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).
Health insurance protects you from paying the full cost of your care. But, you will likely still have to pay some money out of your pocket. Almost all plans call for “cost sharing”. That means your insurer pays for part of your care, and you pay for part.
Healthcare proxies and advance healthcare directives can help you plan your care if you ever lose the ability to communicate clearly.
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.
If you or someone close to you has opioid use disorder, also called opioid addiction, you aren’t
alone. The United States is in the middle of an opioid crisis. Find out about how you can afford treatment—no matter
what your income level is—and about resources for support.
Sometimes you know ahead of time that a major event will happen in your life. Examples might include getting married or divorced, changing jobs or having a baby. Other times, such as at a death, you may not have advance warning.