Health insurance, in plain English.
Plain-English guides to health insurance for individuals and families: how plans work, getting covered through the Marketplace, Medicaid or CHIP, and getting the most from the coverage you have. Every guide links to its sources.
Articles
18 articles
How Health Insurance Works: Premiums, Deductibles and Cost Sharing
How premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance and the out-of-pocket maximum fit together, with a worked example of one hypothetical plan year.
Read · 6 min read →Health Insurance BasicsOut-of-Pocket Maximums: What Counts and What Doesn't
What the out-of-pocket maximum covers, the 2026 and 2027 federal ceilings, what never counts toward it, and how the limit works on family plans.
Read · 6 min read →Health Insurance BasicsHMO, PPO, EPO and POS Plans: How the Network Rules Differ
How HMO, PPO, EPO and POS plans handle networks, referrals and out-of-network care, plus questions to help you decide which rules fit you.
Read · 6 min read →Health Insurance BasicsHigh-Deductible Health Plans: IRS Rules for 2026 and 2027
How HDHPs work, the IRS deductible and out-of-pocket figures for 2026 and 2027, the new Bronze and Catastrophic rule, and trade-offs to weigh.
Read · 6 min read →Health Insurance BasicsReading an Explanation of Benefits: What Each Line Means
What an Explanation of Benefits shows, how to match it to a provider's bill, what partial denials mean, and how to spot medical identity theft.
Read · 6 min read →Health Insurance BasicsSummary of Benefits and Coverage: How to Read and Compare
What the federally required Summary of Benefits and Coverage tells you, section by section, and how to use it to compare health plans.
Read · 6 min read →Marketplace & MedicaidThe Health Insurance Marketplace: How Applying and Enrolling Works
Who can use the Health Insurance Marketplace, how one application checks you for savings, Medicaid and CHIP, what every plan covers, and how to avoid scams.
Read · 6 min read →Marketplace & MedicaidOpen Enrollment and Special Enrollment Periods: Key 2027 Dates
HealthCare.gov's and CMS's dates for 2027 Open Enrollment, what current enrollees should do, and which life events open a Special Enrollment Period and which don't.
Read · 7 min read →Marketplace & MedicaidPremium Tax Credits and Extra Savings: How the 2026 and 2027 Rules Work
How the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions work under 2026 and 2027 IRS rules, including the 400% income limit and the end of repayment caps.
Read · 6 min read →Marketplace & MedicaidBronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum: What Metal Tiers Really Mean
What Marketplace metal levels say about cost sharing, why Silver matters for savings, how Catastrophic plans differ, and how to compare total yearly cost.
Read · 6 min read →Marketplace & MedicaidMedicaid and CHIP Eligibility: Who Can Qualify and How to Apply
A general look at who Medicaid and CHIP cover, how state expansion choices matter, the adult rule changes starting in 2027, and how to apply any time.
Read · 6 min read →Marketplace & MedicaidLosing Job-Based Coverage: Comparing COBRA and the Marketplace
How COBRA and Marketplace coverage compare on cost, deadlines and switching rules after a job loss, using Department of Labor and HealthCare.gov guidance.
Read · 6 min read →Using Your CoverageFree Preventive Care: What the ACA Covers and When You Still Pay
Which screenings, vaccines and checkups most plans must cover at no cost, where the list comes from, and why a preventive visit can still produce a bill.
Read · 6 min read →Using Your CoverageAppealing a Denied Health Claim: Internal Appeals and External Review
How to read a denial notice, file an internal appeal, request an independent external review and meet the federal deadlines that apply.
Read · 6 min read →Using Your CoverageSurprise Medical Bills: How the No Surprises Act Protects You
What the No Surprises Act covers, what it doesn't, when to refuse a notice and consent form, and how to dispute or report a surprise bill.
Read · 6 min read →Using Your CoverageHealth Savings Accounts: How HSAs Work and the 2026 and 2027 IRS Limits
Who can contribute to an HSA, the 2026 and 2027 IRS limits, the new bronze-plan rule, what the money can pay for, and how Medicare changes things.
Read · 6 min read →Using Your CoverageHealth FSAs Explained: Limits, Deadlines and What They Cover
How a health flexible spending account works, the 2026 IRS limits, use-it-or-lose-it rules, eligible expenses and how FSAs interact with HSAs.
Read · 6 min read →Using Your CoveragePrior Authorization and Referrals: Getting Care Approved First
The difference between prior authorization and referrals, when approval isn't required, how fast plans must decide, and what to do after a denial.
Read · 6 min read →Health Insurance A–Z
54 Health insurance terms explained in a sentence or three, from coinsurance to out-of-pocket maximum.