Oct 6, 2026 · 16 min
A spreadsheet can reveal your cheapest health plan
It's open enrollment season. Here's how to make the best decision for you
Choosing coverage involves more than the monthly premium, and a structured comparison can expose the plan that best fits expected care and tax benefits.
- 1Plan costs depend on premiums, deductibles, copays, coinsurance, networks, and out-of-pocket maximums.
- 2HMOs, PPOs, and high-deductible plans trade provider flexibility and upfront costs differently.
- 3HSAs and FSAs offer tax advantages, but eligibility, portability, rollovers, and spending rules differ.
Don't miss
The episode turns plan selection into a spreadsheet exercise that estimates annual costs from expected care, coverage rules, tax savings, and employer contributions.
The brief
Open enrollment decisions get harder when premiums obscure the rest of the bill. The episode defines deductibles, copays, coinsurance, and out-of-pocket maximums before comparing plans.
HMOs, PPOs, and high-deductible plans make different tradeoffs around provider networks, referrals, preventive care, premiums, and upfront spending. The right choice depends on expected healthcare needs.
HSAs and FSAs can reduce taxable income and pay eligible medical expenses, but their rules diverge on eligibility, contribution limits, portability, rollovers, and investment potential.
Cindy Greenfield and Akiva Ellis help frame the decision as a calculation rather than a guess: list expected services, compare plan costs, and include tax savings and employer HSA contributions.
The standout advice is simple and concrete: build a spreadsheet estimating total annual costs across plans, using actual care needs instead of the premium alone.