Decoding Health Care Resources
E-Books from Decoding Health Care
6 Things to Do if You Don’t Have Health Insurance Through an Employer
Almost half of the population doesn’t have access to employer-sponsored health insurance. So, what should you do if you don’t have health insurance through an employer?
6 Ways to Negotiate Lower Healthcare Bills
You can take some steps, both proactively and reactively, to minimize healthcare bills. Learn about 6 strategies you can use to negotiate lower medical bills, whether you’re insured, underinsured, or uninsured.
10 Questions You Should Be Asking About Open Enrollment for Individual Health Insurance
Are you dreading open enrollment? Relax. We’ve done the work for you and answered the top 10 questions regarding open enrollment.
Cheat Sheets from Decoding Health Care
HSA Cheat Sheet
Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), Tax Considerations Regarding Individual Health Insurance – Learn how to use a Health Savings Account (HSA) to save you money on healthcare expenses and income taxes.
PTC Cheat Sheet
Premium Tax Credits/ ACA Subsidies – Learn the basics about subsidies and how they can save you money on individual health insurance and on taxes.
Other Helpful Resources
Disclaimer: These are external third-party links shared for their educational value, and Decoding Health Care is not responsible for the content of these websites. Most of the resources are FREE to use!
Healthcare Price Comparison Tools
- Fair Health Consumer: Research average prices paid by insurance
- Clear Health Costs: A community-created guide for researching health care costs
- Healthcare Bluebook: Compare healthcare prices by procedure, physician, or facility
- Turquoise Health: Research average prices paid by insurance
- MDsave: Compare prices and shop for healthcare services for free while saving an average of 50% when not using insurance
- Jason Health: Save up to 80% on lab tests without seeing a doctor or using insurance
- Billy app: Paid price comparison app
Insurance Information and Research
- Healthinsurance.org: Comprehensive health insurance Information
- State Insurance Guides and Statistics: How insurance works in each state, in addition to a national overview
- Comprehensive Searchable FAQs on individual marketplace insurance topics
- Healthcare.gov: Federal health insurance marketplace where you can learn about different topics and sign up for individual insurance in states using this system (or be pointed to your state’s specific enrollment platform)
- Benefits.gov: Find government benefits and financial help you may be eligible for, including healthcare benefits
Healthcare Costs Calculators
- Obamacare (ACA) Subsidy Calculator
- Health Insurance Marketplace Calculator
- Healthcare.gov Income Calculator (to help when applying for individual health insurance and subsidies)
- Health Insurance Plan Comparison Calculator
Help with Medical Bills and Patient Advocacy
- Dollar For: Screen for and apply for hospital charity care for free
- Patient Advocacy Foundation: Free patient advocacy and educational resources
- Allen Health Academy: An online course that teaches you proven methods to reduce your healthcare costs
- Medical Bill Relief: Get help with high medical bills from Certified Medical Billing Advocates
- The Center for Health and Democracy: A 501(c)(4) nonprofit patient advocacy and education organization that works to counter the health insurance industry’s lobbying efforts