Kaiser Permanente offers the best health insurance in Virginia, balancing affordability, customer service and coverage. However, if the company is unavailable in your area, CareFirst, Cigna, Innovation Health, Aetna or Oscar also offer some of the top coverage options in the state.
Best Health Insurance in Virginia (2025)
Updated: November 3, 2025
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Key Takeaways
Overall, Kaiser Permanente offers the best and most balanced health insurance coverage in Virginia.
Aetna offers the best cheap health insurance in Virginia, where available, with average rates of $400 per month for Silver-tier plans.
To find the best health insurance in Virginia, educate yourself on companies available to you, decide coverage needs beforehand and compare plan quotes from several companies.
Best Health Insurance Companies in Virginia
| Kaiser Permanente | $435 | $5,217 | $8,367 |
| Aetna Health Inc. | $400 | $4,803 | $8,866 |
| CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield | $547 | $6,566 | $7,800 |
| Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company | $442 | $5,303 | $9,363 |
| HealthKeepers, Inc. | $437 | $5,240 | $9,366 |
| Innovation Health Plan, Inc. | $402 | $4,818 | $8,866 |
| Oscar Insurance Company | $469 | $5,626 | $9,150 |
*Our picks are the best companies for 40-year-olds looking for Silver-tier plans.
Best Virginia Health Insurance Reviews
To help you learn about our recommendations, we've broken down our top picks overall, for affordability and customer service reputation.
Kaiser Permanente: Best Overall Company
pros
Best health insurance company in Virginia with $435 monthly Silver rate
8% denial rate - lowest among Virginia competitors
Lower out-of-pocket maximum at $8,367 caps catastrophic costs
No referrals needed for specialists within the Kaiser network
cons
Service area restricted to Northern Virginia counties only
Must stay in-network except for emergencies to receive benefits
Adult dental coverage is only available off-exchange
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
Kaiser Permanente delivers the best health insurance in Virginia at $435 monthly for Silver coverage, saving you money without sacrificing quality care. The company's commercial health plan in Virginia earned 5 out of 5 stars from the National Committee for Quality Assurance for the seventh consecutive year - the only Virginia plan to hit this mark.
Your out-of-pocket maximum stops at $8,367, protecting you if major health issues arise. Kaiser's integrated system connects your doctors, labs, and pharmacies within the same medical centers, so you can see your doctor, get blood work, and pick up prescriptions in one trip.
Our data shows Kaiser denies just 8% of prior authorizations, meaning 92 out of 100 requests get approved on the first try. Kaiser members survive colorectal cancer at rates 52% higher than national averages, and heart disease survival rates run 33% better.
CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield: Best Customer Reputation
pros
Second-most-affordable rates in the state
Highest customer reputation score in Virginia
cons
Largest number of in-network counties
No out-of-network coverage, unless there's a medical emergency
COMPANY HIGHLIGHTS
CareFirst Blue Cross Blue Shield stands out for customer reputation in Virginia as a trusted regional leader with strong member satisfaction and a comprehensive support infrastructure. With extensive experience serving Virginia families, CareFirst has built a solid reputation for reliable service, responsive claims processing and local market expertise that residents trust for their health care coverage needs.
Best Health Insurance in Virginia 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.
| Young Adults | Oscar Insurance Company |
| Seniors | Oscar Insurance Company |
| PPO | CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield |
| HMO | Kaiser Permanente |
| EPO | Oscar Insurance Company |
How to Find the Best Health Insurance for You in Virginia
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 $400 monthly in Virginia, depending on your profile and chosen plan type. Open Enrollment lasts from November 1 to January 15, but you may also qualify for Special Enrollment if you've lost your job, divorced or 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 Virginia Medicare Supplement and best Medicare Advantage plans in Virginia if you want to learn more.
Best Health Insurance in Virginia: Bottom Line
Overall, our top three picks for Virginia health insurance are Kaiser Permanente, Oscar and CareFirst. 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 Virginia Health Insurance: FAQ
Below, we've answered frequently asked questions about the best health insurance in Virginia:
What is the best health insurance provider in Virginia for 2025?
Kaiser Permanente provides the best health insurance in Virginia for 2025. However, your best choice 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 Virginia?
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 Virginia
To rank health care insurance providers in Virginia, 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 Virginia" and "Best Health Insurance in Virginia 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 Virginia," 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 Virginia 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.
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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!
He writes about economics and insurance, breaking down complex topics so people know what they're buying.