Benefits Decoder

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Benefits Tools

Five tools for the coverage decisions that move real money. Each one runs in your browser and shows the arithmetic it used, so you can check it against your own plan documents.

True cost calculator

Compares two or three plans on what a full year costs you in total, then finds the break-even point where the cheaper premium stops winning.

Use it when
You have a benefits guide open and two plans that look similar.
You'll need
Premium, deductible, coinsurance and out-of-pocket max for each plan. All four sit on page 1 of any Summary of Benefits and Coverage.
Open

HSA vs FSA

Works out which account leaves you better off after tax, and how much of an FSA election you would forfeit at year end.

Use it when
Your employer offers both and you're deciding how much to put in.
You'll need
Your tax bracket, roughly what you expect to spend on care, and any employer HSA contribution. Uses the 2027 IRS limits.
Open

COBRA cost estimator

Shows what continuing your old employer plan costs at the statutory 102% of the full premium, and how that compares with a marketplace plan over the same months.

Use it when
You've left a job, or are about to, and the election notice has arrived.
You'll need
The full monthly premium from your election notice. If you don't have it, the tool estimates from what you were paying.
Open

Subsidy cliff checker

Tells you whether your expected income puts you over the 400% federal poverty level threshold, where premium tax credits stop entirely, and how much room you have either way.

Use it when
You buy your own coverage and want to know whether you still get help in 2027.
You'll need
Household size and your expected income for next year. Uses the poverty guidelines that govern 2027 coverage.
Open

401(k) match optimizer

Finds the exact contribution percentage that captures your full employer match, shows what a lower rate forfeits, and warns if your rate would hit the IRS limit before December and cost you match on the final paychecks.

Use it when
You are setting or reviewing your contribution rate, or you just started a job.
You'll need
Your salary and your employer's match formula, which sits in the retirement section of your benefits guide.
Open

Not sure which one

Your situationStart here
Open enrollment at work, several plans to choose fromTrue cost calculator
Deciding between a high-deductible plan and a traditional oneTrue cost calculator
Choosing how much to put in an HSA or FSAHSA vs FSA
Wondering whether an FSA election is too highHSA vs FSA
Just left a job, or about toCOBRA estimator
Comparing COBRA against buying your own coverageCOBRA estimator
Buying your own plan and wondering if you still get a subsidySubsidy cliff checker
Income near $64k single or $87k for a coupleSubsidy cliff checker
Setting your 401(k) contribution, or just started a job401(k) match optimizer
A whole benefits guide you don't want to readThe decoder

When a calculator isn't enough

A calculator only knows the numbers you give it, which means it only compares the plans you already thought to compare. Benefits Decoder reads the whole guide: every plan priced across three usage levels, real-life visits costed out, your 401(k) match worked through, and the benefits buried in the back that nobody reads.

Decode my benefits, $29 See a sample report

These calculators are educational. They do arithmetic on figures you enter and on published IRS and Department of Labor limits, cited on each page with the date last checked. They are not insurance, tax or legal advice, and they don't know your network, your prescriptions or your full tax picture. Your plan documents govern.