Insurance Basics: Home
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 makes it easier for many Americans to get health insurance. It also expands the services that health plans need to cover.
Your plan may have different rules and costs for different healthcare settings. In any setting, you may have to pay a copay, and in some cases, coinsurance. But, these may be waived for preventive services like flu shots and mammograms.
Medical supplies and equipment, such as bandages and wheelchairs, and ambulance rides are often listed separately on bills and Explanation of Benefits (EOB) forms.
After you visit a provider, you may get a bill telling you how much you have to pay.
Suppose you receive care in a hospital that is in your health plan´s provider network. You may still get a bill from providers who treated you at the hospital but are not part of your plan´s network.
Receiving care from a provider in your health plan´s network usually costs you much less than going to an out-of-network provider.