Top Individual Health Insurance Companies, Mapped

Data Journalist

Updated on May 31st, 2024

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Health insurers took in more than $1.25 trillion to cover policies for Americans in 2020.1

That’s up by almost 84% in a decade.

But insurance giants don’t dominate markets in all 50 states. 

HealthCareInsider mapped the top individual health insurer in each state using data from the Kaiser Family Foundation.2 

The data tracks the individual market, which covers Americans mainly through the federal and state Affordable Care Act marketplaces.

Top Insurers in Individual States

Individual private health insurance covered more than over 13 million Americans in 2019, the year under study.3

Centene held the top market share in the largest number of states.

It led in five states across the south, southwest and midwest, including Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Mississippi and Missouri.

In states where Centene is the top health insurance provider, its market share ranges from a high of 62% in Mississippi to a low of 37% in Missouri.

Coming after Centene for top spot in the most states was Health Care Services Corporation, with the leading market share in four states: Illinois, Montana, Oklahoma and Texas

Anthem held top market share in three states: Kentucky, New Hampshire and Virginia

Highmark led in Delaware and West Virginia, while Kaiser Permanente was first in Colorado and Washington.

CareFirst was tops in Maryland and the District of Columbia.

The nation’s leading insurer by market share, UnitedHealth, was the top insurer in only one state, Nevada, where it had 61% of the market.

Viewed collectively, firms belonging to the federation of Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance companies led in 17 states.

StateInsurerEnrollmentMarket Share
AlabamaBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Alabama180,99097%
AlaskaPremera Blue Cross18,131100%
ArizonaCentene78,11140%
ArkansasArkansas Blue Cross and Blue Shield201,67564%
CaliforniaBlue Shield of California727,50236%
ColoradoKaiser Permanente78,14337%
ConnecticutEmblemHealth84,28273%
DelawareHighmark23,230100%
District of ColumbiaCareFirst14,78984%
FloridaGuideWell1,200,18765%
GeorgiaCentene221,47756%
HawaiiHawaii Medical Service Association20,11857%
IdahoBlue Cross of Idaho51,77044%
IllinoisHealth Care Service Corporation309,83480%
IndianaCentene80,49457%
IowaWellmark61,32760%
KansasBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas74,88469%
KentuckyAnthem70,24669%
LouisianaBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana122,30698%
MaineCommunity Health Options28,65843%
MarylandCareFirst157,65268%
MassachusettsTufts Health Plan177,09050%
MichiganBlue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan192,57457%
MinnesotaHealthPartners55,30237%
MississippiCentene73,83662%
MissouriCentene84,46437%
MontanaHealth Care Service Corporation19,20539%
NebraskaMedica83,92479%
NevadaUnitedHealth58,73861%
New HampshireAnthem33,94369%
New JerseyHorizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey172,01756%
New MexicoMolina Healthcare22,08343%
New YorkMulberry Health39,50223%
North CarolinaBlue Cross NC504,46397%
North DakotaBlue Cross Blue Shield of North Dakota34,90981%
OhioMedical Mutual of Ohio100,01839%
OklahomaHealth Care Service Corporation152,05895%
OregonProvidence Health Plan66,55838%
PennsylvaniaIndependence Blue Cross166,43740%
Rhode IslandNeighborhood Health Plan of Rhode Island25,60758%
South CarolinaBlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina228,85797%
South DakotaAvera Health Plans18,98736%
TennesseeBlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee100,24944%
TexasHealth Care Service Corporation420,60739%
UtahIntermountain Healthcare190,59196%
VermontBlue Cross and Blue Shield of Vermont18,84757%
VirginiaAnthem125,98243%
WashingtonKaiser Permanente106,57846%
West VirginiaHighmark15,23568%
WisconsinCommon Ground Healthcare Cooperative61,44928%
WyomingBlue Cross Blue Shield of Wyoming26,71898%


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  1. 2020 Market Share Reports. naic.org. Accessed October 1, 2021.

  2. Market Share and Enrollment of Largest Three Insurers – Individual Market. kff.org. Accessed September 27, 2021. 

  3. Health Insurance Coverage of the Total Population. kff.org. Accessed September 27, 2021.

  4. 2020 Market Share Reports.