Updated: July 21, 2026
Advertising & Editorial Disclosure
Delaware residents can find health insurance starting at $730 monthly with AmeriHealth, followed by Ambetter at $762 and Blue Cross Blue Shield at $830 for the three most affordable options.
Our analysis shows AmeriHealth is the most affordable for HMO plans, while Ambetter leads across every age category from children through seniors.
AmeriHealth has the cheapest health insurance in Delaware at $730 a month. But Delaware has three carriers in its market, and which one costs less depends almost entirely on how much health care you use in a year.
AmeriHealth's $730 rate is the right place to start if you rarely go to the doctor. Look at Ambetter's yearly out-of-pocket limit of $5,386 if you have regular prescriptions, see specialists or expect a surgery. That limit comes in $1,326 lower than AmeriHealth's.
AmeriHealth costs $730 per month on average, which is $54 less than the state average. Ambetter is second at $762 per month and Blue Cross Blue Shield is third at $830. Delaware only has three carriers in its marketplace, which means fewer plans to sort through but also less room to shop around.
| AmeriHealth | $730 | $54 | $8,760 | $648 |
| Ambetter | $762 | $22 | $9,144 | $264 |
| Blue Cross Blue Shield | $830 | $-46 | $9,960 | $-552 |
* We determine average monthly costs by rounding the mean of all monthly plan rates for each provider in Delaware. We compared each provider's average rate against the statewide average.
The difference between cheapest and most expensive is $100 per month, or $1,200 per year. But the cheaper plan doesn't always cost less by the end of the year. Ambetter's yearly out-of-pocket limit is $5,386. AmeriHealth's is $6,712. That $1,326 gap matters most if you use a lot of health care and reach your limit.
Average Monthly Rate
Average MOOP
Average Deductible
When searching for the best health insurance provider, your personal rate varies based on factors such as age, selected plan type and chosen metal tier. Think about how monthly costs balance against deductibles and out-of-pocket limits before making a decision.
Your starting point depends on your expected care use. If you're under 40 and rarely use health care beyond an annual checkup, start with the Children, Teens or Young Adults rows and compare AmeriHealth's Bronze plans at $542 monthly against Ambetter's Silver tier at $719. If you're over 50 or managing ongoing conditions, go straight to the Seniors row and compare Ambetter's $5,386 maximum out-of-pocket ceiling against AmeriHealth's $6,712.
AmeriHealth has the lowest HMO premiums in Delaware, but with a higher maximum out-of-pocket than Ambetter.
| Children | Ambetter | $430 | $5,166 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
| Teens | Ambetter | $514 | $6,165 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
| Young Adults | Ambetter | $576 | $6,915 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
| Adults | Ambetter | $719 | $8,630 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
| EPO | Ambetter | $719 | $8,630 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
| HMO | AmeriHealth | $764 | $9,171 | $5,898 | $2,190 |
| PPO | Blue Cross Blue Shield | $849 | $10,190 | $5,814 | $3,100 |
| Seniors | Ambetter | $1,527 | $18,327 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
* 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.
Ambetter's maximum out-of-pocket holds steady at $5,386 for every age category, from 18-year-olds to 60-year-olds alike. That consistency matters most for seniors, who face the highest care costs. A 60-year-old on Ambetter pays $1,527 a month, but their annual out-of-pocket exposure never exceeds $5,386. AmeriHealth's senior MOOP lands $1,326 higher at $6,712, a diffence that can decide total annual cost for anyone with recurring prescriptions or specialist visits.
AmeriHealth has Delaware's lowest Bronze rate for 40-year-olds at $542 a month, with Expanded Bronze priced at $581 a month. Blue Cross Blue Shield's Catastrophic plans come in cheapest at $468 a month. Ambetter charges $719 a month for Silver. AmeriHealth's Gold plans cost $752 a month with a $1,106 deductible. Platinum plans start at $1,018 a month.
| Catastrophic | Blue Cross Blue Shield | $468 | $5,614 | $10,600 | $10,600 |
| Bronze | AmeriHealth | $542 | $6,508 | $7,950 | $7,950 |
| Expanded Bronze | AmeriHealth | $581 | $6,977 | $7,725 | $4,256 |
| Silver | Ambetter | $719 | $8,630 | $5,386 | $3,324 |
| Gold | AmeriHealth | $752 | $9,020 | $6,300 | $1,106 |
| Platinum | Blue Cross Blue Shield | $1,018 | $12,213 | $3,863 | $0 |
Moderate care users get a clear value advantage from Gold plans in Delaware's metal-level data. AmeriHealth's Gold tier averages $752 a month with a $1,106 deductible, the lowest deductible of any non-Platinum tier in our analysis. For a 40-year-old who expects moderate care use, Gold's lower deductible can reduce total annual spending below Bronze or Expanded Bronze, even with the higher premium.
We've collected Delaware's statewide insurance data to help you sort through plans by costs and benefits.
| AmeriHealth | Amerihealth Caritas Next Silver Signature + No Referrals | $761 | HMO | Silver | $5,686 | $3,100 | 40 | No |
| AmeriHealth | Amerihealth Caritas Next Silver Essential + No Referrals | $766 | HMO | Silver | $5,686 | $3,257 | 40 | No |
| AmeriHealth | Amerihealth Caritas Next Silver Premier + No Referrals | $766 | HMO | Silver | $6,321 | $214 | 40 | No |
Bronze plans have the lowest premiums in Delaware. Moving from Bronze at $542 a month to Gold at $752 a month costs a 40-year-old $210 more each month, or $2,520 more a year. That higher premium buys a drop in your deductible from $7,950 to $1,106, a $6,844 reduction.
Gold costs less in total if you hit your deductible at least once every three years. Bronze's lower premium holds up if you rarely use care.
Look back at last year's health care expenses before choosing a metal tier. Add up doctor visits, prescriptions and any procedures for a realistic annual spend figure, then compare that total against the deductible for the plans you're considering. Delaware's Bronze-tier deductible averages $7,950, Silver averages $3,324 and Gold averages $1,106. How much care you actually use determines the plan with the lowest total cost, regardless of which premium looks lowest on paper.
HMO plans average $764 a month in Delaware, compared with $849 a month for PPO plans, an $85 monthly difference or $1,020 a year for a 40-year-old. Network restrictions and specialist referral requirements are the tradeoff. Members whose preferred doctors are already in-network save with the HMO. A PPO's flexibility can cost less overall for members who see out-of-network specialists regularly.
Households earning up to 400% of the federal poverty level qualify for premium tax credits through the Health Insurance Marketplace, which lower monthly costs. At that income threshold, credits can offset $200 a month or more, depending on the plan selected. Check your eligibility at HealthCare.gov before you compare plan costs at full price.
Open enrollment gives you access to every available plan at standard rates. If you miss this annual window, you'll wait until next year unless a qualified life event like marriage, job loss or moving triggers special enrollment eligibility.
Your preferred doctors and hospitals need to accept the plan you're considering, so verify that first. Network restrictions vary between insurers in Delaware, and online directories aren't always current. Call your doctor's office directly to confirm they're in-network, since out-of-network care costs more.
Delaware's three carriers serve three different buyer profiles and the data points to a clear answer for each.
If you rarely use health care beyond an annual checkup, AmeriHealth's Bronze plans at $542 monthly carry the lowest premium in the state. The $7,950 deductible is high, but you're unlikely to reach it.
If you expect moderate care use, a few specialist visits or regular prescriptions, AmeriHealth's Gold-tier plans at $752 monthly with a $1,106 deductible deliver the lowest deductible of any non-Platinum plan in Delaware's exchange. You pay $210 more per month than Bronze but your cost exposure is $6,844 lower.
For seniors or anyone managing a chronic condition, Ambetter's $762 monthly premium buys a $5,386 maximum out-of-pocket ceiling, $1,326 lower than AmeriHealth's $6,712. For members who reach their annual limit, that gap covers the $32 monthly premium difference many times over.
Compare plans across multiple metal tiers from companies like AmeriHealth, Ambetter and Blue Cross Blue Shield during open enrollment. HMO plans in Delaware average $85 a month less than PPO plans. Check whether you qualify for premium tax credits through the Health Insurance Marketplace, and balance monthly premiums against deductibles based on your expected health care needs.
Health insurance in Delaware averages $791 a month, or $9,492 a year, across all plan types and metal levels. Monthly premiums range from $280 to $2,161, and where you land depends on age, coverage tier and plan type.
Delaware doesn't require residents to have health insurance. The federal individual mandate penalty was eliminated in 2019. If you go without coverage, you lose the financial safety net against medical costs and risk higher out-of-pocket expenses.
Delaware follows the federal open enrollment calendar. For 2026 coverage, open enrollment ran from Nov. 1 through Jan. 15. Outside that window, you can only enroll if you qualify for a Special Enrollment Period through a life event such as losing job-based coverage, getting married, having a child or moving to a new address.
For members with ongoing prescriptions, specialist visits or planned procedures, Ambetter's $5,386 maximum out-of-pocket ceiling is $1,326 lower than AmeriHealth's $6,712. At $762 monthly versus AmeriHealth's $730, Ambetter costs $32 more per month, but that $384 annual premium difference is often recovered within the first major claim for high-utilization members. Gold-tier plans from AmeriHealth at $752 monthly with a $1,106 deductible are also worth comparing for members whose care costs are moderate but predictable.
Plan data for this analysis came from the federal Health Insurance Marketplace for Delaware, covering the 2026 plan year for consumers aged 18 to 60. We pulled rates for five age profiles: 18, 26, 40, 50 and 60-year-olds, across every available metal level and plan type.
Our cheapest overall rankings use 40-year-old monthly premiums as the comparison baseline, since this age group represents the most common buyer profile and produces a clear apples-to-apples comparison across carriers. We calculated each carrier's average monthly rate by taking the mean of all individual plan rates available for that provider in Delaware's exchange, then rounding to the nearest whole dollar.
Age-specific rankings use each age group's own premium data. Lower premiums at the Bronze and Expanded Bronze tiers come with higher deductibles and maximum out-of-pocket costs, which affects total annual spending for members who use care regularly.
Mark Fitzpatrick, a licensed Property and Casualty (P&C) Insurance Producer in Connecticut, is MoneyGeek's resident expert in insurance and economics. He has spent nearly a decade covering the market, first at LendingTree and now at MoneyGeek, where he analyzes hundreds of carriers and millions of rates across auto, home, renters, health and life insurance.
His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and NPR. He draws on independent cost and consumer experience data, and no insurance company partnerships affect his recommendations.
Mark studied at Boston College before earning a master's in economics and international relations from Johns Hopkins University. Before MoneyGeek, he worked in financial risk management at State Street. He's also a five-time “Jeopardy!” champion.
