Guides
Plain-language guides to your coverage
Short guides to the moments that raise the most questions, from buying your own plan to turning 65. Each one is based on official government sources, linked so you can read more.
For: Anyone buying their own coverage
The Health Insurance Marketplace, in six steps
What the Marketplace is, who can use it, when you can sign up, and what every plan has to cover.
Read the guide →For: Marketplace shoppers
Saving money on Marketplace coverage
How the premium tax credit and cost-sharing reductions work, and why your income estimate matters so much.
Read the guide →For: New plan members
Using your coverage once it starts
How to find doctors in your network, what your plan helps pay for, and what to do if a claim is denied.
Read the guide →For: Marketplace shoppers
Dental coverage in the Marketplace
The two ways to get dental coverage, how it differs for kids and adults, and the waiting periods to watch for.
Read the guide →For: Freelancers and solo business owners
Health coverage when you're self-employed
Where freelancers and solo business owners can get coverage, how to estimate a changing income, and what happens when a job or spouse's plan enters the picture.
Read the guide →For: People who lost or left a job
Health coverage when you're between jobs
Your two main options after losing a job, Marketplace coverage or COBRA (the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act), and what to do when you're hired again.
Read the guide →For: People nearing 65, and their families
Medicare and the Marketplace
Why the Marketplace and Medicare don't mix, the few exceptions, and how to switch when you turn 65.
Read the guide →For: Anyone sorting out the two programs
Medicare and Medicaid: the basics
Two programs with similar names and very different jobs. Who each one is for, how Medicare's parts fit together, and how to apply.
Read the guide →HealthWise provides educational information only, not licensed insurance, financial, or mental health advice. Rules and dates can change, so confirm details with the official source or your plan before you decide.