{
  "slug": "health-insurance-cost",
  "title": "Health Plan Comparison Calculator",
  "heading": "Health Insurance Plan Comparison Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/health-insurance-cost",
  "summary": "Total annual cost of two plans at your expected usage.",
  "description": "A low premium with a $7,000 deductible beats a rich PPO only if you stay healthy. Comparing total annual cost at your realistic usage — not the premium alone — is the only fair test.",
  "formula": "Total = Premiums + min(expected costs, deductible) + coinsurance, capped at out-of-pocket max.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-30",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=health-insurance-cost",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "premiumA",
      "label": "Plan A monthly premium",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 210,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "deductibleA",
      "label": "Plan A deductible",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 6500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "coinsA",
      "label": "Plan A coinsurance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 20,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "oopA",
      "label": "Plan A out-of-pocket max",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 8500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "premiumB",
      "label": "Plan B monthly premium",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 480,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "deductibleB",
      "label": "Plan B deductible",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "coinsB",
      "label": "Plan B coinsurance",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 10,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100
    },
    {
      "id": "oopB",
      "label": "Plan B out-of-pocket max",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 4000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    },
    {
      "id": "expected",
      "label": "Expected annual medical costs",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 5000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": null
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "cheaper",
      "label": "Cheaper plan at this usage",
      "format": "raw",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "savings",
      "label": "Annual savings",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "a",
      "label": "Plan A total annual cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "b",
      "label": "Plan B total annual cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "worstA",
      "label": "Plan A worst case",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "worstB",
      "label": "Plan B worst case",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Plan A monthly premium: 210 $",
      "Plan A deductible: 6500 $",
      "Plan A coinsurance: 20 %",
      "Plan A out-of-pocket max: 8500 $",
      "Plan B monthly premium: 480 $",
      "Plan B deductible: 1500 $",
      "Plan B coinsurance: 10 %",
      "Plan B out-of-pocket max: 4000 $",
      "Expected annual medical costs: 5000 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Cheaper plan at this usage: Plan A",
      "Annual savings: $90.00",
      "Plan A total annual cost: $7,520.00",
      "Plan B total annual cost: $7,610.00",
      "Plan A worst case: $11,020.00",
      "Plan B worst case: $9,760.00"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter plan a monthly premium ($).",
      "Enter plan a deductible ($).",
      "Enter plan a coinsurance (%).",
      "Enter plan a out-of-pocket max ($).",
      "Enter plan b monthly premium ($).",
      "Enter plan b deductible ($).",
      "Enter plan b coinsurance (%).",
      "Enter plan b out-of-pocket max ($).",
      "Enter expected annual medical costs ($).",
      "Read your cheaper plan at this usage on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "premiumA": 130,
        "deductibleA": 4000,
        "coinsA": 10,
        "oopA": 5000,
        "premiumB": 290,
        "deductibleB": 1000,
        "coinsB": 5,
        "oopB": 2500,
        "expected": 3000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "premiumA": 210,
        "deductibleA": 6500,
        "coinsA": 20,
        "oopA": 8500,
        "premiumB": 480,
        "deductibleB": 1500,
        "coinsB": 10,
        "oopB": 4000,
        "expected": 5000
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "premiumA": 340,
        "deductibleA": 10500,
        "coinsA": 30,
        "oopA": 13500,
        "premiumB": 770,
        "deductibleB": 2500,
        "coinsB": 15,
        "oopB": 6500,
        "expected": 8000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "How does the health insurance plan comparison calculator work?",
      "a": "A low premium with a $7,000 deductible beats a rich PPO only if you stay healthy. Comparing total annual cost at your realistic usage — not the premium alone — is the only fair test. The underlying maths is: Total = Premiums + min(expected costs, deductible) + coinsurance, capped at out-of-pocket max."
    },
    {
      "q": "What do I need to enter?",
      "a": "9 values: plan a monthly premium, plan a deductible, plan a coinsurance, plan a out-of-pocket max, plan b monthly premium, plan b deductible, plan b coinsurance, plan b out-of-pocket max, and expected annual medical costs. Each field starts with a sensible default, so you can change one number at a time and watch the result move."
    },
    {
      "q": "What does the cheaper plan at this usage result mean?",
      "a": "It is returned as a plain value and updates live as you edit the inputs, so you can compare two or three versions of a scenario in a few seconds."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is this calculator free, and do I need an account?",
      "a": "Yes, it's free, and no account is required. Nothing you type is stored on our servers — the maths runs entirely in your browser."
    },
    {
      "q": "How accurate is the result?",
      "a": "It applies the standard formula exactly, so the arithmetic is precise. Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them."
    },
    {
      "q": "Who is this tool for?",
      "a": "It's built for anyone comparing money scenarios before committing — budgeting a payment, sanity-checking a quote, or seeing what a change in rate or term actually costs."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/hsa-contribution",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/emergency-fund"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Health Plan Comparison Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/health-insurance-cost)"
}