What Is A Health Insurance Rate? 
A health insurance rate is the total amount in dollars that an insurance company would charge you on a monthly basis for a particular set of health benefits . For example , it could be $ 175 or $ 400 per month , the number is a function of several factors but it simply translates the annual estimated cost & risk for providing health services and taking on the risk of future health problems or accidents you might have and gives you that figure on a monthly basis . In the era of government health insurance marketplaces and the role of advanced premium tax subsidies in helping persons purchase individual health insurance , be advised that depending upon you and your family 's income level you could qualify for a subsidy of your monthly premium costs and in some cases also qualify for reduced deductible and out-of-pocket expense exposure . If you are in this income range -LRB- and no small number of Americans fall somewhere within the subsidy income ranges -RRB- then the monthly premium most prominently displayed is the reduced premium you pay each month after your subsidy payment had been applied . In this context you are not paying the full premium for your health insurance and are being subsidized for some , in some cases all , amount of the true total premium cost of your health insurance plan . You will also want to look at your cost of insurance before any subsidy was applied so that this consumer understands the true total cost of the plan they selected . 