How Much Should I Spend on Health Insurance in 2024? | Mira (2024)

A good rule of thumb for how much you spend on health insurance is 10% of your annual income. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding how much to spend on health insurance, including your income, age, health status, and eligibility restrictions. In 2022, the average national cost for health insurance was $7,911 for single coverage and $22,463 for family coverage per year. .

Determining How Much You Should Spend on Health Insurance

The amount you should spend on health insurance depends on a few different characteristics of health insurance plans: the deductible, premium, and cost-sharing mechanisms. Generally, plans with higher monthly premiums have lower deductibles and less cost-sharing. There are four tiers of health insurance plans available on the Marketplace:

Health Insurance Costs by Tier of Plan

Plan Tier2022 Monthly PremiumPercentage of Costs Covered by the Plan
Catastrophic$352/month50%
Bronze$421/month60%
Silver$583/month70%
Gold$640/month80%
Platinum$767/month90%

Healthcare Usage

John Bartleson, the owner of Health Benefits, helps answer this question. He explains, "The amount you should spend on health insurance depends on usage. To determine how much you should spend on health insurance, you need to consider how you've used your insurance over the past 18 months. Asking yourself how many times you need to see a physician or what kind of procedure you may need will help focus your search.

For example, you may know you need to see your doctor throughout the year and plan for a near-term procedure. In this scenario, it's best to get a plan with lower max out-of-pocket costs, even though the monthly premiums are more expensive. Likewise, if you are relatively healthy and you don't have any ongoing medical conditions, it's probably best to get a plan that has a low monthly premium but higher out-of-pocket costs."

How much you should spend on health insurance is subjective. It depends on how much you value health, your health status, age, income, and eligibility restrictions. John Millen from MillenGroup suggests, “A good rule of thumb is that you should spend about 10% of your annual income on the cost of single coverage (annual). This is actually the threshold that was established when the affordable care act started in 2008.""

How Much Millenials Should Spend on Health Insurance

If you don’t seek frequent health services, you may only need to be covered by health insurance in case of emergency. The amount you should spend on health insurance depends on the type of coverage you want.

Below we outline two options to get health insurance for millennials.

Catastrophic Health Insurance

Catastrophic health insurance is a good option for millennials because they have inexpensive premiums and limited healthcare coverage. If you are under 30 years old, you can find these plans on the Marketplace and expect to pay $173 per month on average to be protected in case of emergency.

However, it is important to note that these plans have very high deductibles, meaning that they will not cover any healthcare expenses until you spend approximately $8,000. Therefore, if you have not met your deductible, you will be responsible for covering the full cost of health care expenses.

Health Insurance Alternatives

Instead of purchasing an annual health insurance plan, many millennials have been joining care membership plans like Mira. These plans offer discounted health services when you need them, without a deductible.

In addition, many millennials choose to use Mira in addition to a catastrophic health plan. Coupling Mira and a catastrophic plan ensure that you get access to low-cost preventative and urgent care even before meeting your deductible on your catastrophic plan.

How Much Should I Spend on Health Insurance in 2024? | Mira (2024)

FAQs

How Much Should I Spend on Health Insurance in 2024? | Mira? ›

A good rule of thumb for how much you spend on health insurance is 10% of your annual income. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding how much to spend on health insurance, including your income, age, health status, and eligibility restrictions.

How much should I be spending on health insurance? ›

The average monthly health insurance cost for a bronze plan is $373 for a single 30-year-old person. That same person pays an average of $488 for a Silver plan and $634 for a Gold plan. A 40-year-old single person pays $420 on average each month for a bronze plan, $549 for a silver plan and $713 for a gold plan.

What is the highest income to qualify for Obamacare 2024? ›

The income range is $30,000 to $120,000 in 2024 for a family of four. (Income limits may be higher in Alaska and Hawaii because the federal poverty level is higher in those states.)

Is $200 a month a lot for health insurance? ›

For some, especially those with employer-sponsored coverage or receiving subsidies under the ACA, $200 might seem high. For others, especially those in the private market without subsidies, $200 might be considered affordable.

How much money should I spend on insurance? ›

While the Guide recommends that people spend at most 15% of their income on insurance protection, there are instances where this may not apply. Do not be alarmed even if you find that your portfolio of insurance policies costs more than 15% of your income.

How much does the average American spend on health insurance? ›

Average annual health insurance premiums in 2023 are $8,435 for single coverage and $23,968 for family coverage. These average premiums each increased 7% in 2023. The average family premium has increased 22% since 2018 and 47% since 2013.

What is the most expensive health insurance? ›

Platinum health insurance is the most expensive type of health care coverage you can purchase. You pay low out-of-pocket expenses for appointments and services, but high monthly premiums. Plans typically feature a small deductible or no deductible and cheap copays or coinsurance.

What happens if I underestimate my income for Obamacare 2024? ›

They will inquire about your tax return from the IRS and other databases. If you underestimated your income for that year and received a subsidy, you will need to pay the entire subsidy back the next time you file your taxes. You must report income changes to Covered California within 30 days.

Is 25k a year poverty level? ›

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services uses the Census Bureau threshold to determine who is eligible for certain government assistance programs, like SNAP (food stamps). Under their guidelines, a family of four is considered impoverished if they earn $30,000 or less per year.

How much income is too much for Obama care? ›

Obamacare subsidy income limits for 2024
Household sizeMin. incomeTypical max. income
1 person$14,580$58,320
2$19,720$78,880
3$24,860$99,440
4$30,000$120,000
1 more row
Jan 2, 2024

How much of your monthly income should go to health insurance? ›

A good rule of thumb for how much you spend on health insurance is 10% of your annual income. However, there are many factors to consider when deciding how much to spend on health insurance, including your income, age, health status, and eligibility restrictions.

How much does the average American pay per month for health insurance? ›

What is the average cost of health insurance? The average cost of health insurance is $539 per month, with a maximum out-of-pocket (MOOP) limit of $6,115 per year.

How much is Obamacare a month for a single person? ›

How much does the average person pay for Obamacare? Obamacare costs an average of $584 per month for a 40-year-old with a Silver plan. Your age affects your monthly rates. A 20-year-old pays an average of $443 per month for a Silver plan, while a 60-year-old pays an average of $1,240 per month, before subsidies.

How much should I spend on HealthCare per month? ›

Average Cost of Health Insurance by State
StateAvg. Monthly Premium
California$432
Colorado$380
Connecticut$627
Delaware$549
22 more rows
Mar 18, 2024

How much of your income should you spend on life insurance? ›

One popular income replacement calculation method involves simply multiplying your yearly income by 10. So, if you earn $75,000, you'll want $750,000 in life insurance coverage.

Why is health insurance so expensive? ›

Administrative Overhead: Health insurers often have substantial administrative overhead, including marketing, underwriting, and claims processing. These costs are passed on to consumers in the form of higher premiums, which can contribute to overall healthcare expenditure.

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