Your Questions, Answered.

Start Health is a reimbursement plan—not traditional insurance. We reimburse fixed amounts based on care received. This approach gives you the freedom to choose any provider, and shop for care that best fits your needs and budget by comparing providers’ cash prices with our reimbursement rates.

What makes Start Health unique is that it is designed to be HSA-eligible*, allowing you to pay for care tax-free through your Start HSA Card. This combination of flexibility, transparency, and savings creates an extraordinary benefit for our members.

A reimbursement plan, or fixed indemnity plan, is a type of health plan where you pay for care upfront—often at discounted cash rates—and then your health plan pays you back at set rates based on care received (regardless of your provider’s charges).

With Start Health, you pay for care on the date of service with your Start HSA Card or a payment method of choice, then submit your itemized bill for reimbursement.

Preventive care is reimbursed right away, and once your deductible is met, Start Health reimburses you directly. This approach puts you in control of your care, helping you choose where to go, pay less, and save more.

What makes Start Health unique is that it is designed to be HSA-eligible*, allowing you to pay for care tax-free through your Start HSA Card. 

Start Health is best suited for healthy individuals who want to lower their healthcare costs without sacrificing coverage. It’s particularly beneficial for those who do not qualify for significant subsidies through the marketplace and are looking for an affordable plan that provides comprehensive coverage, flexibility, and the ability to take advantage of tax-advantaged HSA savings.

Start Health is not the best fit for individuals who are managing ongoing health conditions, as we keep costs low by offering this plan to those in good overall health.

Start Health qualifies applicants based on a health questionnaire. Please refer to our medical questionnaire for more information on disqualifying medical conditions.

Start Health isn’t traditional insurance, so you won’t have an insurance ID card. You’re on a reimbursement plan that pays set rates based on care received (regardless of your provider’s charges).

Before your visit, we recommend calling providers to ask for their cash price for the care you need. This helps you compare costs and choose the best care at the best price. Remember, you can see any provider you want—there are no network restrictions.

Once you’ve selected a provider, you’ll pay for your care on the date of service using your Start HSA Card or any payment method you prefer. Be sure to request an itemized bill that includes details like CPT codes and diagnosis codes.

Then, submit this bill as an expense in your Member Portal within 90 days of the date of service to request reimbursement. Once approved, if you haven’t met your deductible, your reimbursement will be applied toward it. Once your deductible is met, reimbursements will be paid directly to you. Plus, preventive care is reimbursed to you pre-deductible.

Visit our How It Works page for more details.

Yes, your Start Health plan is designed to be HSA-eligible*. It meets IRS and Department of Insurance (DOI) requirements for High Deductible Health Plans (HDHPs), including covering preventive care pre-deductible. While our plan doesn’t follow the traditional out-of-pocket maximum structure, once your deductible is reached, Start reimburses 100% of eligible healthcare costs at our set rates. This design offers strong financial protection and meets the criteria for HSA eligibility, allowing you to contribute to and use a Health Savings Account.

To get reimbursed for an eligible medical expense under your Start Health plan, you will need to create your Start Member Account and get an itemized bill from your provider. Once you have done that, you will create an expense within your Member Portal and upload a picture of your itemized bill within 90 days of the date of service.

Note: Your itemized bill will need to include a certain level of detail about your visit which includes:

• Patient’s full name
• Provider’s name and address
• Date(s) of service
• Charge amount(s)
• CPT / Procedure code(s) (Also known as Service Code(s))
• Diagnoses code(s)
• Prescription drug(s) name, form, strength and dosage or NDC code

Once approved, your reimbursement will go toward your deductible if it’s not been met. After that, reimbursements go to you. Preventive care is reimbursed to you pre-deductible.

A notice of claim must be given within 90 days of the date of service to be eligible for reimbursement, as outlined in your policy. If you’re having trouble getting your full itemized bill in time, submit whatever you have so we can preserve your eligibility while you work with your provider. Even calling us to notify a medical event occurred works!

As of now, Start Health only reimburses by ACH transfer to the bank account on file, less any deductibles.

Yes, Start Health provides set reimbursement rates for pregnancy and birth-related care. However, if a member is pregnant at the time of renewal, they won’t be eligible to renew their plan, as pregnancy is considered a disqualifying condition. Members due to deliver after their Start Health coverage expires are encouraged to explore an ACA plan or another alternative until after the baby is born.

Learn more here.