With about 571,000 people without health insurance as of 2019, Oklahoma has one of the highest uninsured rates in the country at 14.9%. That ranks it just below Texas (18.4%), according to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF). When KFF analyzed the data again in 2021, they found that about 255,700 of the uninsured in Oklahoma could qualify for marketplace coverage.
Marketplace coverage covers pre-existing health conditions and a set of 10 essential health benefits, like hospitalization and mental health care. Under the Affordable Care Act, marketplace plans also have to include subsidies for people who qualify.
These subsidies, also known as advance premium tax credits, are available to people earning 100% to 400% of the federal poverty level. Most people qualify.
Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that about 38% of the people without insurance in Oklahoma who qualify for marketplace coverage could get a bronze plan for free thanks to subsidies.
The nonprofit also analyzed health insurance premiums in Oklahoma for 2021. They found that the average lowest cost premium among bronze plans was $367 a month. For silver, it was $504 a month while gold was $502 a month. Note that the gold plan average is slightly less than the silver.
These are lowest cost averages and don’t include tax credits that might lower the cost further.
When we looked at our own marketplace, we found that a 40-year-old living in Pawnee with an annual income of $37,000 could find a bronze plan for just under $3 a month — yes, three dollars. That does include subsidies.
Cost and coverage depend on where you live. In Oklahoma, there are at least 6 insurers offering marketplace plans in 2021. Among them are UnitedHealthcare, Oscar, and Bright Health.
Sources
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Marketplace Eligibility Among the Uninsured: Implications for a Broadened Enrollment Period and ACA Outreach” (January 27, 2021)
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier, 2018-2021”
Kaiser Family Foundation, “Insurer Participation on the ACA Marketplaces, 2014-2021” (November 23, 2020)