2019-11-01 Cosmopolitan

Where exactly is the

insurance store again?

It’s at Healthcare.gov, the

federal health-insurance

marketplace where you

can buy coverage avail-

able in your area or get

connected with your

state’s health-insurance

site, if it has one.

And what do I buy here?

Put in your age, salary,

and zip code, and you’ll

see a list of high- and

low-deductible plans you

can buy and discounts

you qualify for. (Yay, cou-

pons!) You’ll find only

regulated, non-sketchy

ones here. Just remem-

ber: High-deductible

options cost less per

month but cheapo plan =

cheapo coverage.

QQ: Can I get Medicaid?

If you make a low-

enough salary, you

might! Enter all your

deets to find out.

You can’t get

insurance

through your

job or you’re

your own boss

Save more on meds

Apps like GoodRx and RxSaver compare the prices of prescriptions

from different pharmacies and provide coupons if you pay without

insurance. Make sure, though, that you ask your pharmacist to check

if using a coupon app is cheaper than going through your actual

insurance. They’ll know what you mean; they do this all the time.

SOURCES: DANIA PALANKER; KAREN POLLITZ, SENIOR FELLOW AT THE KAISER FAMILY FOUNDATION

Say you have better insurance

t h a n yo u r S.O. (o r v ic e ve r s a).

As in, more doctors in

network, lower premiums,

and/or lower deductibles.

And you’ve checked with your

p l a n t o f in d t h a t u p g ra din g t o

a “family policy” would be

Should you become domestic partners for the insurance swag? Maybe!

Use your relationship to save money

HEALTH

INS

URANCE

GLO

SSARY

TALK

ING ABOUT

?

SOURCE: DANIA PALANKER

W

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AL

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HEP

RESIDENTI

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CA

ND

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Medicare

Medicaid

P P O

(Preferred Provider

Organization)

H M O

(Health Maintenance

Organization)

A government-run

insurance program

for people 65 and

older and younger

people with certain

disabilities or

diseases.

A federal- and state-

run insurance

program you may be

able to get for free or

real cheap if you

earn less than

$17,000.

A type of insurance

plan with an “in

network” list of

doctors and

hospitals you can

visit. PPOs often also

cover MDs who are

“out of network,”

which is why they’re

usually pricier.

A type of insurance

plan that *only*

covers visits to

providers who are in

its network and trips

to the ER.

They want health

insu ra n c e t o su c k l e s s a n d

t h e y h a ve ~id e a s~. O n e

that’s really stuck

is a “single payer” plan,

in which all this ish is run

by the government,

costing you more in taxes

but saving you $$ on

premiums and bills.

cheaper than you and bae

b o t h c a r r y in g yo u r o w n

separate insurance. Then, yes,

you two might wanna (legally)

join f o rc e s a s d o m e s t ic

partners, aka unmarrieds but

v much committed. What’s

considered a domestic

partnership and whether that

fancy title requires a lot of

paperwork depends on your

state, but it’s always worth

asking HR. Your company

might allow you to register as

t his k in d o f c o u p l e w it h o u t a

big city-hall hassle.

HOW TO DO HEALTH

INSURANCE IF...

92 Cosmopolitan November 2019

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