Resources & guides
Straight talk about health coverage.
Written by Jerry Quince, Licensed Health Insurance Advisor. Short, useful, and free of jargon — organized by what you're trying to figure out.
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Licensed in 25 states. Free quote, no obligation.
Showing 31 of 31 guides
Understanding health insurance
Understanding health insurance
- Understanding health insurance·9 min read
How health insurance costs work
Premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket max — every cost bucket in plain English with a worked example.
Read guide - Understanding health insurance·5 min read
What does a health insurance deductible mean?
The single-word explainer for the most confusing term on your quote.
Read guide - Understanding health insurance·8 min read
How to check if your doctor and prescriptions are covered
Two 10-minute checks — network directory and formulary — that prevent almost every surprise bill.
Read guide - Understanding health insurance·6 min read
How do health insurance brokers get paid?
Why using a broker costs you nothing, how commissions work, and how to spot bad advice.
Read guide - Understanding health insurance·8 min read
Cheap health insurance in 2026
Seven legitimate ways to lower your premium — and the cheap options that are traps.
Read guide - Understanding health insurance·7 min read
Why premiums are rising in 2026
The four forces behind this year's increases, and the moves that still offset them.
Read guide - Understanding health insurance·8 min read
Health insurance terms, explained
Plain-English definitions of 30+ terms — premium, deductible, coinsurance, HDHP, HSA, MAGI, SEP and more.
Read guide
Comparing coverage options
Comparing coverage options
- Comparing coverage options·7 min read
Bronze vs silver vs gold
What metal tiers really mean, typical 2026 numbers, and the silver cost-sharing rule most people miss.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·8 min read
PPO vs HMO vs EPO: what's the difference?
Networks, referrals, and out-of-network coverage across all three plan types — with a side-by-side table.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·6 min read
PPO vs HMO: a simple explanation
The two most common plan types — how to choose without regret.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·7 min read
PPO vs HMO for the self-employed
How to choose between PPO and HMO when you're a freelancer, 1099, or business owner.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·6 min read
ACA vs. private health insurance
Marketplace subsidies vs off-exchange flexibility — when each one makes sense.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·7 min read
Is a zero-deductible plan worth it?
When a $0 deductible plan wins on total cost — and when it's the most expensive mistake on the marketplace.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·7 min read
Short-term health insurance: is it worth it?
How STM plans work, what they don't cover, and the narrow situations where they make sense.
Read guide - Comparing coverage options·8 min read
HSA vs. PPO: is a high-deductible plan worth it?
How HSA-eligible high-deductible plans compare to a traditional PPO, with the math that decides it.
Read guide
Life changes and enrollment
Life changes and enrollment
- Life changes and enrollment·8 min read
Health insurance Open Enrollment 2026
Federal and state-by-state windows, what changed for 2026, and how to avoid a coverage gap on January 1.
Read guide - Life changes and enrollment·8 min read
Can you get health insurance outside Open Enrollment?
Every legitimate path — Special Enrollment Periods, Medicaid, private plans, short-term, and employer coverage.
Read guide - Life changes and enrollment·9 min read
What happens to your health insurance when you turn 26?
Exactly when coverage ends, your 60-day SEP, and every option — with a full turning-26 checklist.
Read guide - Life changes and enrollment·7 min read
Health insurance options after leaving a job
COBRA, marketplace, private, spouse, and short-term — the honest trade-offs when employer coverage ends.
Read guide - Life changes and enrollment·7 min read
Cheaper alternatives to COBRA insurance
Five options that usually beat COBRA on price — and when COBRA is still the right pick.
Read guide - Life changes and enrollment·8 min read
ACA subsidies 2026: how the premium tax credit works
Exactly how the credit is calculated, the 8.5% cap, and how to estimate yours before you enroll.
Read guide - Life changes and enrollment·9 min read
ACA income limits in 2026
Who qualifies for a subsidy, what counts as MAGI, and how to estimate variable income without owing money back.
Read guide
Coverage for individuals and families
Coverage for individuals and families
- Coverage for individuals and families·9 min read
How to choose the right family health insurance plan
A step-by-step framework covering networks, pediatric benefits, and the family OOP max most people miss.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·9 min read
How to get health insurance when you're self-employed
The four main paths, the tax deduction most people forget, and how to enroll step-by-step.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·9 min read
1099 contractor health insurance: complete guide
Four real options, what it should cost, the self-employed deduction, and the mistakes to avoid.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·8 min read
How do early retirees pay for health insurance?
Bridging to Medicare at 55, 60, 62 — and the MAGI planning play that saves the most money.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·8 min read
Average health insurance cost by age in 2026
Realistic monthly ranges at 25, 35, 45, 55, and 62 — subsidized and unsubsidized.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·8 min read
ICHRA vs. group health insurance for small business
Fixed, predictable cost versus a familiar shared PPO — the honest comparison for small employers.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·8 min read
Health insurance for part-time employees
The 30-hour rule, when an employer must offer coverage, and the cheapest options when they don't.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·7 min read
Health insurance for college students
Parents' plan, student health plan, or marketplace — plus the out-of-state network trap.
Read guide - Coverage for individuals and families·9 min read
Pregnancy and maternity health insurance
What's covered, enrolling while pregnant, what a birth really costs, and how to add a newborn.
Read guide
Guides by state
How coverage works where you live.
These guides apply nationwide, but marketplaces, carriers, and rating areas are state-specific. Open your state for local detail.