Health insurance options in San Jose
Residents of San Jose and Santa Clara County buy coverage from two markets: Covered California, with guaranteed-issue plans from Kaiser Permanente, Anthem Blue Cross, Blue Shield of California, Health Net, and Oscar priced on income, and the private shared-network market, with PPO plans on Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO priced on health. Most people in San Jose have only been shown the first.
What it costs in San Jose
A healthy 40-year-old in San Jose pays roughly $550–$850 a month full price on the marketplace in 2026, or roughly $320–$480 on a private PPO. A family of four: roughly $1,500–$2,500 marketplace full price versus $800–$1,300 private. Prices depend on age, deductible and health; see live numbers on the quoting tool.
Keeping your San Jose doctors
Marketplace plans in California are increasingly HMOs tied to one hospital system. The Cigna, Aetna and PHCS PPO PPO networks include most major providers in Santa Clara County and work in every state — we check your specific doctors before you enroll.
The California factor
California regulates non-ACA coverage more tightly than most states, and the state mandate and Covered California's state subsidies change the math for many people, so private options here are narrower and the honest answer is often a careful comparison, not a promise of savings. California has its own individual mandate: residents without qualifying coverage owe a penalty on their state return.