About this project
Why I built Benefit Explainer
I recently had to understand explanations of benefits — and the broader health insurance system — in much more depth than I expected.
In an attempt to give something back, I’ve tried to capture some of what I learnt in this app and make the next person’s insurance paperwork a little easier to understand.
Because EOBs often contain personal health information, Benefit Explainer currently asks for plan documents only. Please don’t upload an EOB, claim statement, or other document containing personal information.
Resources I found useful
These explainers helped me get oriented. They’re a good place to check the meaning of a term or understand how the pieces of an EOB fit together.
- How to read an explanation of benefits Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (opens in a new tab) A clear walkthrough of the usual sections and amounts on an EOB.
- Health insurance terms you should know Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (opens in a new tab) Plain-language definitions for deductibles, copayments, coinsurance, networks, and more.
- Health Care Bills: Explanation of Benefits National Association of Insurance Commissioners (opens in a new tab) An annotated example and tips for comparing an EOB with a provider bill.
- Summary of Benefits and Coverage HealthCare.gov (opens in a new tab) How to use the standard summary that makes health plans easier to compare.
Found something wrong?
Insurance is complicated, and I want this to be accurate. If anything strikes you as wrong or unclear, please let me know at [email protected].