Insurance Basics: Home

Choosing a Health Plan

Your employer may offer more than one health plan, or you may be shopping for your own individual plan.

Choosing a Health Plan
Health Insurance ID Cards

Your health insurance ID card is your proof of insurance. You use it when you visit the doctor, hospital or other provider.

Health Insurance ID Cards
Provider Networks

Your plan may contract with doctors, dentists and other healthcare practitioners; hospitals; labs; radiology facilities; pharmacies and other types of providers. These are the providers in your “network”.

Negotiating Your Costs

Since providers are able to decide how much to charge for out-of-network care, sometimes that charge might be higher than you expected.

NY State of Health

NY State of Health is New York´s official online healthcare Marketplace. Individuals, families and small business owners in New York can use NY State of Health to compare health plans, and join the one that best meets their needs.

Looking Up Costs for Behavioral Health Services

To look up the estimated costs for behavioral health services (including mental health and alcohol and/or drug services), go to our home page, fairhealthconsumer.org, and click on Medical and Hospital Costs.