Best Health Insurance Options for the Unemployed (2026)

If you’re out of work, the best health insurance companies for unemployed workers can still help you keep coverage while you job hunt. We picked Ambetter as the best HMO option at $668 per month. Medica offers the best EPO plan at $605 with a $3,700 deductible and an $8,500 limit, and Blue Cross Blue Shield provides the best PPO coverage at $748 per month with a $3,629 deductible and a $7,188 ceiling.

The cost of Marketplace health insurance depends on what type of plan and metal level you buy and how much coverage it offers, which health insurance company you choose and whether you qualify for subsidies.

These estimates use a 40-year-old enrolling alone in a Silver Marketplace plan. Your own costs can look very different. If you’re unemployed or your income dropped, premium tax credits can lower your monthly bill, and cost-sharing reductions on eligible Silver plans can shrink deductibles and copays, easing what you pay when you actually get care.

The best health insurance for unemployed workers by metal level depends on how much risk you can shoulder right now, or how much you can pay out-of-pocket when you need care. 

Bronze coverage from Kaiser Permanente costs $435 per month with a $7,500 deductible and $9,613 maximum out-of-pocket costs, while Catastrophic plans from Anthem drop the premium to $278 but keep both deductible and limit at $10,600. Gold and Platinum plans cost more monthly but charge less when you see a doctor. 

If cash flow is tight, lower premiums help you stay insured, but lower deductibles and caps reduce the hit if you land in the hospital while between jobs.

Health insurance costs without a job can still be manageable if you match the metal tier to your budget. Expanded Bronze plans cost $494 a month, while richer Platinum options cost $903. Silver and Gold fall in between, with higher premiums but stronger help when you see a doctor. Lower tiers work if you’re comfortable taking on bigger bills when you get care. Higher tiers trade more upfront cost for better protection if an illness, injury or surgery hits while you’re between paychecks.

Average costs don’t count the tax credits you might be able to get. People with lower incomes, such as unemployed people, are likely to qualify for subsidies that may dramatically reduce these costs. You could save hundreds of dollars on monthly premiums if you are eligible for subsidies and choose a Silver plan.

You may not need to go without health insurance when you're unemployed. You have options, like private health insurance and government-backed health insurance, such as Medicare and Medicaid. Those under 26 can get coverage through a parent's health insurance provider. If you have a spouse with health care, they can add you to their plan.

Losing your job doesn't mean losing access to quality health care. While health insurance costs without a job average $674 monthly, premium tax credits can make Silver plans much more affordable. Medica leads our EPO recommendations at $605, and Ambetter excels for HMO coverage. Don't overlook COBRA or Medicaid either.

We've answered a few frequently asked questions about finding best health insurance if you've recently lost your job or are unemployed:

Finding health insurance without employer coverage means stretching limited income while avoiding gaps that could lead to medical bankruptcy. Job loss or unemployment creates urgent pressure to secure affordable coverage before COBRA expires or health issues arise. We designed our research to identify which insurers deliver the best value for unemployed Americans navigating individual market plans. 

We compared health insurance companies using three factors weighted by importance to unemployed consumers: 

Affordability score (60%): Healthcare costs impact your budget most when living without steady income. We evaluate three cost factors that roll up into your overall affordability score: 

• Monthly premium: The provider with the lowest average monthly cost scores highest since keeping premiums low preserves your savings during unemployment.
• Deductible: The amount you pay before insurance covers costs. Lower deductibles score highest since unexpected medical bills can exhaust your emergency fund quickly.
• Maximum out-of-pocket: The MOOP caps what you'll pay annually beyond premiums. Lower MOOPs score better since a single ER visit can eliminate your financial cushion. 
  

Quality score (30%): We evaluated plan performance using the Quality Rating System, a 5-star rating that measures medical care, member experience and plan administration. Providers with higher scores rank better. 

Denial rate score (10%): Fewer denials mean less hassle getting coverage approved when you need care. Insurers with lower denial rates score highest. 

How We Score Different Plan Types and Metal Tiers 

We normalized scores within each category for fair comparisons. The top insurer in each group receives a 5 out of 5, with others scored proportionally. 

We used Silver tier plans to identify our best HMO, best EPO and best PPO plans. However, each plan type (HMO, PPO, EPO and POS) and metal tier (Catastrophic, Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum) is scored independently. Our best HMO earned the highest HMO score, while our best Bronze plan earned the highest Bronze score. This approach ensures fair comparisons since each category serves different budget and coverage needs. 

Sample Consumer 
All premiums reflect rates for a 40-year-old buying Silver-tier plans. We also analyzed Catastrophic, Bronze, Expanded Bronze, Gold and Platinum plans separately, with each metal tier scored independently to ensure fair comparisons. Catastrophic plans offer the lowest monthly costs if you're under 30, while Platinum plans cost more but cover expenses upfront.