The top 10 health insurance companies in the U.S. for 2024
The last thing you want to worry about when you’re sick is your health insurance coverage, so it’s essential to find the right plan. We asked current customers to rate their health insurance company on various points, from overall customer satisfaction to deductibles and provider networks.
These are the top ten health insurance companies based on the survey results and third-party ratings, including those of the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA).
| Rank | Company | Overall rating | Customer satisfaction rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1. Kaiser Permanente | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 2 | 2. Highmark | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 3 | 3. Horizon | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 4 | 4. UnitedHealthcare | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 5 | 5. Humana | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 6 | 6. HCSC | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 7 | 7. BCBS of North Carolina | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 8 | 8. Elevance | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 9 | 9. Molina | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 10 (tie) | 10 (tie). Aetna | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 10 (tie) | 10 (tie). BCBS of Michigan | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 12 | 12. Blue Shield of California | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 13 | 13. Cigna | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
| 14 | 14. BCBS of Florida | Overall rating: | Customer satisfaction rating: |
Kaiser Permanente:4.2
California-based Kaiser Permanente topped several survey categories and ranked well in third-party ratings, receiving an overall score of 4.17.
Kaiser Permanente received high scores in multiple categories, including policy offerings, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. Compared to its competitors, Kaiser Permanente had the strongest customer satisfaction star rating of 4.45. Of the companies ranked, Kaiser Permanente also received the highest National Committee for Quality Assurance ranking of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
Highmark:4.1
Highmark ranked No. 2, receiving 4.13 out of 5 stars.
Highmark outperformed its competitors in a few categories, including customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. In addition, 96% of Highmark policyholders said they would recommend the insurer for health coverage.
Horizon:4.1
Horizon trailed closely behind Highmark with a rating of 4.12 out of 5 stars.
The insurer’s score for price and affordability was one of the highest of the insurers we ranked. It also received high scores in multiple categories, including customer satisfaction, policy offerings and trustworthiness. It received a near-perfect score of 97% for recommendations and customer loyalty.
UnitedHealthcare:4.1
UnitedHealthcare placed fourth, receiving 4.11 out of 5 stars overall. The insurer received a high score for customer loyalty — with 97% of policyholders saying they would renew their coverage with the company. It also ranked well for affordability.
AM Best also rated the company A+, and the National Committee for Quality Assurance gave it 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Humana:4.1
Humana came in at No. 5, closely following UnitedHealthcare. The insurer received high scores of 91% for both customer loyalty and recommendations. It also received a high score for policy offerings.
Humana received an A from AM Best and 3.3 out of 5 stars from the National Committee for Quality Assurance.
HCSC:4.0
Earning 4.01 out of 5 stars, Health Care Services Corp. ranked No.6.
HSCS received the best score for low deductibles, which makes it an optimal choice for people who visit the doctor often. It tied with Aetna in this category.
BCBS of North Carolina: 3.9
Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina received 3.9 out of 5 stars, landing seventh on our list. The insurer received high scores for customer satisfaction, policy offerings and customer loyalty. Additionally, 88% of policyholders surveyed said they would recommend the insurer to others.
Elevance:3.8
Elevance received 3.78 out of 5 stars. Though eighth on the list, the insurer received a strong score for customer loyalty, with 94% of customers surveyed saying they would renew their coverage with the carrier. Additionally, 85% of Elevance customers would recommend the insurer to their peers.
Molina:3.7
Earning 3.73 out of 5 stars, Molina ranked ninth in 2024. The insurer received a strong score for customer loyalty, with 94% of policyholders surveyed saying they would renew their policy. Additionally, most Molina customers said they would recommend the insurer to others.
Aetna:3.7
Aetna, part of CVS Health, tied with BCBS of Michigan for 10th place, receiving 3.66 out of 5 stars. Aetna also tied with HCSC to obtain the best score for low deductibles. The insurer earned high scores in multiple categories, such as customer loyalty.
BCBS of Michigan:3.7
BCBS of Michigan is No. 10 in our ranking, tied with Aetna. The insurer received the highest score for policy offerings, recommendations and renewals. The National Committee for Quality Assurance gave BCBS of Michigan a score of 4 out of 5 stars.
The best health insurance companies by category
We ranked the companies above for overall performance, but some stood out in particular categories. Here are the winners for customer satisfaction, low deductibles, provider network and more.
- Best for price/affordability: Kaiser Permanente
- Best for customer satisfaction: Kaiser Permanente
- Best for policy offerings: BCBS of Michigan
- Most likely to be recommended to others: BCBS of Michigan
- Most trustworthy: Kaiser Permanente
- Best for renewals: BCBS of Michigan, Highmark (tie)
- Best for low deductibles: Aetna, Cigna, HCSC (tie)
- Best for its provider network: Molina
How to choose the best health insurance company and plan
When shopping for health insurance on the individual market, the choices can seem overwhelming. The first step is to determine your monthly budget for premiums and balance that with the out-of-pocket costs you’re willing to pay.
As a general rule, the more you pay monthly, the lower your deductible, copay and coinsurance amounts will be. So, you pay more monthly and less when you need care.
If you need medical care frequently throughout the year, paying more monthly to ensure lower out-of-pocket costs makes sense. However, if you’re young and healthy and don’t anticipate frequent doctor visits, you can likely choose a lower monthly premium and a higher deductible.
The next step is to decide what kind of provider network you want, which helps to determine the type of health insurance plan you should buy. Your choices include HMO, PPO, POS and possibly others.
With an HMO, you will have a primary care provider (PCP), who coordinates your care, and no out-of-network coverage. This usually means you will pay less.
With a PPO, you’ll have coverage in and out of network, and can usually make appointments with specialists without a referral. This usually means higher premiums.
Some companies offer HMO and PPO plans, while others are solely HMO. There are also a few hybrid plan options to choose from. Knowing what you want for coverage will help you narrow your company choices. From there, you can look at the availability of providers in your area and, of course, the company’s reputation.
Silver plans provide a good balance of monthly premiums with out-of-pocket costs. Coinsurance is 70% with a silver plan, meaning you will pay 30% of the costs after your deductible is met, up to the out-of-pocket limit. Silver plans are a good choice for people who are in generally good health but don't want high out-of-pocket costs if something goes wrong. Bronze plans are a popular choice with those who value low monthly premiums and are willing to pay more when they need care. Coinsurance is set at 60%, meaning you will pay 40% if you do need care, up to the out-of-pocket limit. Bronze plans are good for those who don't expect to need many services outside of preventative care throughout the year.
ACA platinum plans have the highest monthly premiums, but the lowest out-of-pocket costs. You'll pay more monthly in return for lower deductibles, copays and coinsurance amounts. Coinsurance with platinum plans is 90%, which means you pay 10% after the deductible, up to your out-of-pocket limit. Platinum plans are good for those who anticipate a lot of medical needs throughout the year.
Gold plans cost a little less than platinum plans, and come with higher out-of-pocket costs. The coinsurance amount on a gold plan is 80%, which means you pay 20% after the deductible, up to your out-of-pocket limit. A gold plan is a good idea if you think you'll need a lot of care throughout the year, but don't want to pay platinum premiums.Health insurance finder tool
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Employer-sponsored health insurance
Preferred-provider Organization (PPOs)
Preferred-provider organization (PPOs) plans are the most common type of
employer-based health plan. PPOs have higher premiums than HMOs and HDHPs, but
those added costs offer you flexibility. A PPO allows you to get care anywhere
and without primary care provider referrals. You may have to pay more to get
out-of-network care, but a PPO will pick up a portion of the costs.
Find out more about the differences between plansHealth maintenance organization (HMO)
Health maintenance organization (HMO) plans have lower premiums than PPOs.
However, HMOs have more restrictions. HMOs don't allow you to get care outside
of your provider network. If you get out-of-network care, you'll likely have to
pay for all of it. HMOs also require you to get primary care provider referrals
to see specialists.
Find out more about the differences between plansHigh-deductible health plans (HDHPs)
High-deductible health plans (HDHPs) have become more common as employers look
to reduce their health costs. HDHPs have lower premiums than PPOs and HMOs, but
much higher deductibles. A deductible is what you have to pay for health care
services before your health plan chips in money. Once you reach your deductible,
the health plan pays a portion and you pay your share, which is called
coinsurance.
Find out more about the differences between plansExclusive provider organization (EPO)
Exclusive provider organization (EPO) plans offer the flexibility of a PPO with
the restricted network found in an HMO. EPOs don't require that members get a
referral to see a specialist. In that way, it's similar to a PPO. However, an
EPO requires in-network care, which is like an HMO.
Find out more about the differences between plans
Learn more about individual insurance plans
Know more individual insurance / ACA 
Know more individual insurance / ACA 
Methodology
70+
Carriers reviewed
1,750
Consumers surveyed
60+
Insurance metrics examined
34,600
ZIP codes examined
Insurance.com’s sister site, Insure.com, in the fall of 2023 surveyed more than 1,750 insurance consumers (1,433 people with health insurance). The survey was conducted by online market research company Slice MR.
Respondents were asked to name their insurer and then grade it in the following categories – customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. The percentage of respondents who said they were satisfied or very satisfied with their insurer is presented in the results.
Respondents were then asked to rank their insurer’s top three attributes out of more than a dozen presented – such as its provider network. For a number one choice, five points were given; for a second choice, three points; and for a third choice, a single point. The total points for each choice – first, second and third – were then divided by the number of each company’s customers who responded to that survey question to create a percentage. Those percentages are presented in the results as scores.
Respondents were then asked if they would recommend their insurer to someone else and if they planned to renew their policies. The percentage who said yes is presented in the results.
They also were given the statement “I trust my insurance company” and asked if they strongly agreed, agreed, disagreed or strongly disagreed with the statement. The percentage of those who said they agreed or strongly agreed is presented in the results.
The editors compiled the survey results and then selected – based on the number of survey responses – the top companies for further evaluation. Insure.com needed 30 or more of a company’s customers to respond to the survey for that insurer to be included in the ranking, although in some categories the editors did consider companies with 18 or 19 responses.
They then collected National Association of Insurance Commissioners’ complaint data, which ranks a company by the number of customer complaints it receives, and National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) ratings, which evaluate health plans on, among other things, member satisfaction.
With the help of Prof. David Marlett, Ph.D., managing director of the Brantley Risk and Insurance Center at Appalachian State University, the editors created a rating system to determine which insurance companies were best in each sector. For health insurers, we used the following weights to calculate the overall score for each company:
- Survey – 60% of total score (10% for customer satisfaction, 10% for trustworthiness, 10% for recommending the carrier to another, 10% for renewing with their current insurer, and 20% if they consider their insurer the best for affordability)
- AM Best – 25% of total score
- NCQA – 15% of total score
Scores were added and each insurer was awarded from 1 to 5 stars. No insurer in our star ranking received less than 1 star and the highest possible ranking is 5 stars.
