No universal score or paid ranking
Plan comparison methodology
A reproducible method built around exact plan documents, official live results, transparent cost boundaries, and unresolved-question tracking.
HealthCoverUSA compares plan evidence across five dimensions: eligibility route, total cost, provider access, prescription access, and plan rules. No single dimension is converted into a universal score.
The method is designed to be reproducible. A reader should be able to identify the exact plan, repeat each source check, see which facts remain unknown, and understand why a plan was retained or eliminated.
| Dimension | Required evidence | Not accepted as proof |
|---|---|---|
| Official availability | Live Marketplace, employer, or program result | National carrier footprint or old article |
| Total cost | Net premium, plan cost sharing, limits, transparent scenarios | Premium alone or a national average |
| Provider access | Exact directory plus confirmation for critical providers | Carrier name alone |
| Prescriptions | Exact formulary, drug, dose, tier, pharmacy, restrictions | “Prescription coverage included” |
| Rules and protection | SBC and detailed policy | Marketing summary |
Cost scenarios without false precision
The annual premium floor is the net monthly premium multiplied by 12. A known-care scenario adds only documented recurring services or prescriptions. A simple protection boundary adds the in-network out-of-pocket limit to annual premium and labels costs that can sit outside it. These are comparison devices, not spending predictions.
Carrier, state, and local pages
Carrier pages are research checklists, not rankings. State pages identify the official 2026 Marketplace route and never infer local plan availability from a statewide brand. Local pages require the actual ZIP code and official Marketplace results; they do not claim that a carrier, network, price, or plan is available from the city name alone.
Verification links