Short answer: private health insurance in Wisconsin comes in two forms. The marketplace plans are themselves sold by private companies: twelve insurers file plans on HealthCare.gov for 2026, led by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield in 53 of 72 counties. They come with tax credits and no health questions. Medically underwritten plans are the other form: they ask about your health, can decline you and get no credit, but a healthy buyer can often pay less, and one can start in any month. (Reviewed by Daniel Griffin, licensed independent advisor, NPN #22052447.)
Who Sells Marketplace Plans in Wisconsin
| Insurer (2026) | Counties where it sells |
|---|---|
| Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield | 53 of 72 |
| Security Health Plan | 33 of 72 |
| Dean Health Plan | 25 of 72 |
| Medica | 24 of 72 |
| Aspirus Health Plan | 20 of 72 |
| HealthPartners | 15 of 72 |
| CareSource (Common Ground Healthcare) | 13 of 72 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 13 of 72 |
| Quartz | 12 of 72 |
| Network Health | 11 of 72 |
| Group Health Cooperative-SCW | 4 of 72 |
| MercyCare Health Plans | 2 of 72 |
From the CMS Plan Year 2026 landscape file. In 1 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties a single insurer sells every marketplace plan, so there is no price competition there at all. Insurers filing under more than one company name are counted once here.
What Wisconsin Plans Cost Before a Tax Credit
The average benchmark Silver premium for a 40-year-old in Wisconsin was $611 a month in 2026, before any tax credit (KFF). County by county, that benchmark ran from $542 in Brown County and 6 others to $778 in Ashland County and 1 other. The cheapest Silver plan anywhere in Wisconsin cost $431 at age 27, $526 at 40 and $1,116 at 60; the priciest Silver plan for a 40-year-old cost $1,062.
Off-Exchange Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Prices in Wisconsin, 2027
Anthem sells individual plans off the marketplace in 13 of Wisconsin’s 16 rating areas for 2027. They are ACA plans at a flat price: no health questions, and no tax credit. Anthem sells no individual plans for 2027 in areas 2, 13, 14. The lowest price anywhere in the state, by age:
| Age | Bronze | Silver | Gold |
|---|---|---|---|
| 21 | $419 | $471 | $628 |
| 30 | $476 | $535 | $712 |
| 40 | $536 | $602 | $802 |
| 50 | $748 | $841 | $1,121 |
| 60 | $1,137 | $1,278 | $1,703 |
| 64 | $1,257 | $1,413 | $1,883 |
The cheapest of each, by rating area, for a 40-year-old:
| Area | Counties | Bronze from | Silver from | Gold from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Milwaukee | $584 | $657 | $875 |
| 2 | Dane | No Anthem individual plans for 2027 | ||
| 3 | Pierce, Polk, Saint Croix | $708 | $796 | $1,060 |
| 4 | Chippewa, Dunn, Eau Claire, Pepin | $857 | $964 | $1,284 |
| 5 | Ashland, Bayfield, Burnett, Douglas and 2 more | $811 | $912 | $1,215 |
| 6 | Buffalo, Jackson, La Crosse, Monroe and 1 more | $831 | $934 | $1,244 |
| 7 | Crawford, Grant, Iowa, Lafayette and 1 more | $689 | $775 | $1,032 |
| 8 | Barron, Clark, Price, Rusk and 1 more | $823 | $925 | $1,232 |
| 9 | Kenosha, Racine | $568 | $638 | $850 |
| 10 | Lincoln, Marathon, Portage, Wood | $677 | $760 | $1,013 |
| 11 | Calumet, Dodge, Fond du Lac, Outagamie and 4 more | $693 | $779 | $1,038 |
| 12 | Ozaukee, Washington, Waukesha | $536 | $602 | $802 |
| 13 | Florence, Forest, Iron, Langlade and 2 more | No Anthem individual plans for 2027 | ||
| 14 | Columbia, Green, Jefferson, Rock and 1 more | No Anthem individual plans for 2027 | ||
| 15 | Adams, Green Lake, Juneau, Marquette and 2 more | $625 | $703 | $936 |
| 16 | Brown, Door, Kewaunee, Manitowoc and 4 more | $561 | $631 | $840 |
Monthly, non-tobacco, from the Off-Marketplace plans on shop.anthem.com, quoted October 24, 2026. Men and women pay the same. Other ages follow the federal age curve, checked against Anthem’s own quotes. Prices can change before enrollment, and the insurer’s final rate applies. If you qualify for a tax credit, the same plans cost less through the marketplace.
The cheapest of these carry real deductibles: $5,000 on the $536-a-month Bronze and $4,700 on the $602-a-month Silver. Anthem’s Heart Healthy Bronze plans here are the exception, with a $0 medical deductible from $573 a month at 40. For a healthy buyer who earns too much for a tax credit, that is full price plus a deductible, and a licensed agent here recommends an off-exchange Anthem plan only when you really need ACA coverage, such as for an ongoing condition or a pregnancy. A private plan with no deductible starts at about $300 a month for a 40-year-old in Wisconsin (private estimates run $300–$440); it asks health questions and pays set amounts instead. Why most healthy buyers skip the Blue plan: off-exchange Blue Cross Blue Shield plans compared.
Who Should Look Beyond the Wisconsin Marketplace
For 2027 coverage the tax credit stops at $63,840 for one person and $132,000 for a family of four. At Wisconsin’s 2026 benchmark, a single 40-year-old just over that line pays $7,332 a year, about 11% of income, before the 2027 increase. That is where a healthy household can save with a medically underwritten plan, which is priced on health, not income. It is not ACA coverage: it can decline you and usually excludes pre-existing conditions and maternity care. Leaving a job? See COBRA alternatives.
Networks: What to Check in Wisconsin
PPO plans are sold in 15 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties for 2026; everywhere else the choice is EPO, HMO and POS plans, which generally pay nothing out of network outside an emergency.
Healthy, in Wisconsin, and paying full price?
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2027 in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s approved 2027 rates rise an average 21.7% (enrollment-weighted, final October 23, 2026), slightly above the 21.1% insurers asked for. Molina leaves Wisconsin’s marketplace after 2026; anyone on its plans needs a new one for January. Open Enrollment on HealthCare.gov runs November 1, 2026 to January 15, 2027; choose by December 15 for coverage that starts January 1. Medically underwritten plans are not tied to that calendar. health insurance in Wisconsin · Wisconsin plans compared.
Checking an Agent or a Plan in Wisconsin
The Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance licenses agents and insurers in Wisconsin: look up anyone selling you a plan, and get the insurer’s name and the list of what is not covered before you pay.
Common Questions
What is private health insurance in Wisconsin?
Two things. 12 private insurers sell Wisconsin marketplace plans on HealthCare.gov for 2026, with tax credits and no health questions; Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield sells in 53 of 72 counties. Medically underwritten plans ask health questions, can decline you, get no tax credit and can start in any month.
Who should buy a medically underwritten plan in Wisconsin?
A healthy household that gets little or no tax credit: for 2027 coverage there is none above $63,840 for one person or $132,000 for a family of four. Anyone with a real health history, or planning a pregnancy, is usually better protected on the marketplace.
Are there PPO plans on the Wisconsin marketplace?
In some counties: PPO plans are sold in 15 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties for 2026.
Which insurers are leaving Wisconsin’s marketplace for 2027?
Molina leaves Wisconsin’s marketplace after 2026; anyone on its plans needs a new one for January.
Sources
- KFF benchmark premiums, Wisconsin, 2026.
- CMS plan landscape file, Wisconsin, 2026.
- Wisconsin 2027 rates and exits (Plans By State, from regulators and ACASignups.net).
- HealthCare.gov: tax credit income limits.
- Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance.
Full-price filed rates before tax credits, not quotes. Underwritten plans are not sold in every state and acceptance depends on health history.