Wyoming had an uninsured rate of about 12.3% as of 2019, which amounts to about 69,000 people and is slightly higher than the national average. That’s according to the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF), a healthcare nonprofit. When KFF looked at the number of people without health insurance in Wyoming again this year, they found that 50,700 of them would qualify for marketplace coverage.
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), marketplace coverage is comprehensive health insurance. By law, these plans cover 10 essential health benefits, including preventive care and prescription drugs, along with pre-existing conditions.
The ACA also created advance premium tax credits, aka subsidies, to help lower the cost of health insurance for people with low to moderate incomes. They’re available to people earning between 100% and 400% of the federal poverty, and most people qualify for some level of help.
These subsidies can lower premiums down to practically — or even literally — nothing. In fact, Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that almost half (49%) of the marketplace-eligible people in Wyoming without coverage right now could get a bronze plan for free thanks to subsidies.
The nonprofit also analyzed health insurance premiums in Wyoming for 2021. When looking at lowest cost averages among different tier types, KFF found that bronze plans had an average low of $519 a month. Average lowest cost plans were $785 a month for silver and $645 a month for gold.
These KFF averages don’t include subsidies. If you qualify for a subsidy, you may save money on your premiums.
We looked for health insurance options in Wyoming on our own marketplace and found that a 40-year-old in Casper, WY, who makes $37,000 a year could buy a bronze plan for just under $20 a month. That estimate does include subsidies.
What you pay for coverage, not to mention the plan options, depends on where you live in the state. In 2021, there are at least two health insurers offering marketplace plans in Wyoming. That includes BlueCross BlueShield of Wyoming and Mountain 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)