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
The Affordable Care Act

The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 makes it easier for many Americans to get health insurance. It also expands the services that health plans need to cover.

The Affordable Care Act
Shared Decision Making and Preference-Sensitive Conditions

To get the best care, it helps if you and your doctor make decisions together. The process is called "shared decision making." This article suggests ways to talk to your doctor about three common health problems where there may be no clear, "right" option. They are uterine fibroids, type 2 diabetes and low-risk prostate cancer. These are examples of preference-sensitive conditions.

Code Modifiers: How they Affect You

Doctors and insurers use standard codes for each medical service or supply. That helps them communicate about treatments and payments clearly.

When Out-of-Network Care Can be Covered In Network

Receiving care from a provider in your health plan´s network usually costs you much less than going to an out-of-network provider.

Using Health Insurance While Traveling

If you’re planning a trip, the last thing you may want to think of is healthcare. But accidents and illnesses can happen on the road as well as at home. Here are the basics on using health insurance while traveling.