The key to choosing the right health insurance? Demystifying the lingo

Enlarge this image Subin Yang for NPR Subin Yang for NPR

This story originally published on Oct., 18, 2021, and has been updated.

Do you ever feel like health insurance is confusing on purpose? There is so much jargon and so many acronyms. It's tempting to just close your eyes and point at a plan, hoping that it's in your budget and covers the stuff you'll need it for.

But putting in a bit of time to learn what these health insurance terms mean can empower you to better understand what signing on to a plan might mean for your budget and your health.

Sponsor Message

Now's the time to get in there because fall is open enrollment season. Whether you're picking a plan for the first time, you're in a plan that doesn't work for you, or you're uninsured and want to see if you have any workable options — this is your chance to sign up for a plan.

(For more tips on finding a health insurance plan, listen to the audio at the top of the page.)

Where to find coverage

Enlarge this image Subin Yang for NPR Subin Yang for NPR

The first piece of advice is this: Don't do an online search for "I need health insurance" and expect the internet to help you out. That's an easy way to end up on sketchy websites or bombarded with ads and phone calls. Instead, figure out where to go — based on your age, job, income — and go straight there to find a plan.

Affordable Care Act Marketplaces: For people who don't get their coverage through a job or a public program, the place to go is Healthcare.gov, where you can shop for insurance in the marketplaces created by the Affordable Care Act.

If you hear "health insurance marketplace" or "insurance exchange" or "Obamacare insurance" — they're all the same thing.