When you buy health insurance, you can choose from four categories called “metal levels”—Bronze, Silver, Gold or Platinum. These have nothing to do with the quality of care. Instead, the differences are based on how much each plan will pay for covered costs, compared to what you’ll pay.
It works like this: Bronze levels have the lowest sticker price, or monthly premium, but the highest out-of-pocket cost to you when you need care. Meanwhile, you’ll pay more up front for Silver, Gold and Platinum, but you’ll pay less when you need care.
And keep in mind there’s a fifth choice—Catastrophic plans with low premiums and very high out-of-pocket costs protect those under 30 or those with a financial hardship exemption against the costs of a serious injury or illness.
If you’re expecting to have a healthy year, it might seem Bronze is the way to go. But not so fast.
Depending on your household’s income, you could get premium tax credits or cost-sharing reductions through Maine’s online health insurance marketplace, CoverME.gov. If you qualify, you can use those to help offset the higher price of a Silver plan—while having lower out-of-pocket costs and leaving more money in your pocket at the end of the year. (If you think you can only afford a Catastrophic plan, it’s worth comparing whether Bronze or Silver is a better value if you quality for premium tax credits.)
Think about how you (and your dependents) will use your insurance in the coming year, like this:
Silver, Gold or Platinum might be for you if:
Bronze might be for you if:
Importantly, ALL Community Health Options’ plans offer preventive care at no cost, including yearly wellness checks. Many plans also offer an array of low-to-no-cost benefits that help offset many healthcare expenses (like wellness visits, prescription benefits, and vaccines), even for people with chronic conditions. All non-HSA plans offer Amwell® urgent care telehealth visits with $0 cost sharing.
While costs are important, make sure you choose coverage that fits your needs and gives you peace of mind. For information or to get help choosing a plan, call Member Services at (855) 624-6463.
Follow @communityhealthoptions on TikTok for quick tips and tricks on how to buy and use a health plan. And don’t forget to follow Community Health Options on LinkedIn, Facebook or Instagram.
Need help understanding insurance terms? Here’s a handy guide.
If you’ve been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes, you likely already know the risks that come with high blood sugar levels—heart or kidney disease, blindness, nerve damage or stroke. Low levels can pose problems, too, like blurred vision, nightmares, headaches, confusion or lightheadedness.
Diabetes has become a national epidemic—there are at least 37 million people diagnosed with the disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Maine, more than 113,000 people—or about 10% of the state’s adults—have been diagnosed with diabetes, with an estimated 32,000 who likely have diabetes, but don’t know it.
It takes more than an occasional A1c blood test, a measure of average blood sugar over three months, to effectively manage Type 2 diabetes and prevent the serious complications that can go with it. Even so, there’s a good chance that for many with diabetes, daily glucose monitoring can be hit or miss. Let’s face it: It can be a hassle to keep track with frequent finger sticks.
Daily monitoring empowers you to take control of your diabetes, whether measuring a few times a day with a glucose meter or using a continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM) that tracks patterns 24/7. Daily monitoring can also provide real-time information and reveal patterns, like whether sugar spikes after a meal or drops to dangerous levels overnight. It can also show you how your body responds in real time to specific food, exercise or the medications you take.