It’s that time of year. A benefits packet lands in your inbox (or you log in to the Marketplace), and you’re staring at three or four plans with names like “Gold PPO 1500” and “HSA Advantage 5000.” Most of us do one of two things: pick whatever we had last year, or pick the one with the lowest paycheck deduction and hope for the best.
Neither is stewardship. Health insurance is one of the largest checks most families write each year. It deserves the same care you’d give a mortgage decision. So today we’ve created a free side-by-side calculator for open enrollment and the Marketplace, so you can see what each plan really costs in a light, normal, or rough year.
The mistake almost everyone makes
The premium is only part of the price. What a plan actually costs you in a year is:
Premiums + what you pay for care − what your employer and the tax code give back
A plan that looks cheap on your paycheck can cost thousands more once your kid breaks an arm. A plan with a scary deductible can turn out cheapest of all once you count lower premiums, an employer HSA deposit, and the tax savings on your own HSA contributions. You can’t know until you run the numbers across a few realistic years. That’s what the calculator below does.
And the goal isn’t only to find the cheapest plan in an average year. A wise steward also asks, “If this turns out to be our hardest year, can we handle it?” The prudent see danger coming and prepare for it (Proverbs 22:3).
Gather five numbers for each plan
Every health plan is required to give you a Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC). It’s a standardized document, so the numbers are easy to find. For each plan you’re considering, write down:
- Premium: your share, per paycheck or per month. On the Marketplace, use the price after your premium tax credit.
- Deductible: what you pay before the plan starts sharing costs.
- Coinsurance: your percentage after the deductible (often 20%).
- Out-of-pocket maximum: the most you’ll pay for covered, in-network care in a year. This is your worst case.
- Copays and HSA details: office visit and prescription copays (if any), whether the plan is HSA-eligible, and whether your employer puts money into your HSA or HRA.
If you’re covering a family, use the family deductible and family out-of-pocket max.
Run your plans through the calculator
Enter your household info, add your plans, and adjust the three sample years to look like your family’s life. The results update as you type.
Health Plan Comparison Calculator
Compare up to four plans side by side and see what each would really cost you in a light, typical, and heavy healthcare year.
1Your household
2The plans you’re choosing between
Every number here is on each plan’s Summary of Benefits and Coverage. Use in-network figures, and the family amounts if you’re covering a family. Leave a copay blank if that service goes toward the deductible instead.
3What might your year look like?
We’ve filled in typical numbers. Adjust them to fit your household. “Other medical costs” is anything that isn’t an office visit or prescription: labs, imaging, urgent care, the ER, surgery, having a baby.
| Low year | Normal year | High year |
|---|
4Your results
| Total yearly cost | Low | Normal | High | Worst case |
|---|
Total yearly cost = premiums + your share of care − employer HSA/HRA money − HSA tax savings. “Worst case” assumes you hit the out-of-pocket max.
Where does each plan win?
Your total cost as medical bills rise (assuming those bills run through the deductible). Lower is better. Where the lines cross is your break-even point.
For education only, not insurance, tax, or medical advice. Results are estimates that ignore network differences, out-of-network care, embedded family deductibles, and drug tiers. 2027 HSA limits: $4,500 self-only, $9,000 family, +$1,000 at 55+. Built by Abraham’s Wallet.
How to read your results
- Look at all three columns, not just “Normal.” If one plan wins in every scenario, that’s an easy call. If the winner flips, look at the break-even point and ask honestly which side of it your family usually lands on. Planned surgery, a pregnancy, or an ongoing condition should push you toward the high-year view.
- Check the worst case against your emergency fund. A high-deductible plan can be the smartest choice on paper and still be the wrong choice if a big bill would end up on a credit card. If you pick the plan with the higher out-of-pocket max, build cash (or HSA savings) to cover the gap.
- The HSA only helps if you actually fund it. The tax savings in the calculator assume you contribute the amount you entered. If that money won’t really come out of your budget, turn off “Count HSA tax savings” and see whether the answer changes.
- Don’t trade away your doctors to save $300. The calculator assumes in-network care. Confirm that your doctors, hospital, and prescriptions are covered by each plan before you decide.
Why the HSA is such a big deal
A Health Savings Account is the only account in the tax code with a triple advantage: contributions go in tax-free, growth is tax-free, and withdrawals for medical expenses are tax-free. Unlike an FSA, it’s yours to keep, and it can be invested. For a family that cash-flows routine medical bills and lets the HSA grow, it can become a meaningful second retirement account over 20 or 30 years. That’s the multigenerational thinking we love here.
Two 2026 changes made HSAs available to more families. Marketplace Bronze and Catastrophic plans now count as HSA-eligible, even if they don’t meet the traditional high-deductible rules. And a direct primary care membership no longer disqualifies you from contributing.
The 2027 numbers to know
| Self-only | Family | |
|---|---|---|
| HSA contribution limit (employer + you combined) | $4,500 | $9,000 |
| Extra catch-up contribution, age 55+ | $1,000 | |
| Minimum deductible for an HSA-eligible employer plan | $1,750 | $3,500 |
| Max out-of-pocket for an HSA-eligible plan | $8,700 | $17,400 |
| ACA out-of-pocket ceiling for most plans | $12,000 | $24,000 |
One thing to watch on the Marketplace this year: some 2027 Bronze plans are allowed to set their out-of-pocket max above the normal ceiling, up to $15,600 for an individual. Read the SBC carefully and run the high-year scenario before you choose one.
What the calculator doesn’t capture
No tool can see everything. Keep these in mind:
- Networks and drug formularies. A plan is only as good as the doctors and medications it covers.
- Embedded family deductibles. Many family plans also have a per-person deductible, so one family member’s big year can cost less than the calculator shows.
- Out-of-network and non-covered care. These usually don’t count toward your out-of-pocket max.
- Cost-sharing reductions. If your income qualifies for extra savings on a Marketplace Silver plan, enter the reduced deductible and out-of-pocket max shown for you.
- HRAs vs. HSAs. Employer HRA money can only reimburse expenses you actually have. HSA money is yours either way. The calculator handles each one accordingly.
Run your home like a steward
Your family’s health is one of its greatest assets, and money is only one of the five capitals we care about. A good health plan decision buys more than savings. It buys peace of mind, so that when the hard year comes, your family can focus on each other and not the bills.
Take twenty minutes this week, gather the SBCs, and run your plans through the calculator. Then make the decision together as a household, with your eyes open.
This article and calculator are for educational purposes only and are not insurance, tax, legal, or medical advice. Plan details vary, and results are estimates based on the information you enter. Confirm coverage details with your plan or benefits administrator, and talk with a qualified professional about your specific situation.
