Insurance Basics: Home
A new way of getting healthcare is becoming common. Called telehealth or telemedicine, it lets people get healthcare without traveling. Telehealth uses electronic devices such as phones and computers to deliver healthcare services and clinical information across distances.
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.
Medical supplies and equipment, such as bandages and wheelchairs, and ambulance rides are often listed separately on bills and Explanation of Benefits (EOB) forms.
Since providers are able to decide how much to charge for out-of-network care, sometimes that charge might be higher than you expected.
Most health plans don´t cover treatments they regard as “experimental”. Sometimes, they may deny a claim for such a treatment.
Being covered under two health plans doesn't mean the two plans will pay the same amount twice for the same doctor visit. Instead, the plans follow rules about which plan pays what, known as "coordination of benefits."