HealthCare.gov blog

One of 4 categories of Health Insurance Marketplace® plans (sometimes called “metal levels”). Silver plans fall about in the middle: You pay moderate monthly premiums and moderate costs when you need care. Important: If you qualify for “cost sharing reductions” (or “extra savings”) you can save a lot of money on deductibles, copayments, and coinsurance when you get care — but only if you pick a Silver plan.

Routine health care that includes screenings, check-ups, and patient counseling to prevent illnesses, disease, or other health problems.

A time outside the yearly Open Enrollment Period when you can sign up for health insurance. You qualify for a Special Enrollment Period if you’ve had certain life events, including losing health coverage, moving, getting married, having a baby, or adopting a child, or if your household income is below a certain amount.

Insurance program that provides free or low-cost health coverage to some low-income people, families and children, pregnant women, the elderly, and people with disabilities. Many states have expanded their Medicaid programs to cover all people below certain income levels.

Insurance program that provides low-cost health coverage to children in families that earn too much money to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to buy private insurance. In some states, CHIP covers pregnant women.