Most of the plans available in the individual market are bronze, silver, or gold.

What Does Health InsuranceValueMean?

Perhaps theircopayis $35 per visit, and their insurance pays another $100 for the office visit.

Gold colored caduceus surrounded by pills.

Steven Hunt / Getty Images

But now consider the same person, with the same gold plan, developing cancer during the year.

After that, the health plan pays for everything, as long as they stay in-connection.

So the insurance has covered more than 98% of the total costs.

How Is Actuarial Value Calculated?

The actuarial value calculator only considers in-online grid care foressential health benefitswhen determining the actuarial value of a plan.

Things your health insurance doesnt cover at all arent taken into account when determining a health plans value.

Things your health plan covers without any cost-sharing are included.

So, thefree birth controlandpreventive careyour health plan provides are included when your plans value is determined.

What Will You Have to Pay?

Youll paymonthly premiumsfor the health plan.

But those intuitive pricing guidelines don’t necessarily apply anymore in the individual market.

How each plan makes members pay their 20% share of overall healthcare expenses will vary.

A competing gold plan might have a lower deductible paired with a higher coinsurance or more copays.

Why Choose a Gold Plan?

Why Not Choose a Gold Pan?

Dont choose a gold-tier health plan if a low monthly premium is the most important factor to you.

In effect, a cost-sharing subsidy will increase the value of your health plan without raising the monthly premiums.

Its like getting a free upgrade on health insurance.

You wont get the free upgrade if you choose a gold tier plan.

Small businesses can also purchase gold plans for their employees.

There’s no one-size-fits-all, so be sure to carefully compare the available plans before making a selection.

HealthCare.gov.The ‘metal’ categories: bronze, silver, gold & platinum.

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2023 Final Rule Fact Sheet.

April 28, 2022.

Cornell Law School, Legal Information Institute.45 CFR 156.135 - AV calculation for determining level of coverage.

Healthinsurance.org.The ACAs cost-sharing subsidies.

September 23, 2019.

Kaiser Family Foundation.Explaining health care reform: questions about health insurance subsidies.

January 16, 2020.