Best Health Insurance in Utah 2021
For a 40-year-old man in Utah, the average monthly premium for health insurance stands at $477. This number is about $16 less than the monthly premium in 2021. Utah residents can expect to pay lower than this if they are in good health. Depending on their city of residence, the prices in the health insurance marketplace in Utah will vary.
Utah has six healthcare insurers that provide coverage in the state. SelectHealth and University of Utah Health Insurance are two providers offering affordable health insurance in Utah. This means that the state’s residents have plenty of choices when it comes to selecting the right health insurance plan for themselves. When we are talking about plenty of choices if you are living outside Utah, make sure to check our list of best health insurance providers in the USA.
List of Utah Health Insurance Providers and Comparison of Plans
Here are the major health insurance providers in Utah. Let us see how their plans and policies compare with each other.
Molina Healthcare
Molina Healthcare is one of the most notable Utah health insurance providers because it focuses on affordable healthcare plans for low-income families who receive government assistance. You can apply for comprehensive Medicare and Medicaid benefits and you may also enroll in the Molina Dual Options plan that offers the benefits of both Medicare and Medicaid. You may also qualify for subsidies via the Marketplace Molina plan.
It offers the cheapest health insurance in Utah and is transparent about premiums and other costs on its website. Molina also has started a new initiative to improve access to healthcare.
BridgeSpan Health
BridgeSpan Health offers Utah residents more than just basic medical coverage. It also offers pregnancy support, member-only discounts, health coaches, a 24/7 nurse hotline, and helpful resources to manage health.
BridgePlan offers a range of Utah health insurance plans to meet every budget, including the BridgeSpan Exchange HSA, which comes in Bronze and Silver tiers with customizable deductibles. It also offers non-HSA plans that come in Standard Bronze, Silver, and Gold policies as well as Exchange Silver and Gold policies.
University of Utah Health Plans
University of Utah Health Plans include policies for individuals, families, and employers. It also offers Medicaid and Medicare through its plans.
The individual and family plan covers basic health benefits like outpatient and inpatient services, lab tests, prescription drugs, preventive care, emergency services, maternity services, mental and behavioral health, and pediatric care services.
It also offers the Advantage U Signature PPO plan that offers hospital and medical, prescription drugs, dental, vision, hearing, fitness, and OTC product coverage with a $0 monthly premium and copay.
It also offers Medicaid plans through its Healthy U Medicaid Health Insurance.
SelectHealth
SelectHealth offers high-quality health insurance to a combined 750,000 people in Utah and Idaho. It offers a few different kinds of Utah health insurance plans including two Medicare Advantage plans, SelectHealth HMOs and HMO SNPs.
The HMO plan works with a network of all types of medical providers and will cover your care if you visit only these providers, except in the case of an emergency. These HMOs can be purchased at different tier levels and premiums, depending on the number of services you choose.
The HMO SNP plans provide benefits for specific health issues that are not covered in other plans, including chronic health conditions like heart and lung diseases and diabetes. It also helps you cover the extra cost of managing your chronic disease.
In addition, it also offers Part D options that include coverage for prescription meds in its Medicare Advantage plans.
Cigna Health and Life Insurance Company
Cigna is one of the most popular Utah health insurance companies since it offers healthcare policies for busy, self-employed workers. It offers $0 virtual care and plenty of benefits for virtual mental and behavioral healthcare, which can save endless hours of waiting in the hospital/clinic lounge.
It offers Medicare and Medicaid supplemental plans as well as international health insurance, dental plans, and vision plans. Self-employed workers also have the benefit of Cigna’s Express Scripts Pharmacy that offers home delivery for prescription drugs and 24/7 access to a pharmacist.
It also added a digital therapy service called Talkspace to its behavioral network.
Cheapest Health Insurance In Utah By City
The average cost of the most affordable health insurance in Utah based on tier level is about:
- The lowest monthly premium for Bronze Plan: $143
- The lowest monthly premium for Silver Plan:$212
- The lowest monthly premium for Gold Plan:$303
Here we will check out the price of Obamacare plans for major cities in Utah:
| City | Cheapest Plan | The premium for 40-Year Individual |
| Salt Lake City | BridgeSpan Bronze Care on Demand | $317 |
| West Valley City | BridgeSpan Bronze Care on Demand 8000 HMO | $323 |
| Provo | Molina Constant Care Silver 4 | $452 |
| Ogden | BridgeSpan Bronze Care on Demand 8000 EPO | $311 |
Average Cost of Health Insurance by Family Size in Utah
Health insurance costs in Utah are calculated based on the age of the person/people insured. For example, the average health insurance quotes in Utah for a 40-year-old man policy would be about $564 and for a child 14 years or younger would be $302.
| Size of Family | Average Monthly Premium |
| Individual with one child | $866 |
| 40-year old couple | $1,127 |
| Family of three | $1,429 |
| Family of four | $1,732 |
| Family of five | $2,034 |
Utah Health Insurance Guide and Resources
Companies offer government-funded, employee-related, and private health insurance plans in Utah. These include:
Small Business Health Insurance
Getting health insurance through small business plans is more affordable than getting private health insurance coverage. According to eHealth, a small business plan covers five people and has an average premium of $1,432.
Common types of plans include Health Maintenance Organization that offers comprehensive medical coverage with lower out-of-pocket costs. Preferred Provider Organization has higher premiums but offers a wide network of healthcare providers and more flexibility. Utah also offers Point of Service Plans that are a kind of a hybrid of the above plans.
Private Health Insurance Plans in Utah For Individual and Family Plans
Private family and individual health insurance in Utah may be a good fit for you if you are self-employed or your employer does not offer a group insurance plan. You can also enroll in this plan if your employer offers a group insurance plan but it does not cover your spouse or children.
Premiums for private health insurance plans in Utah may be based on the age of the youngest person. Couples who have an age difference of several years may find these plans more affordable than individual plans.
Government-Assisted Plans
Government-assisted plans provide access to both Medicare and Medicaid health insurance in Utah.
Medicare offers benefits to senior US citizens and permanent residents aged 65 or older or people with illnesses or disabilities. Over 400,000 citizens of Utah are enrolled in the Medicare program. The majority of the beneficiaries have applied to the Original government-run Medicare, while over half of them have prescription drug coverage through stand-alone Medicare or Advantage plan. Advantage plans can be bought from Medicare-contracted private insurers in the state, like the University of Utah Health Insurance.
Medicaid provides low-cost health insurance for families and children, low-income families, pregnant women, senior citizens, and people with disabilities in the state of Utah. It also offers the Children Health Insurance Program (CHIP), which provides exclusive coverage for children.
Benefits of Medicaid include inpatient care, doctor’s appointments, rural health clinic services, pediatric and nurse practitioner services, counseling for pregnant women, family planning services, lab work, and x-rays.
Tips to Save on Health Insurance in Utah
On average, people in Utah spend $5,982 on health care expenses every year, which is well below the national average. Monthly premiums vary from individuals to individual and are influenced by the following factors:
Plan Types
Plans come in Bronze, Silver, and Gold in Utah. To get more coverage, you will have to pay higher monthly premiums. The Bronze plan covers up to 60% of costs while the gold plan covers 80%.
You may also be eligible for a catastrophic plan, which offers the residents of Utah low-cost health insurance with the lowest coverage. It has low monthly premiums but higher yearly deductibles. This plan is used to protect against severe medical emergencies that can cost thousands of dollars. However, it is not suitable for a regular plan.
Body Mass Index
A high body mass index raises the risks of health conditions and illnesses. If you are obese, you will have higher premiums. An estimated 29% of people in Utah are obese, making it the state with the thirteenth lowest obesity rate in the country.
Tobacco Use
People who smoke are at high risk of illnesses so their health insurance premium is also high. Fortunately, only about 8.9% of people in Utah are smokers.
Age
For senior citizens, health insurance in Utah may cost up to three times as much as for younger people. The average age of Utah’s residents who use health insurance is 36 years old.
Location
Every state has different health care rules and regulations, which can affect the cost of health care. In addition, health insurance prices are also community-rated meaning that if your state has a high number of incidents, your premiums will be higher. Fortunately, Utah has a healthy population.
Cost-sharing Reduction
Generally, healthcare plans covering two or more people are more affordable than individual health insurance in Utah.
According to the Affordable Care Act, health insurance companies cannot raise premiums based on pre-existing conditions. In addition, insurers cannot charge different rates from men and women for the same healthcare plan. Insurers also cannot use previous medical problems or lapses in health insurance to raise their price.
In addition, Utah state law requires health insurance companies to offer at least some coverage for maternity stay, mental health conditions, diabetes, mastectomy, prosthetic devices, and autism. This coverage may vary from company to company.
FAQs
When is Utah open enrollment for 2021 health insurance coverage?
The enrollment period for Utah state health insurance for the year 2021 was from Nov. 1, 2020, to Dec. 15, 2020.
Did Utah expand Medicaid?
Utah expanded Medicaid to the maximum extent allowed under ACA in Dec 2019. The expansion also included people with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. The expansion provided coverage to 120,000 adults in Utah.
Is Health Insurance mandatory in Utah?
The ACA mandates that residents are required to have health insurance in Utah. Although some states have passed their own insurance requirements, Utah still follows the federal mandate.
What is the income limit for Medicaid in Utah?
Since Medicaid is meant for low-income families, people eligible for it should have the following annual household income limits:
- 1-person household: $16,791
- 2-person household: $22,930
- 3-person household:$28,888
- 4-person household: $34,846
- 5-person household: $40,805
- 6-person household: $46,763
- 7-person household: $52,722
- 8-person household: $58,680
What are short-term health insurance conditions?
Short-term health insurance in Utah has a term limit of less than 12 months, but it can be renewable for up to 36 months. At least six health insurance companies in Utah offer short-term plans.
What is the uninsured population rate in Utah?
About 12% of the population in Utah is uninsured.
