Navigating California's Medical Insurance: Finding The Best Plan For You

Where you live in California affects your plan options. MoneyGeek rates Kaiser Permanente as the best overall health insurer in California for young adults and overall, with a MoneyGeek rating of 78. Sharp Health Plan is the second-best health insurance company in California because it has high customer satisfaction and affordable rates. Blue Cross of California is the best health insurance in California if you want the most choices about where you go for medical care.

Best health insurance for young adults

MoneyGeek has named Kaiser Permanente as the best health insurance in California for young adults. Young adults usually pick plans with less coverage as they often need fewer medical services. Kaiser Permanente has two Bronze plans and one Catastrophic plan that average about $271 per month, with a yearly maximum out-of-pocket cost around $8,533. Kaiser Permanente does not offer PPO or POS plans; however, its EPO plans often provide lower costs when you stick to its network of doctors. The company's denial rate is about 8%, which is lower than most of the competition.

Sharp Health Plan is the second-best health insurance company in California because it has high customer satisfaction and affordable rates. However, Sharp is only available in San Diego. Blue Cross of California is the best health insurance in California if you want the most choices about where you go for medical care.

Where you live in California affects your plan options. Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest health insurance in San Francisco, at $655 per month. L.A. Care is the cheapest health insurance company in Los Angeles, at $354 per month. Molina has the lowest prices on health insurance in San Diego, at $415 per month.

Silver plans are popular and good for most people because they balance affordable monthly costs with good coverage. Platinum plans have the best coverage and will pay for most of your medical bills.

MoneyGeek also suggests the following Silver PPO plans from Health Net: Silver 70 Ambetter PPO around $560 per month; MOOP $9,100. MoneyGeek also suggests the following Silver EPO plans from Anthem Blue Cross.

Best health insurance for San Francisco

Where you live in California affects your plan options. Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest health insurance in San Francisco, at $655 per month. L.A. Care is the cheapest health insurance company in Los Angeles, at $354 per month. Molina has the lowest prices on health insurance in San Diego, at $415 per month.

Sharp Health Plan is the second-best health insurance company in California because it has high customer satisfaction and affordable rates. However, Sharp is only available in San Diego. Sharp Health has four out of five stars on Covered California. And similar to Kaiser, you'll get many types of cheap medical care as soon as the plan begins. You'll also have to use Sharp's medical center to get coverage. The drawback of Sharp is that it only received four stars for health care quality, while Kaiser received the top score of five stars.

Blue Cross of California is the best health insurance in California if you want the most choices about where you go for medical care.

MoneyGeek also lists the best providers for various needs and preferences, analyzing factors such as age, maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) costs and plan types. MoneyGeek’s scoring methodology balances costs, claims approval and plan types to find the best providers in the state.

Silver plans are popular and good for most people because they balance affordable monthly costs with good coverage. Platinum plans have the best coverage and will pay for most of your medical bills.

Best health insurance for Los Angeles

Where you live in California affects your plan options. L.A. Care is the cheapest health insurance company in Los Angeles, at $354 per month. Sharp Health Plan is the second-best health insurance company in California because it has high customer satisfaction and affordable rates. However, Sharp is only available in San Diego. MoneyGeek's top pick for the best health insurance in California for young adults is Kaiser Permanente. Young adults usually pick plans with less coverage as they often need fewer medical services. Kaiser Permanente has two Bronze plans and one Catastrophic plan. These plans average about $271 per month, with a yearly maximum out-of-pocket cost around $8,533. Kaiser Permanente does not offer PPO or POS plans; however, its EPO plans often provide lower costs when you stick to its network of doctors. The company's denial rate is about 8%, which is lower than most of the competition. MoneyGeek's top pick for the best health insurance in California for Silver PPO plans is Health Net. It offers an average premium of $560 with an average maximum out of pocket cost of $9,100. The provider's denial rate is not listed. PPO plans let you choose your doctors without needing a referral to see specialists. They are very common but can cost more than HMO plans. These plans are nice if you want to pick your doctors and you don't mind paying extra. We suggest the following Silver PPO plans from Health Net: Silver 70 Ambetter PPO around $560 per month; MOOP $9,100. MoneyGeek's top pick for the best health insurance in California for Silver EPO plans is Anthem Blue Cross. Where you live in California affects your plan options. Kaiser Permanente has the cheapest health insurance in San Francisco, at $655 per month. Molina has the lowest prices on health insurance in San Diego, at $415 per month. The best health insurance coverage for you depends on how much medical care you expect to need. Silver plans are popular and good for most people because they balance affordable monthly costs with good coverage. Platinum plans have the best coverage and will pay for most of your medical bills.

Best health insurance for San Diego

Where you live in California affects your plan options. Molina has the lowest prices on health insurance in San Diego, at $415 per month. Sharp Health Plan is the second-best health insurance company in California because it has high customer satisfaction and affordable rates. However, Sharp is only available in San Diego. Sharp Health has four out of five stars on Covered California. Blue Cross of California is the best health insurance in California if you want the most choices about where you go for medical care.

MoneyGeek's top pick for the best health insurance in California for Silver PPO plans is Health Net. It offers an average premium of $560 with an average maximum out of pocket cost of $9,100. The provider's denial rate is not listed. PPO plans let you choose your doctors without needing a referral to see specialists. They are very common but can cost more than HMO plans. These plans are nice if you want to pick your doctors and you don't mind paying extra.

MoneyGeek's top pick for the best health insurance in California for young adults is Kaiser Permanente. Young adults usually pick plans with less coverage as they often need fewer medical services. Kaiser Permanente has two Bronze plans and one Catastrophic plan. These plans average about $271 per month, with a yearly maximum out-of-pocket cost around $8,533. Kaiser Permanente does not offer PPO or POS plans; however, its EPO plans often provide lower costs when you stick to its network of doctors. The company's denial rate is about 8%, which is lower than most of the competition.

Kaiser Permanente is California’s best overall health insurer in 2025. MoneyGeek also lists the best providers for various needs and preferences, analyzing factors such as age, maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) costs and plan types. MoneyGeek’s scoring methodology balances costs, claims approval and plan types to find the best providers in the state. Plan data was updated with the CMS exchange data released in October 2023 for the 2024 enrollment period. With a MoneyGeek rating of 78, Kaiser Permanente offers the overall best health insurance in California.

Best health insurance for Silver PPO plans

Silver plans are popular and good for most people because they balance affordable monthly costs with good coverage. MoneyGeek's top pick for the best health insurance in California for Silver PPO plans is Health Net. It offers an average premium of $560 with an average maximum out of pocket cost of $9,100. The provider's denial rate is not listed. PPO plans let you choose your doctors without needing a referral to see specialists. They are very common but can cost more than HMO plans. These plans are nice if you want to pick your doctors and you don't mind paying extra.

Silver health plans typically offer through the Health Insurance Marketplace in the United States, have several benefits and features that make them attractive options for many individuals and families. Out-of-pocket expenses for medical care with a Silver health plan are midrange also. In general, your insurer will pay about 70% of the cost of covered care with a Silver health plan. You will be responsible for the remaining 30%, on average. However, Silver health plans may further reduce your out-of-pocket health care costs through Cost-Sharing Reductions.

When considering a silver health insurance plan, it’s crucial to carefully read the plan’s details, review its network, and evaluate your own healthcare needs and budget. It may also be helpful to compare silver plans with other metal tiers (bronze, gold, platinum) to determine which offers the best value for your specific situation. Because of the American Rescue Act of 2021, monthly payments for all plans reach record affordability during the 2022 coverage year. If you qualify for a premium tax credit — also known as a premium subsidy — this will reduce your monthly premium cost. Marketplace subsidies work by capping an individual’s required premium contribution toward a benchmark plan (the second-lowest-cost silver plan) at a certain percent of their income.

Silver plans are popular and good for most people because they balance affordable monthly costs with good coverage. While you have a slightly higher monthly premium with a Silver plan than a Bronze plan (you are responsible for 30% of the costs for care and the insurer covers 70%), you’ll pay less out-of-pocket when you need care—and cost-sharing reductions can help lower those costs even more. All metal level plans, including Silver plans, must cover essential health benefits mandated by the ACA, including: Ambulatory patient services (outpatient care received without being admitted to a hospital); Mental health and substance use disorder services, including behavioral health treatment (includes counseling and psychotherapy).

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