Which health plan really costs less?
It's open enrollment. The cheapest premium isn't always the cheapest plan. Put in your two options from the benefits site and see what each one costs you in a real year.
Which plan wins when
Nobody knows what next year brings. Here is each plan in a quiet, normal and rough year.
Why the premium doesn't tell you much
The premium is the only number most people compare. It's also the only one you're sure to pay. The rest depends on your year.
A high deductible sounds scary. But you skip the bigger premium every month, and that money can go into an HSA.
An HSA is tax-free going in, growing and coming out for medical costs. Unused money stays yours, even if you change jobs.
Three moves before the deadline
Your insurer's site shows what you used last year. That tells you if you're a quiet, normal or rough year.
Check the out-of-pocket max. If you pick the high deductible, keep at least that much in savings or the HSA.
Set it up through payroll so it skips income tax and payroll tax. Then pay your medical bills from it.
How this is calculated
Your year's cost is 12 months of premium plus what you pay for care: everything up to the deductible, then your share after it, never more than the out-of-pocket max. A quiet year is $500 of care, normal is $3,000 and rough is $40,000.
Plan B subtracts the employer's HSA money, which is yours to keep. With the tax break on, the bills you pay from your own payroll HSA contributions cost about 29.65% less: 22% income tax plus 7.65% Social Security and Medicare. 2026 HSA limits are $4,400 for yourself and $8,750 for a family, including what your employer puts in.
It's a yardstick, not your benefits guide. Copays, family deductibles and network rules vary by plan. Nothing you type leaves your browser.