Health Insurance Explained: Plans, Medicare, HSAs, LTC & Disability

Family health coverage through an employer now costs about $27,000 a year. Workers pay $6,850 of that, and their share is up 23% in just five years. Knowing how your plan works, and what it leaves uncovered, is one of the most valuable money skills you can have. In this lecture, I walk through how health insurance works, how to compare HMOs, PPOs, and high-deductible plans, what Medicare and Medicaid really cover, and the two coverages most people overlook: long-term-care and disability income insurance. A few things you’ll learn along the way: Why a $500 deductible and 90% coinsurance can still leave you paying $2,350 on a $19,000 hospital bill How a tax rule turns a $3,600 monthly disability benefit into $2,808, and the easy way to keep the full amount Why Medicare pays almost nothing for long-term care, when a private nursing home room now runs $127,750 a year How 3% inflation cuts a $5,000 disability check to $3,720 in real terms after 10 years What’s covered: Health insurance as risk pooling, and why adverse selection matters What drives rising health care costs Employer family premiums from 2015 to 2025 Group vs. individual coverage and cafeteria plans Indemnity plans vs. managed care: HMOs, PPOs, EPOs, and POS plans Blue Cross/Blue Shield plans Medicare Parts A through D with 2026 figures, and Medigap Medicaid and workers’ compensation The Affordable Care Act: mandates, essential health benefits, and consumer protections Marketplace metal tiers and premium tax credits Community rating vs. medical underwriting HSAs, FSAs, and HRAs, with 2026 limits What to look for when choosing a health plan Deductibles, coinsurance, copays, stop-loss limits, and coordination of benefits COBRA and cost containment provisions Long-term-care costs, who pays, and whether you need coverage Disability income insurance: sources, taxability, and estimating your need Policy provisions that raise or lower your premium, including COLA riders About me: I’m Tom Robinson, Ph.D., CPA, CFA, CFP®, CAIA, Faculty Director of the Financial Planning and Wealth Management program at George Mason University’s Costello College of Business. This video is for educational purposes only and is not financial, tax, insurance, or medical advice. Figures shown are for 2026 where noted and change every year. Subscribe for more on financial planning and wealth management:    / @proftomfinplan   #HealthInsurance #Medicare #HSA #PersonalFinance #CFP