Starting your very first job? Your new employer should provide you with a notice of your health coverage options and retirement plan. Consider enrolling in your employer's benefit plans. If your employer offers more than one health plan option – an HMO plan, a preferred provider option, and a fee-for-service plan, for example – compare each to your needs and preferences before making a decision. Ask for copies of two key documents – the Summary Plan Description (SPD) and the Summary of Benefits and Coverage (SBC) – to get details about covered benefits and costs. Find out what type of plan you have, how it works, and what eligibility requirements you may have to meet. Know what portion of your premium and costs you will pay, how much they will be, and who to talk to if you have questions.

Another option to consider is enrolling in coverage through the Health Insurance Marketplace (Marketplace). The Marketplace offers health insurance plans that provide comprehensive health coverage that present their price and benefit information in an SBC so you can make comparisons. Keep in mind that with most job-based health insurance plans, your employer pays part of your premiums. If you pick a Marketplace plan instead, the employer usually doesn’t contribute to your premiums.

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Retirement