Health Insurance
Understanding how to choose and use your health insurance is important to access care and manage your finances, especially after being diagnosed with a serious medical condition. Having adequate health insurance coverage is the first step to minimize the potential financial issues. It is also important to understand how to use your health insurance coverage to keep your costs lower and get the care you need. This page contains legal and practical materials and resources to help you understand and compare your options, what to do when you lose your insurance at work, and appeal denials of coverage.
Health Insurance Basics
Health insurance can be confusing. To understand your options and find a plan that’s best for you, there are some health insurance basics that are helpful to know.
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Materials
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Make informed decisions about health insurance, finances, and cancer, by using visiting our Health Insurance and Navigating Health Insurance modules.
Animated Videos & Webinars
- Animated Video: Health Insurance Basics (6:51)
- Webinar: Understanding Health Insurance
- Webinar: Navigating Insurance & Managing Medical Bills
- Webinar Series: Steps for Managing Finances & Insurance After a Cancer Diagnosis
Picking a Health Insurance Plan
There are three main places from which individuals get health insurance: directly from a health insurance company; from an employer or other group plan; and from the government, such as through Medicare, Medicaid, and the military. Here are our free resources for helping you find a plan that meets your needs and saves you money!
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Materials
- Health Insurance Plan Comparison Worksheet
- Medicare Plan Comparison Worksheet
- Quick Guide to Health Insurance Options
- Quick Guide to High Deductible Health Plans, HSAs, & FSAs
- Quick Guide to Navigating Health Insurance When Moving
Charts of State Laws
When you have cancer, understanding state laws related to health insurance is important because sometimes state laws provide more protection than federal laws. Explore our Charts of State Laws Related to Health Insurance.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Make informed decisions about finances, work, and cancer, by using visiting our Health Insurance module.
Animated Videos & Webinars
- Animated Video: Picking a Health Insurance Plan (4:38)
- Webinar: Understanding Health Insurance
- Webinar Series: Steps for Managing Finances & Insurance After a Cancer Diagnosis
Individual Insurance
You can purchase an individual health insurance plan directly from an insurance provider or through your state’s Health Insurance Marketplace. The Marketplace is a helpful resource for you to compare insurance plans sold by private insurance companies, find out if you are eligible for financial help or Medicaid, and how consumer protections help you. These resources will help you understand the Marketplace, and more!
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Materials
- Health Insurance Comparison Worksheet
- Quick Guide to Health Insurance Marketplaces
- Quick Guide to Status of State Health Insurance Marketplaces
- Quick Guide to High Deductible Health Plans, HSAs, & FSAs
- Quick Guide to Pre-Authorizations for Individual & Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
- Quick Guide to Which Insurance Plan Pays First
- Checklist: Using Your Health Insurance
- Quick Guide to Navigating Health Insurance When Moving
- Quick Guide to Health Care Rights of Immigrants
- Quick Guide to Health Care Options when Uninsured
Charts of State Laws
When you have a chronic or serious medical condition, understanding state laws related to health insurance is important because sometimes state laws provide more protection than federal laws. Explore our Charts of State Laws Related to Health Insurance.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Make informed decisions about health insurance, finances, and cancer, by using visiting our Health Insurance module.
More Tools
- HealthCare.gov – for information about the health insurance Marketplace, and consumer protections
- Triage Cancer State-Specific Resources
Webinars
- Webinar: Navigating Insurance & Managing Medical Bills
- Webinar: Understanding Health Insurance
- Webinar Series: Steps for Managing Finances & Insurance After a Cancer Diagnosis
Employer-sponsored Health Insurance
Group health insurance is typically provided through a group that you belong to, such as your employer or a union. Learn what to do if you lose your insurance at work and your options, the difference between “funded” and “self-funded” plans (and why that's important), consumer protections, tips for picking the right plan, and more!
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Resources
- Health Insurance Comparison Worksheet
- Quick Guide to Losing Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
- Quick Guide to COBRA
- Quick Guide to High Deductible Health Plans, HSAs, & FSAs
- Quick Guide to Pre-Authorizations for Individual & Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
- Quick Guide to Which Insurance Plan Pays First
- Quick Guide to Navigating Health Insurance When Moving
- Checklist: Using Your Health Insurance
- Checklist to Making the Most of Employee Benefits During Open Enrollment
- Checklist to Employee Benefits During a Job Search
Charts of State Laws
When you have a serious medical condition, understanding state laws related to health insurance is important because sometimes state laws provide more protection than federal laws. Explore our Charts of State Laws Related to Health Insurance.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Make informed decisions about health insurance, finances, and cancer, by using visiting our Health Insurance module.
Animated Videos & Webinars
- Animated Video: Options When Losing Insurance at Work (6:15)
- Webinar: Navigating Insurance & Managing Medical Bills
- Webinar Series: Steps for Managing Finances & Insurance After a Cancer Diagnosis
Medicare
Medicare is the federal government-sponsored program that provides health insurance to individuals who are 65 or older who are eligible for Social Security retirement benefits, and individuals under the age of 65 who have certain disabilities. Learn about the different “parts” of Medicare, how to get help paying for it, when to sign up and make changes to your coverage, and how to pick the right plan for your needs!
See our Medicare Materials & Resources for Quick Guides, Checklists, animated videos, and more!
Medicaid
Medicaid is a federal government-sponsored health insurance program for individuals with limited assets and low incomes. These free materials and resources will help you understand if you qualify, how to apply, the different Medicaid programs, and more!
See our Medicaid Materials & Resources for Quick Guides, Checklists, animated videos, and more!
Military & Veterans Insurance
Learn about the different types of health insurance coverage for individuals who are currently serving or are veterans of the U.S. Military (including the Reserve or National Guard) and their dependents. And, we cover the resources available to veterans specifically!
Understanding Health Insurance Coverage
Having adequate health insurance coverage is a key factor in avoiding financial toxicity for people with a chronic or serious medical condition. But understanding how to use that health insurance can be overwhelming.
Quick Guides
- Checklist: Using Your Health Insurance
- Quick Guide to Which Insurance Plan Pays First
- Quick Guide to Accessing to Medical Records
- Quick Guide to Accessing Mental Health Care
- Quick Guide to Understanding Hospice Care
My Health Coverage at-a-Glance
Shows how to keep track of health plan information and payment in a customizable format. (English)
Charts of State Laws
When you have a serious medical condition, understanding state laws related to health insurance is important because sometimes state laws provide more protection than federal laws. Explore our Charts of State Laws Related to Health Insurance.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Make informed decisions about health insurance and cancer, by using visiting our Navigating Health Insurance module.
Appeals
At some point during your medical treatment, you may experience a denial of coverage from an insurance company, whether for an imaging scan, prescription drug, treatment, procedure, or genetic test. Most people take “no” for an answer. But those who don’t accept the denial, and file an appeal, may actually win and get coverage for the care prescribed by their health care team up to 60% of the time! These free materials and resources demystify an important process that doesn't have to be out of reach!
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Materials
- Quick Guide to Appeals for Employer-Sponsored & Individual Health Insurance
- Quick Guide to Pre-Authorizations for Individual & Employer-Sponsored Health Insurance
- Health Insurance Appeals Tracking Form
- Quick Guide to Accessing to Medical Records
Charts of State Laws
Understanding state laws related to health insurance appeals is important because sometimes state laws provide more protection than federal laws. Explore our Chart of State Laws Related to Health Insurance.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Make informed decisions about health insurance appeals, by using visiting our Health Insurance Appeals and Navigating Health Insurance modules.
Animated Videos & Webinars
- Animated Video: When an Insurance Company Says No (4:06)
- Webinar: Health Insurance Appeals
Prescription Drugs
Prescription drugs can be expensive. However, understanding the way your insurance covers your prescription drugs and taking advantage of available resources, can help you reduce your costs. Here is some helpful information to help you navigate health insurance and prescriptions.
Quick Guides, Checklists, & Other Materials
- Quick Guide to Getting & Paying for Prescription Drugs
- Checklist: Using Your Health Insurance
- Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs
- Drug Discount Card
Charts of State Laws
Understanding state laws related to health insurance appeals is important because sometimes state laws provide more protection than federal laws. Explore our Chart of State Laws Related to Co-Pay Accumulator Programs.
Cancer Finances
CancerFinances.org is an interactive toolkit for navigating finances after cancer. Sometimes, the most affordable way to pay for your prescriptions is to not use your insurance at all. We'll explain your options in our Managing Prescription Drug Costs module.
Medical Bills
Clinical Trials
To learn more about managing medical bills after cancer, visit our Financial Resource Hub.
For information on health insurance coverage of clinical trials, visit our Clinical Trials Resource Hub.
More Resources
- Patients Rising: Medical transportation tips for patients and caregivers as well as types of medical transportation including emergency and nonemergency medical transportation.