With the YouTube channel 画说美国 / America, Illustrated (opens in a new tab). Informational only.
The marketplace, Medicare open enrollment, 2027 Part D drug-cost parameters, HSA contribution limits, student health plans, and state insurance regulators. No premiums are compared, and no plan or insurer is recommended.
HealthCare.gov is the federal health-insurance marketplace. Some states send you to their own marketplace. Whether the site redirects you is decided there. This page does not compare plans or quote premiums.
Open link (opens in a new tab)
Source: HealthCare.gov ·
HealthCare.gov has its own page on immigration status and whether someone can use the marketplace or a subsidy. This guide does not classify your status or estimate a subsidy.
Open link (opens in a new tab)
Source: HealthCare.gov ·
Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program depend on status, income, and the state you live in. HealthCare.gov explains how to apply. A screening result is not an approval.
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Source: HealthCare.gov ·
Many schools require or offer their own student health plan. That plan is not automatically the same thing as an individual plan on HealthCare.gov. CMS describes student health plans. The campus rule is whatever the school’s notice says.
Open link (opens in a new tab)
Source: CMS ·
November 1 starts Open Enrollment for 2027 coverage. It is the first day to enroll in, renew, or change a Marketplace plan. December 15 is the last day to enroll in or change plans for coverage that starts January 1, after the first premium is paid. Open Enrollment ends on January 15. After that date, enrollment or a plan change is available only with a Special Enrollment Period, for a life event such as moving, losing other coverage, getting married, or having a baby. An enrollment or change from December 16 through January 15 starts coverage on February 1, after the first premium is paid. Medicaid and CHIP can be applied for at any time. Some states run their own Marketplace and may use different deadlines. Check HealthCare.gov. This page does not compare plans or quote a premium, and it does not decide whether a life event qualifies.
Open link (opens in a new tab)
Source: HealthCare.gov ·
A health savings account (HSA) is a pre-tax contribution account tied to a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). For calendar year 2027, IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24, also published in Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-25, sets the HSA contribution limit at $4,500 for self-only coverage and $9,000 for family coverage. For 2027, an HDHP is a plan with a deductible of at least $1,750 for self-only coverage or $3,500 for family coverage, and out-of-pocket expenses other than premiums of no more than $8,700 for self-only coverage or $17,400 for family coverage. For calendar year 2026, IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 sets the contribution limit at $4,400 for self-only coverage and $8,750 for family coverage, a minimum deductible of $1,700 for self-only coverage and $3,400 for family coverage, and an out-of-pocket maximum of $8,500 for self-only coverage and $17,000 for family coverage. Footnote 1 of IRS Notice 2026-5 states those same 2026 figures. For months beginning after December 31, 2025, that notice treats a bronze or catastrophic plan as an HDHP when the plan is available as individual coverage through an Exchange, even if it does not meet the usual deductible or out-of-pocket limits. IRS Publication 969, for use in preparing 2025 returns, says an eligible person who is age 55 or older at the end of the tax year may contribute an additional $1,000 for that year. The 2026 and 2027 revenue procedures do not list a catch-up amount, so this page does not state one for those years. These are published limits. This page does not calculate what you can contribute and does not recommend a plan.
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Source: IRS Rev. Proc. 2026-24 (opens in a new tab); Internal Revenue Bulletin 2026-25 (opens in a new tab); IRS Rev. Proc. 2025-19 (opens in a new tab); IRS Notice 2026-5 (opens in a new tab); IRS Publication 969 (2025 returns) (opens in a new tab) ·
Medicare’s Open Enrollment Period runs from October 15 to December 7 each year. During it, people with Medicare can join, drop, or switch Medicare Advantage plans (with or without drug coverage), switch between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, or join, drop, or switch a Medicare drug plan. Changes take effect on January 1 of the next year, and the plan must get the request by December 7. To join a Medicare health or drug plan, you generally need Part A and/or Part B. The page lists eligible groups, including U.S. citizens and lawful permanent residents (green card holders). Plans can be compared at Medicare.gov/plan-compare. Free, unbiased counseling is available from the local State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). This period is separate from HealthCare.gov Marketplace open enrollment. This page does not recommend a plan, and it does not say who qualifies for Medicare. For that, read Medicare.gov. Families whose parents or relatives already have Medicare can start with this window.
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Source: Medicare.gov: Joining a plan ·
Table V-6 of the CMS Announcement of Calendar Year (CY) 2027 Medicare Advantage Capitation Rates and Part C and Part D Payment Policies, dated April 6, 2026, lists the Part D defined standard benefit parameters for beneficiaries who do not receive the Low-Income Subsidy. The defined standard benefit deductible is $615 in 2026 and $700 in 2027. The $700 amount is the maximum standard deductible. An individual plan may have a lower deductible. The annual out-of-pocket threshold, the yearly cap, is $2,100 in 2026 and $2,400 in 2027. Once a beneficiary reaches that threshold, they pay $0 for covered Part D drugs for the rest of the year. The CMS Contract Year 2027 Medicare Advantage and Part D Final Rule fact sheet states that the catastrophic phase has no cost sharing. CMS has not announced the 2027 Part B premium or deductible, so this page does not state one. These are published parameters. This page does not compare plans, recommend an insurer, or calculate what anyone pays. When to join, drop, or switch a Medicare drug plan is the open-enrollment entry on this page.
On this page: Medicare Open Enrollment: October 15 – December 7
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Source: CMS: CY 2027 MA rates and Part C and Part D payment policies (Table V-6) (opens in a new tab); CMS: Contract Year 2027 MA and Part D Final Rule fact sheet (opens in a new tab) ·
After open enrollment, a special enrollment period opens only for the life events HealthCare.gov lists. This page does not decide whether your situation qualifies.
Open link (opens in a new tab)
Source: HealthCare.gov ·
Minimum liability coverage, and what proof a state wants, differs by state. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners explains how auto insurance works. Confirm the amounts with your state insurance department. An example from another state can be wrong for you.
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Source: NAIC ·
The NAIC explains that a renters policy generally covers your belongings and liability, not the landlord’s building. Whether you need one, and which risks it covers, is in the lease and the policy. This page does not quote a price.
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Source: NAIC ·
If you have a dispute with an insurer or an agent, the NAIC consumer page can point you to your state’s insurance department and explain how to complain. This site does not take insurance claims.
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Source: NAIC ·
Each answer starts with the useful part, then points you at the agency page. Nothing here is personal advice.
A student health plan from your school is not automatically the same thing as a plan on HealthCare.gov. Read the school’s notice and the CMS page on student health plans, then use HealthCare.gov if you are checking marketplace rules for your status. This page does not compare prices or tell you which plan to buy.
A later note may list new entries. Subscription is not open.