Evidence and publishing standards
Editorial policy
Primary sources, explicit uncertainty, exact plan identity, and no invented expertise or outcomes.
Source hierarchy
What we use first
- Controlling record. Current law, official notice, live Marketplace result, policy, SBC, directory, formulary, or program document.
- Government and program source. CMS, HealthCare.gov, Medicaid.gov, Medicare.gov, IRS, Department of Labor, HHS, or a state exchange or agency.
- Issuer source. Used for exact product identity, plan documents, network, formulary, and current contact information.
- Secondary context. Used only when clearly attributed and not as a substitute for eligibility, coverage, or plan facts.
Writing and updating
Pages should answer a defined visitor question, distinguish general rules from plan-specific facts, state what cannot be concluded, and link the source needed for the next action. Update dates reflect substantive review or change, not an automatic timestamp.
YMYL safeguards
We do not invent reviewers, license numbers, ratings, quotes, savings, availability, provider participation, study results, or user experiences. We do not name a universal best plan. Eligibility, claim, tax, legal, and medical conclusions are left to the responsible official process or qualified professional.
Commercial independence
Editorial ordering is not sold. If advertising, sponsorship, or referral compensation is introduced later, it must be labeled and kept separate from the comparison method.
Corrections
Factual corrections should identify the page, statement, source, and date. Material corrections should be reflected promptly and documented on the corrections page when useful to readers.