What is health insurance?
Health insurance is way to help pay for medical care. Think of it as a back-up plan for your health and your money.
You pay a set amount of money each month (called a premium), and in return, your insurance helps cover big and small medical costs like:
- Doctor visits
- Emergency room trips
- Hospital stays
- Prescriptions
- Surgeries or broken bones
Medical care can be expensive. Health insurance helps make those costs more predictable and affordable.
Some key terms to know:
Health insurance has its own vocabulary. Here are some basics:
- Premium: The amount you pay every month to have insurance (even if you don’t use it).
- Deductible: The amount you have to pay on your own before your insurance starts helping pay
- Co-pay (copayment): A small, set fee you pay when you go to the doctor or pick up medicine.
- Network: A list of doctors and hospitals that work with your insurance. Staying “in-network” usually costs less.
Health Insurance Options for Young People:
If you’re between 12-21, you might have a few different ways to get covered.
- Staying on a Parent or Guardian’s Plan
Because of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), you can stay on a parent or guardian's health insurance plan until you turn 26.
This is true even if you:
- Go to college
- Have a job
- Get married
- Have a child
💛 One thing to think about:
If you move out of state, your parents’ plan might not cover regular care where you live.
Privacy tip: If you use your parent’s insurance for sexual and reproductive health services, they might receive paperwork about the visit. In some cases, you can request confidential communication so insurance sends information directly to you instead. Make sure to ask during your check-in visit.
- Student Health Insurance (College Plans)
If you’re in college, your school might offer a Student Health Insurance Plan (sometimes called SHIP).
These plans
- Are often affordable
- Let you sign up before each term
- May only cover you during the school year
Before signing up, check:
- Are your current doctors in-network?
- Are you covered during summer break?
- What services are included?
Each college plan is different, so read the details carefully.
- Insurance Through a Job
Some jobs offer health insurance as a benefit. This is called employer-sponsored insurance. Usually, you pay part of the monthly premium, and your employer pays the rest.
If you’re working, it’s worth asking HR or your manager if health benefits are available.
If you live in California and don’t make much income, you might qualify for Medi-Cal. Medical is California’s version of affordable care. Medi-Cal coverage if you are under 26 and used to be in foster care. It offers:
- Free or low-cost coverage
- Doctor visits
- Prescriptions
- Mental health care
- Sexual and reproductive health services
- Birth control, pregnancy tests, STI testing + treatment
- Pregnancy-related care and abortion care
In California, young people ages 12+ can access certain sexual and reproductive health services confidentially, even without parent permission.
- Family PACT
If you don’t have insurance and can’t pay on your own. California’s family planning program, Family PACT helps teens access many sexual and reproductive health services like:
- Pregnancy tests
- Prescription birth control
- STI testing + treatment
- Mental health counseling
The services provided under FamilyPACT are confidential. You can sign up for Family PACt at a clinic near you. To find a provider call 800-952-1054 or go to familypact.org.
✨Don’t let the cost of health services keep you from visiting a clinic. Teens in CA have the right to free to low-cost medical care.
Health insurance can feel confusing at first, and that is completely normal. But understanding your options helps you in so many ways. Take your time and compare your options. If you don’t know something advocate for yourself and ask questions. Your health and choices are important.