Millions of us now have health insurance under the Affordable Care Act, or what some people call Obamacare. But like many things in life, your health insurance can often be confusing and complicated. Whether youve been insured for years or youre new to the game, understanding your policyis important to your health. . . and your wallet. First things first, you have to pay your premium every month or your insurance could get cancelled- kind of like your cable subscription.

You can also think of it like a shared health care piggy bank -- we all chip in each month,even if were healthy, so the money is there when we need it. If you get insurance at work, your employer probably pays most of your premium and therest comes out of your paycheck automatically. If you have Medicaid, you most likely dont have to pay any premium at all -- the federalgovernment and your state take care of that.

What is Health Insurance? Health Insurance Explained!

 

If youre insured through a new health insurance marketplace, depending on your income, youmay be eligible for a tax credit that pays a portion of your premium. Once you have that shiny new insurance card, youll want to try really hard to keep itin your wallet! To better your odds at staying healthy, be sure to take advantage of the free preventiveservices that all new insurance