How to pick a good plan

In 2014, the major provisions of the new health-care law kick in. Insurers will be required to offer comprehensive plans and accept all customers regardless of any preexisting conditions. All Americans will be required to have health coverage (subsidized for lower-income households) except in cases of severe financial hardship.
Until then, though, insurers can operate by many of the old rules. You'll want to avoid plans that are thin on coverage, exclude certain services or refuse to publicly report on consumer satisfaction and health-care outcomes.
Here are ways to evaluate a health-insurance plan:
l Make sure everything's covered. Insurance should cover hospitalization, doctor visits, emergency services, diagnostic tests and prescription drugs. Verify that there are no major exclusions listed.
l Ask your employer. Your human resources department may be able to help you choose an appropriate plan.

l Consult HealthCare.gov, a site managed by the federal government. Some 5,500 products from about 1,000 insurers are listed by state. The site is scheduled to add cost information and plan-comparison tools as of October.

l Run the numbers. With the employee share of group insurance continuing to rise, your job is to select a health-insurance plan that balances cost, coverage and quality of care. One basic trade-off to consider is this: A higher deductible or out-of-pocket limit can lower your monthly premium.