Costs
More in CostsThe Subsidy Cliff: How Much an Extra Dollar of Income Can Cost You
How the ACA premium tax credit phases out, where the cliffs sit in recent law, and how to plan income near the threshold.
Article library
Health insurance guides
Search by keyword or filter by topic.
Enrollment
More in EnrollmentTurning 26 and Aging Off a Parent Health Plan: What to Do and When
How the age-26 rule works, exactly when coverage ends, and the enrollment windows that keep you from a gap.
Plan Types
More in Plan TypesCatastrophic Health Plans: Who Can Buy One and When It Makes Sense
How catastrophic marketplace plans work, the narrow eligibility, the trade-offs versus Bronze, and when this tier is actually the right pick.
Plan Types
More in Plan TypesDental and Vision Coverage: Where It Comes From and What It Is Worth
Why dental and vision are usually separate from medical coverage, the main ways to get them, and how to judge whether a plan pays off.
Job Changes
More in Job ChangesEmployer Coverage vs Marketplace: How to Decide When You Have Both Options
How job-based coverage and the ACA marketplace interact, when an employer offer blocks subsidies, and how to compare the real cost of each.
Costs
More in CostsFSA vs HSA: Which Tax-Advantaged Account Fits Your Plan
How a Flexible Spending Account and a Health Savings Account differ on eligibility, rollover, ownership, and the tax math, with a guide on when to choose each.
Plan Types
More in Plan TypesHMO, PPO, EPO, POS: How Plan Types Actually Differ
A practical breakdown of the four main plan network structures, where each one tends to win, and how to spot the one that fits your life.
State Guides
More in State GuidesIllinois Health Insurance Marketplace: Coverage Options in Illinois
How marketplace coverage works in Illinois, the state move to its own marketplace, Medicaid rules, and how to apply.
Medicare
More in MedicareMedicare Advantage vs Medigap: Which Way to Cover the Gaps
How Medicare Advantage and Medigap differ, what each one costs you, and how to think about the choice when you first enroll in Medicare.
Costs
More in CostsThe Out-of-Pocket Maximum: Your Real Safety Net on a Health Plan
What the out-of-pocket maximum actually covers, what it does not, and why it is the most important number on a plan in a bad year.
State Guides
More in State GuidesPennsylvania Health Insurance Marketplace: A Guide to Pennie
How Pennie, Pennsylvania state-based marketplace, works, the Medicaid rules in the state, and how to apply.
Enrollment
More in EnrollmentTax Dependents vs Health Insurance Dependents: Why They Are Not the Same
How the marketplace and your tax return treat dependents differently, and how to avoid mismatches that cost you subsidies.
ACA Marketplace
More in ACA MarketplaceACA Marketplace Health Insurance: A Plain-English Guide
What ACA marketplace insurance is, who can use it, how plans differ, and how to think about choosing one.
State Guides
More in State GuidesCalifornia Health Insurance Marketplace: A Guide to Covered California
How Covered California works, the state-specific subsidies that stack with federal credits, and what is different from HealthCare.gov.
Job Changes
More in Job ChangesCOBRA vs Marketplace Insurance After Leaving a Job
How COBRA and ACA marketplace plans compare on cost, network, and timing when you lose job-based coverage.
State Guides
More in State GuidesFlorida Health Insurance Marketplace: Using HealthCare.gov in a Non-Expansion State
How marketplace coverage works in Florida, where the coverage gap leaves people stuck, and what alternatives exist.
State Guides
More in State GuidesGeorgia Health Insurance Marketplace: Coverage Options in Georgia
How marketplace coverage works in Georgia, the state Medicaid rules, and what changed when Georgia transitioned its marketplace platform.
Costs
More in CostsDeductible, Copay, Coinsurance: What They Actually Mean for Your Bill
Plain-English definitions of deductible, copay, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximum, with examples showing how they interact.
Costs
More in CostsHow to Compare Health Insurance Plans Without Getting Overwhelmed
A practical walkthrough for comparing health insurance plans on premium, deductible, network, formulary, and total expected cost.
Plan Types
More in Plan TypesHSA-Compatible Health Plans: When a High-Deductible Plan Pays Off
What makes a plan HSA-eligible, how the tax benefits work, and when a high-deductible health plan is the right choice.
Medicaid & CHIP
More in Medicaid & CHIPMarketplace Insurance vs Medicaid: Which One Are You Actually Eligible For?
How marketplace and Medicaid eligibility differ, what happens when income changes, and how to handle a mid-year switch.
Medicare
More in MedicareMedicare vs Marketplace Insurance: How the Two Programs Interact
Why marketplace plans are not designed for people on Medicare, and how to handle the transition when you turn 65.
State Guides
More in State GuidesNew York Health Insurance Marketplace: NY State of Health and the Essential Plan
How New York marketplace coverage works, what the Essential Plan offers, and how Medicaid and Child Health Plus fit together.
State Guides
More in State GuidesNorth Carolina Health Insurance Marketplace: Coverage After Medicaid Expansion
How marketplace coverage works in North Carolina, what changed when the state expanded Medicaid, and how to apply.
Enrollment
More in EnrollmentOpen Enrollment Deadlines for Health Insurance: How the Calendar Works
When Open Enrollment runs, how state marketplaces can differ, and what happens if you miss it.
Costs
More in CostsPremium Tax Credits: How Income Affects Your Marketplace Subsidy
How the premium tax credit is calculated, which income counts, and what to expect when you reconcile at tax time.
Self-Employed
More in Self-EmployedHealth Insurance for the Self-Employed: Real Options That Actually Work
How freelancers, contractors, and small business owners can get health insurance, plus the tax angles that change the math.
Plan Types
More in Plan TypesShort-Term Health Insurance: What It Covers, What It Misses, and When It Bites
Why short-term medical plans are cheaper, what they exclude, and the cases where they are useful versus the cases where they cause real harm.
Enrollment
More in EnrollmentSpecial Enrollment Periods: Life Events That Let You Enroll Outside Open Enrollment
Which life events trigger a Special Enrollment Period, how to use it, and what documents the marketplace asks for.
State Guides
More in State GuidesTexas Health Insurance Marketplace: Using HealthCare.gov in a Non-Expansion State
How marketplace coverage works in Texas, where the Medicaid coverage gap leaves people stuck, and what kid and pregnancy programs cover.
No matching articles found.