Library
Guides for reading a health plan
Seven pages, each with one job. Definitions follow HealthCare.gov, examples are labeled, and none of them is a quote for a Sunrise ZIP code. Rules change. Each guide shows the date it was checked.
Cost sharing
What a health insurance deductible is
A deductible is what you pay for covered care before the plan starts sharing the cost. How Marketplace plans describe it, in plain language.
Cost sharing
What coinsurance means after the deductible
Coinsurance is the percentage of a covered service you pay after you meet your deductible. A HealthCare.gov example, and what it leaves out.
Cost sharing
Out-of-pocket maximum: the cap, and what it excludes
The out-of-pocket maximum is the most you pay for covered in-network care in a plan year. Premiums are not included. Marketplace caps for 2026 and 2027.
Networks
PPO and HMO plans, without a winner
How HealthCare.gov describes PPO, HMO, EPO, and POS networks. The label is about doctors and referrals, not about which plan is better.
Choosing
How to compare health plans without staring at the premium
A practical order for comparing health plans: premium, deductible, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum, doctors, and drugs.
Life changes
Health insurance after you lose employer coverage
What HealthCare.gov says about Special Enrollment Periods, job-based coverage, and COBRA when employer coverage ends.
Self-employed
Health insurance when you become self-employed
Leaving a job and working for yourself are not the same insurance event. What to sort out before you shop as a freelancer or 1099 worker.