Coverage options, explained honestly
Every option below has a real use case — and a real catch. We explain both, then let you compare against actual Marketplace prices.
Marketplace (ACA) plans
The default answer for most people under 65: comprehensive coverage, subsidy-eligible, no health questions — and the baseline every other option should be compared against.
Catastrophic plans
True ACA plans with the lowest premiums and the highest deductible — and eligibility that expanded beyond under-30s starting with plan year 2026.
Dental and vision coverage
Why medical plans mostly don't cover adult teeth and eyes, what standalone plans cost, and when paying cash is honestly the better deal.
Short-term health plans
Federally capped at 3 months (plus a 1-month renewal), medically underwritten, and not ACA-equivalent. What they're actually for — and the traps.
ICHRA (Individual Coverage HRA)
How employers reimburse employees for individual Marketplace plans tax-free — and what to check before accepting or offering one.
COBRA
Keeping your old employer plan after leaving a job: maximum continuity, maximum price — and a 60-day decision window where the Marketplace comparison usually wins.
Health sharing ministries
Not insurance — and that sentence is the whole review. What sharing ministries actually promise, what they legally don't, and who joins them anyway.