How to pick a health insurance plan
The health plan categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum
Plans in the Marketplace are presented in 4 health plan categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. (“Catastrophic” plans are also available to some people.)
How you and your insurance plan split costs
Plan Category | The insurance company pays | You pay |
---|---|---|
Bronze | 60% | 40% |
Silver | 70% | 30% |
Gold | 80% | 20% |
Platinum | 90% | 10% |
Which health plan category is right for you?
Bronze
- Lowest monthly premium
- Highest costs when you need care
- Bronze plan deductibles — the amount of medical costs you pay yourself before your insurance plan starts to pay — can be thousands of dollars a year.
- Good choice if: You want a low-cost way to protect yourself from worst-case medical scenarios, like serious sickness or injury. Your monthly premium will be low, but you’ll have to pay for most routine care yourself.
Silver
- Moderate monthly premium
- Moderate costs when you need care
- Silver deductibles — the costs you pay yourself before your plan pays anything — are usually lower than those of Bronze plans.
- Good choice if: You qualify for “extra savings” — or, if not, if you’re willing to pay a slightly higher monthly premium than Bronze to have more of your routine care covered.
Gold
- High monthly premium
- Low costs when you need care
- Deductibles — the amount of medical costs you pay yourself before your plan pays — are usually low.
- Good choice if: