Purchasing Health Insurance in California

Choosing a health insurance plan is never an easy experience, but at Benefit Packages, we can make that process easier for you!

While there is no “one plan fits all,” some plans will offer better choices for you and your family’s health needs. Additionally, rather than simply offering answers, we want to provide you with some good questions that you can ask yourself and a potential insurance company as you begin your search.

When choosing a health insurance plan, you need to consider the affordability of the healthcare. Consider these basic procedural questions to ask prior to selecting a health care provider:


Should I purchase a policy in or out of the State Exchange?

Do I qualify for Advanced Premium Tax Credits APTC?

How much will I be charged on a monthly basis?

Do I qualify for Cost Sharing Reductions (CSR’s) on the Silver Plan?

What is my maximum out of pocket for both me and my family?

How much more will I pay for doctors outside the plan’s network?

Will my needs be cared for adequately through this plan?

Which doctors and hospitals is part of this plan?

If I take certain drugs will they be covered under the carrier’s formulary drug list?

Will there be enough of the kinds of doctors I prefer to see?

How close is the care to my home and to my office?

Will I need permission to see a specialist?

Consider contacting the insurance company and asking for references. Have other people had good results when working with a specific company or receiving care through a certain plan?

What kind of ratings have independent government organizations given this health insurance company?

What have friends said about their experience with this plan?

What kind of experience has my physician had with this plan?