If you’re looking to sign up for health insurance in Iowa and you don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place! There are various ways to buy health insurance depending on your needs. The Affordable Care Act ensures a certain level of coverage that can be bought in the health insurance marketplace. However, other options and benefits are available depending on your financial and family situation as well as where you live.
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How to Buy Health Insurance in Iowa
If you want to buy health insurance in Iowa, you can use the health insurance marketplace. This will give you access to Affordable Care Act plans that meet government requirements. Simply enter your zip code along with some personal/family data and you should be able to get a good estimate of what you’ll need to pay. Also, if you have pre-existing conditions, don’t worry – you don’t have to do a doctor’s exam and you can’t be denied coverage.
How to Apply for Health Insurance in Iowa
In the old days, you used to have to run a battery of tests to apply for health insurance, meaning that pre-existing conditions could often result in higher premiums or being excluded from plans. If you’re signing up through the Health Insurance Marketplace, all you need to do is make an account, fill in your relevant family data and financial status, and you should be able to enroll in the plan you choose.
Health Insurance Carriers In Iowa
Here’s where it gets a little tricky. With the Affordable Care Act, you still need to do a little digging as you’re still faced with loads of potential insurers to choose from. That’s where we come in!
Iowa Health Insurance Costs Overview
As 2025 data is not yet available, we have used statistics from 2024 to reflect costs so you can have an idea of what to expect.
How Much Does Health Insurance Cost in Iowa?
Health Insurance costs in Iowa vary greatly. According to the KFF, the average benchmark premium in 2o25 was $429.
What is the Cheapest Health Insurance Plan in Iowa?
This varies depending on your needs. Please contact us to find the best plan that will suit your needs!
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Cheapest Iowa Health Insurance Coverage by Metal Tier
Before choosing your insurance plan, make sure to get yourself up to date on the various metal tiers offered by the insurance companies. The lower and cheaper the plan, the smaller percentage of your healthcare costs are covered.
As 2025 data is not yet available, we have used statistics from 2024 to reflect costs so you can have an idea of what to expect.
Note that all costs are 2022 pricing from KFF. (source)
Gold Plans
The average lowest cost premium of a Gold Plan in Iowa in 2025 was $417.
Silver Plans
The average lowest cost premium of a Silver Plan in Iowa in 2025 was $427.
Bronze Plans
For a Bronze plan, the average lowest premium in 2025 was $309.
Other Types of Iowa Health Insurance Coverage
Catastrophic Health Insurance in Iowa
This plan is only available to people under 30. Inspire by Medica Catastrophic is the cheapest of all the Catastrophic plans in the state. The advantage, of course, is that your essential benefits (prescription drugs, primary care) are still covered.
Short Term Health Insurance in Iowa
Short-term plans lasting between 1 to 12 months are available in Iowa and are perfect for those temporarily without coverage, such as those temporarily unemployed and about to start a new job that has an insurance plan. Temporary and short-term health insurance plans are interchangeable and the plans are flexible enough to cover most needs.
Low Income Health Insurance in Iowa
If you are trying to get by on a low income, Medicaid is your best bet, with IA Health Link offering additional care to those Iowa residents that qualify.
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Sources:
Marketplace Average Benchmark Premiums, KFF, accessed 11/1/2024, https://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/marketplace-average-benchmark-premiums/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Location%22,%22sort%22:%22asc%22%7D
Average Marketplace Premiums by Metal Tier, 2018-2025, KFF, accessed 11/1/2024, https://www.kff.org/health-reform/state-indicator/average-marketplace-premiums-by-metal-tier/?currentTimeframe=0&sortModel=%7B%22colId%22:%22Average%20Lowest-Cost%20Bronze%20Premium__2022%22,%22sort%22:%22desc%22%7D