Choosing the best health insurance company is not for the faint-hearted. The process takes a great deal of time, and encompasses more factors than dollar signs. "Cost is important, but it does not tell the whole story," says Chris Gay, CEO of Evry Health, who recommends giving serious consideration to "each plan's innovation, affordability, access and contribution strategy, each of which have a direct impact on cost." To that end, the editors at Insure.com have compiled a study rating the best insurance companies based on several characteristics, including ease of service, low deductibles, and trustworthiness. The survey gathered data from a variety of sources. Primarily, Insure.com polled more than 1,500 insurance consumers, asking to grade their carriers on customer satisfaction, ease of service and policy offerings. Respondents were also asked to rank their insurer's top three attributes, and whether or not they would recommend their carrier to someone else. Insure.com also looked at AM Best financial stability scores and National Committee for Quality Assurance ratings.

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Kaiser Permanente took the lead in the survey's breakout categories, being ranked as best for customer satisfaction, ease of service, policy offerings (tied with Blue California), most trustworthy, and most likely to be recommended to others. "Consumers certainly want to save money and receive a low premium when choosing an insurance company. However, it is important to also consider factors such as financial ratings, regulatory compliance and customer satisfaction," says David Marlett, an Insure.com editorial advisor and managing director for Brantley Risk & Insurance Center at Appalachian State University. See our slideshow above for Insure.com's top 10 insurance companies for 2023, and click here to read the full study.