommendations will ensure that buying health insurance that is ideal for you is easy.
Decide on your coverage needs before buying
When looking for the best health insurance, weigh the monthly cost against the maximum out-of-pocket limits for plans. If you go to the doctor often, a plan with a higher monthly fee but lower MOOP can save you money. But you may not need as much coverage if you're not high risk. Also, compare health insurance plan types to ensure how flexible a provider will be in covering you.
Compare company offerings and reputations
Before comparing rates, understand what plans the top companies in your area offer and their terms. Also, look into company reputations through forums and industry sources like J.D. Power to ensure a smooth buying and coverage claims process.
Shop around
Comparing multiple plans from many providers ensures you get the best possible deal. We found that rates can start as low as $319 per month in North Dakota, depending on your personal profile and plan type chosen. Open Enrollment lasts from November 1 to January 15, but you may also qualify for Special Enrollment if you've lost your job, have gotten divorced or have had a child.
Take advantage of federal programs and subsidies
Those with low income, have a qualifying disability or illness, or are 65 years old or older can receive subsidies or be eligible for Medicare plans. In some cases, depending on your details, you can have up to 100% of your premiums covered if you're low-income or have significant savings if you're eligible for Medicare. MoneyGeek also provides information for finding the top North Dakota Medicare Supplement and best Medicare Advantage plans in North Dakota if you want to learn more.
Best Health Insurance in North Dakota: Bottom Line
Overall, our top three picks for North Dakota health insurance are Sanford Health Plan, Blue Cross Blue Shield and Medica. However, the best possible health insurance plan for you will vary widely depending on your personal details and coverage needs. Compare as many plans and companies as possible to get the right fit.
Best North Dakota Health Insurance: FAQ
Below, we've answered frequently asked questions about the best health insurance in North Dakota:
What is the best health insurance provider in North Dakota for 2025?
Sanford Health Plan provides the best health insurance in North Dakota for 2025. However, the best choice for you will depend on your unique circumstances and needs and if coverage is available in your county.
What should you look for when shopping for the best health insurance plan in North Dakota?
When finding the best health insurance plan, compare premium costs and coverage breadth to ensure the plan meets your specific medical needs without gaps in essential services. The ideal plan balances affordability with comprehensive coverage that aligns with your health requirements and anticipated medical expenses.
How We Chose the Best Health Insurance in North Dakota
To rank health care insurance providers in North Dakota, MoneyGeek researched premiums, out-of-pocket costs, claims denial rates and plan types for each available company and compared them across different categories. We then weighted each category to calculate an overall MoneyGeek score and derive rankings.
We weighted most categories as follows:
- Maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) score (30%): The MOOP is the most you'll pay per year for health care costs outside of your monthly premiums. The provider with the lowest average MOOP scores the highest.
- Claims denial score (30%): How often a provider denies claims. The provider with the lowest claims denial rate scores the highest.
- Rate score (20%): How much the provider's monthly plans cost. The cheapest provider, on average, gets the highest score.
- Plan type score (20%): Providers score better if they have plan types with broader coverage. A provider with many PPO plans will get the highest score.
In some cases, we adjusted the weightings as follows:
- For the categories "Best Cheap Health Insurance in North Dakota" and "Best Health Insurance in North Dakota for Low Income," we increased the rate score weighting to 50%. We decreased every other category by 10%.
- For the category "Best Health Insurance by Plan Type in North Dakota," we decreased the plan type score weighting to 0% to reflect that we are comparing providers' plans like-for-like. We increased MOOP and claims denial score weightings by 10% each.
Sample Consumer:
MoneyGeek collected data on all available plans in North Dakota for consumers aged 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60. Unless otherwise noted, all monthly premiums are for a 40-year-old buyer, such as the category for young adults. Plans analyzed in each section include the relevant cited metal tiers, which include Catastrophic, Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum.
About Mark Fitzpatrick
Mark Fitzpatrick, a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Producer, is MoneyGeek's resident Personal Finance Expert. With over five years of experience analyzing the insurance market, he conducts original research and creates tailored content for all types of buyers. His insights have been featured in publications like CNBC, NBC News and Mashable.
Fitzpatrick holds a master’s degree in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College. He's also a five-time Jeopardy champion!
Passionate about economics and insurance, he aims to promote transparency in financial topics and empower others to make confident money decisions.