Health insurance & medical costs
The most confusing system, made readable
US health insurance is genuinely one of the most confusing systems there is — confusion is the default, not a personal failing. Learn the core machinery (premium, deductible, copay, coinsurance, out-of-pocket max), how to compare plans at open enrollment, how HSAs and FSAs lower your tax bill, and how to read and handle a medical bill. Warm, judgment-free, never pushy.
4 lessons · about 30 minutes total · 100% free
Saved on this device only — no account needed.
1. How health insurance actually works
Premium, deductible, copay, coinsurance, out-of-pocket maximum: learn the five moving parts, the order they apply in, and what a $3,000 bill really costs you.
6 min read
2. Choosing a plan during open enrollment
Decode metal tiers, HMO/PPO/EPO labels and the premium-versus-deductible tradeoff so you can total what each plan costs you in a light year and a heavy one.
9 min read
3. HSAs, FSAs & tax-advantaged health money
Learn what an HSA and a health FSA each do, the 2025 limits, who qualifies, and how much tax you save routing medical bills through one.
9 min read
4. Handling medical bills
Tell the EOB from the actual bill, match the two numbers, get an itemized bill, and use financial assistance or a payment plan when a correct bill is too big.
6 min read