How do I know what health insurance to buy?

To compare and pick health plan coverage, review your health care costs and try to estimate how much you’ve been spending on health care and what that picture might look like in the coming year. Some health insurance companies have cost estimator tools to help you estimate your costs. Remember to factor in items such as doctor’s visits, prescription medications and procedures.

After you have estimated how much you expect to spend, make a list of the out-of-pocket expenses, premiums and benefits of each plan you’re considering. These can include co-payments, deductibles and fees for seeing specialists. You will also need to factor in the costs of using an out-of-network doctor or other health care provider if your provider is not in the plan's network.

You should also check to see if your doctor is included in the plan’s network. Many health insurance companies establish provider networks that include doctors, hospitals and other health care providers who have contracted with the health plan to provide care at special rates.