Insurance Basics: Home

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
Palliative Care and Shared Decision Making

Palliative care is medical care that tries to relieve discomfort and stress for people with serious illnesses. It focuses on improving quality of life for patients and their families. Palliative care doesn’t try to cure the illness.

Palliative Care and Shared Decision Making
Emergency Care and Urgent Care

Your plan´s rules and costs may differ for some types of care. Knowing these rules can help you control your costs and get the right care in the right setting.

Dental Plans

Most medical plans do not include coverage for many dental services. Often, dental services are covered under a separate plan. Like medical plans, most dental plans have specific out-of-pocket costs, like coinsurance, copayments and deductibles.

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.

Getting Care from a Medical Home

A medical home is a type of doctor´s practice that uses a team to focus on the “whole person”. It is sometimes called a patient-centered medical home (PCMH).