Out-of-Pocket Maximums Under the Affordable Care Act The ACA limits out-of-pocket maximums, the max amount of costs for covered services you’ll pay out-of-pocket in a policy period on your health plan. For 2023, your out-of-pocket maximum can be no more than $9,100 for an individual plan and $18,200 for a family plan before marketplace subsidies.…
What is a Health Savings Account? A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a tax-advantaged medical savings account you can contribute to and draw money from for certain medical expenses tax-free. HSAs can be used for out-of-pocket medical, dental, and vision. HSAs can’t be used to pay health insurance premiums. HSA’s can only be used with…
If you are under 30 or obtained a “hardship exemption” you qualify for a high deductible, low premium, catastrophic plan. Catastrophic health plans are the cheapest plan you can get that counts as minimum essential coverage. Catastrophic plans can be good for those who want cheap, barebones care. Catastrophic plans tend to trade a low…
Learn how to compare health plans to get the best deals on health insurance and health care. Compare your health needs with your plans costs and coverage, to find an affordable plan with benefits that are designed to cover you. No matter how you shop, and boy are there a lot of different options under…
How does health insurance work? You pay a monthly premium and your share of annual out-of-pocket costs, and your insurer pays it’s share of covered costs. The concept is simple, but getting that perfect health plan takes some brain power and elbow grease. By taking the time to master and internalize the content of this page,…
What is Actuarial Value? Actuarial value is average total of costs for covered benefits covered by a health plan. Let’s look at how ObamaCare’s metal plan actuarial values work and how actuarial value applies to all plans in general. FACT: Actuarial Value (AV) in regards to health insurance was created by the Affordable Care Act to rank ObamaCare’s…
Shopping for Health Insurance Outside of the Health Insurance Marketplace If you make too much for cost assistance or want to see your private health plan options, you may want to shop outside of the Health Insurance Marketplace.[cite]Private plans outside the Marketplace outside Open Enrollment[/cite][cite]FFM Agent Broker Registration and Termination Status Page[/cite] There are three…
Everything You Need To Know About Short Term Health Insurance Under the Affordable Care Act Short term health insurance is meant to provide temporary health coverage. Short term plans don’t have to offer all of ObamaCare’s benefits and protections. Pros and Cons of Short Term Health Insurance The pros and cons of short term health…
Guide to Buying Health Insurance: How Health Insurance Works Our guide to buying health insurance walks you through how health insurance works and how to buy health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare). Below we take a look at how ObamaCare affects buying health care plans, different ways to buy health insurance under…
The Types of Health Insurance Plans Sold On and Off of ObamaCare’s Marketplace There are four types of health insurance plans available through ObamaCare’s Marketplace. They are Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum health insurance plans. These Qualified Health Plans represent four tiers of coverage and are sometimes referred to as “metal plans” due to their…
Supplemental Health Insurance and ObamaCare Supplemental health insurance, or Supplementary insurance, is meant to supplement your plan and is not ObamaCare compliant on it’s own. Supplementary insurance is sold by private companies and can help pay some of the health care costs that your plan doesn’t cover, like copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. There are a…
Everything You Need to Know About Health Insurance for 2015 and Beyond We take an in-depth look at health insurance in the US, including how it works, what key health insurance terms mean, and how ObamaCare changes things. We touch on every detail you need to know to understand the complex gateway to health care in…
Fixed Benefit Health Insurance and ObamaCare Fixed benefit health insurance, or indemnity insurance, is not ObamaCare compliant and is not the same as major medical plans sold on the marketplace. Fixed benefit plans are sold by private companies and pay a specific amount each time you see a doctor or go to a hospital. The…
What is Single Payer Health Care? Single payer health care is a health care system where a “single” fund pays for health care costs (rather than private insurers). There are many different ways single payer can work, but the general idea is 1. to create a universal healthcare system (a system that covers everyone) where, 2.…
Why Was My Health Insurance Canceled? Let’s clear the air about ObamaCare and health insurance cancellation. Many thought they could keep their plan, but found their health insurance policy canceled as of 2014. Others were able to keep their plan past 2014, but needed to or will need transition to another plan by 2017. Let’s…
Grandfathered Health Plans Don’t Have to Follow ObamaCare’s Rules and Regulations. Grandfathered plans are plans that were purchased before March 23, 2010. These plans have a grandfathered status and don’t have to follow ObamaCare’s rules and regulations or offer the same benefits, rights and protections as new plans. This means that on many old plans…
If You Like Your Plan, You Can Keep it… If you like your plan you can keep it. Under ObamaCare you can keep your health insurance until 2015, even if it doesn’t comply with the ACA. Come 2015, if your plan doesn’t have a grandfathered status and doesn’t meet the requirements of the ACA, then…