Minnesota health insurance, explained
Health insurance for 60-year-olds in Minnesota
At 60 you are in the last and most expensive stretch of the individual health insurance market, five years from Medicare. The premium you see is the sticker price for your age; what you pay depends on your income, the plan tier you choose, and whether you still have coverage through work. Here is how to spend the years from 60 to 64 without overpaying, and how to arrive at 65 with the windows that matter still open.
Why 60 to 64 costs what it does
Individual plans price by age, and the law allows a 3 to 1 spread between the youngest and oldest adults on the same plan. Sixty to sixty-four is the top of that curve. It is not personal and it is not about your health — the same plan costs every 62-year-old in your area the same.
Getting the price down
Income first. MNsure's tax credit is based on the household's expected income for the year, and for 2026 coverage it reaches up to $62,600 for one person and $84,600 for a couple. Under that line the benchmark plan is capped at a share of income that tops out a little under 10%, whatever your age — which is why the credit is worth the most to exactly this age group. Then the tier: a bronze or HSA-eligible plan for someone healthy who can carry a deductible, a silver plan with cost-sharing reductions for someone whose income qualifies, gold for someone who uses care every month.
If you are still working
Employer coverage usually beats the individual market at this age because it is not priced by age. If you have it, keep it; if you are choosing between a job with coverage and one without, the difference at 60 can be several hundred dollars a month.
Five years out: what to have ready for 65
Your Medicare Initial Enrollment Period opens three months before your 65th birthday. Enroll then and coverage starts the month you turn 65; your individual plan ends the day before. Minnesota is one of three states with its own Medigap designs — Basic and Extended Basic, with optional riders — instead of the lettered plans sold elsewhere. Premiums here are not based on age, and anyone enrolling in Part B gets a six-month window to buy a Medigap plan with no health questions, whatever their age. Part B is $202.90 a month in 2026 for most people. If you hold an HSA and plan to delay Medicare past 65, stop contributing six months before you enroll — Part A is backdated up to six months, and contributions in those months are penalised.
Questions we get about this
Is health insurance more expensive at 60 because of my health?
No. Individual plans cannot price on health. They price on age, location, tobacco use and household size, and 60 to 64 is the top of the age curve.
Can I get Medicare early at 60 or 62?
Not on age alone. Medicare begins at 65, or earlier only through disability or certain conditions. Between 60 and 64 the individual market, an employer plan or a spouse’s plan are the routes.
Should I pick a cheaper plan since Medicare is coming?
Often, if you are healthy and can carry the deductible — and an HSA-eligible plan lets you save toward Medicare costs before tax. If you use care regularly, a silver plan with cost-sharing reductions or a gold plan can cost less overall.
What is the one thing not to miss before 65?
The Medicare Initial Enrollment Period, and in Minnesota the six-month Medigap window that follows enrolling in Part B. Both are guaranteed-issue; neither repeats.
Ask us the version that is about you.
Pat or Spencer reads every request personally. Certified MNsure brokers, independent since 1986, and there is no charge for the conversation.
We do not offer every plan available in your area. Currently we represent 11 organizations which offer 36 products in your area. Please contact Medicare.gov, 1-800-MEDICARE, or your local State Health Insurance Program (SHIP) to get information on all of your options.