I'm 40 years old and have never had health insurance. How do i go about choosing and purchasing what is right for me?

Does your employer offer health insurance?

That's going to be your best bet because it'll usually be the most affordable.

The main things to know about healthcare are:

  1. HMO. With an HMO plan, you're required to select one in-network primary care doctor that all your health care services will go through. That means, with the exception of an emergency, if you need a specialist, you must first obtain a referral from your primary care physician.

  2. PPO. With a PPO, you can select any in-network doctor, regardless of specialization and make a direct appointment with them without need of a referral from your primary care physician. PPO's monthly premiums aremuch more expensive, but you usually have a low copay

  3. HDHP. With HDHP, your monthly premiums are dirt cheap, but your deductible is insanely high. However, the upside to HDHP is having your HSA, which you can put up to $5,500 into per year that is completely tax sheltered. So any money you spend on healthcare is completely tax exempt.

/r/NoStupidQuestions Thread