Insurance Basics: Home
After you get care, your provider sends a bill, or “claim,” to your insurance company. Your insurance company handles the claim and sends you an Explanation of Benefits (EOB).
Thanks to a law passed in the spring of 2020, most Americans can be tested for COVID-19 for free. But that law didn’t make treatment for the virus free. Medical services for COVID-19 can be costly and sometimes run into tens of thousands of dollars. Whether or not you’ve been diagnosed with COVID-19, you can take steps now to understand your protections under the law and manage the costs of your treatment.
Your plan contracts with a wide range of doctors and other practitioners, as well as hospitals, labs, radiology facilities, pharmacies and other providers. These are the providers in your “network”. Each of these providers has agreed to take your plan´s contracted rate as payment in full for services.
Since providers are able to decide how much to charge for out-of-network care, sometimes that charge might be higher than you expected.
Visiting your doctor or other healthcare provider? Whether you’re seeing your provider online or in person, good communication between you and your provider is key to getting the most out of your visit.
You might think your health insurance plan will cover just about anything, from eyeglasses to private nursing. But you would probably be wrong. There are some healthcare services that most health plans don't cover. This guide will tell you about them.