Healthcare is getting reformed, and nearly every American will be affected by the changes. The Affordable Care Act (ACA), sometimes referred to as Obamacare, is changing the face of the healthcare industry, and whether you’re a seasoned veteran of navigating health care claims or looking to purchase coverage for the first time, you’ll benefit from a refresher course.

Even without going into detail about the 2014 reforms and those already in place, health insurance is complicated enough. A whole glossary of unfamiliar terms, abbreviations, and processes populate the territory roamed by doctors, adjusters, and average consumers seeking treatment for their ailments. Knowing how to navigate this territory is key to getting the treatment you and your family need, and to not spending a lifetime cutting through confusing concepts and terminology.

The Simple Dollar’s Health Insurance Guide aims to educate readers at every stage — whether you’re a young adult seeking health insurance for the first time, looking to insure a newborn member of your family, or a senior citizen seeking insurance through Medicare, this guide is structured to be informative and educational for everyone. Skip around to the sections that most interest you, and come back later when you need a refresher.

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Insurance Guide

• HEALTH INSURANCE FUNDAMENTALS

  Whether you have health insurance through your employer or have individual insurance for just you and your immediate family, your plan likely only covers certain health issues, operations, medications, and treatments. Understanding the limitations and options of your plan is crucial to avoid paying out-of-pocket for medical procedures, while still getting the best treatment for you and your family. This section covers the basic types of plans available, what they cover, and how payment and eligibility work.

• THE CURRENT STATE OF U.S. HEALTH INSURANCE

  Millions of Americans currently don’t have health insurance, while millions more may have serious gaps in their coverage, leaving them at financial risk if a serious non-covered health issue arises. Fortunately, health insurance is getting easier to obtain and is becoming available to more people. This section explains how this complex landscape affects you and your family.

• HEALTH INSURANCE FOR YOUNG ADULTS

  While young adults may appear to be in great health or even invincible (to themselves, at least), an unforeseen medical procedure could mean financial catastrophe and bankruptcy for an uninsured young person. As such, it’s important to maintain health coverage for young adults. The ACA has extended the limit for children to stay on their parents’ policies up until age 26, and many students also have options for coverage through their college or university. This section explains the coverage options readers can expect when buying health insurance for a young adult.

• YOUNG FAMILIES AND THEIR HEALTH INSURANCE NEEDS

  It’s no secret that babies aren’t cheap -- from prenatal care to checkups and vaccinations, the immediate costs of bringing a newborn into the world are extensive to say the least. But planning health insurance coverage for the new addition to your family can actually be less complicated than shopping for diapers, so this section keeps things straightforward and simple with some basic tips and strategies to make sure your young one can grow up healthy.

• HEALTH INSURANCE CONCERNS WHEN APPROACHING RETIREMENT

  Why wait until you’re approaching senility to learn about health insurance? Whether you’re looking to retire in the near future or managing care for an elderly relative, there are a number of upcoming changes to Medicare that you should know about. The ins and outs of Medicare, Medicaid, and its various plans and options are myriad, but understanding them doesn’t have to be too difficult. This section boils it down to the basics so you can get familiar with how it all works and what’s needed for your circumstances.

• THE CHANGING FACE OF HEALTH INSURANCE IN AMERICA

  How will the ACA affect your premiums? How will it change the way your insurer operates and the tax deductions you could get for your health insurance payments? And what does it mean for the future of Medicare? These are crucial questions to planning your future, both in terms of your health and finances. With so many changes in the industry, this section aims to break it all down for the average reader.

Everything you need to know about health Insurance

• Understanding Student Health Insurance and Expenses

  Americans aged 18-30 have always faced health insurance choices that are particular to their age group, especially college students. With the introduction of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), young adults now find themselves dealing with extra pressure to make smart choices. The ACA, also known as Obamacare, is structured so that its success will depend

• You're Not Optionless If You've Been Denied Coverage: PCIP and High Risk Insurance Pools

  By the Census Bureau’s last count, forty-eight million Americans lacked health insurance. And as treatment costs rise, qualifying for affordable private coverage is only getting harder: Insurers are increasingly cutting costs by limiting or denying coverage to the higher-risk patients that need it most. For those who have been denied health coverage, two important new

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