FinanceFirst | Real cost of health insurance | v1.0
Research cutoff: November 7, 2026. United States. Currency: nominal USD.

observations.csv: selected published 2026 KFF aggregates, not respondent microdata.
plan-inputs.csv/json: invented one-person terms, not market averages or offers.
scenarios.csv: full-year modeled results, not an expected-cost forecast.
early-bill.csv: service-only liability and cash after the stated available deposit.
derived-results.json: arithmetic from observations and scenario results.
reproduce.py: Python 3 standard-library script. Run beside plan-inputs.json.
It writes scenarios-reproduced.csv and early-bill-reproduced.csv.

S(X)=min(M,min(X,D)+c*max(X-D,0)). Gross=P+S; adjusted=P+S-E.
X=covered allowed charges, D=deductible, c=member coinsurance, M=maximum,
P=annual worker premium, E=received/owned employer HSA contribution.
No copays, separate drug rules, taxes, fees, returns, family rules, partial years,
price/network differences or excluded care. HSA eligibility is assumed, not tested.
Do not add deductible again to the applicable maximum. Own HSA transfers are not
an employer subsidy. Available cash and economic cost are different quantities.
No probabilities, confidence intervals or insurer ranking are implied.

Sources and methodology: https://financefirst.co/reports/real-cost-of-health-insurance
KFF 2026 survey: https://www.kff.org/health-costs/2026-employer-health-benefits-survey/
Source publication: October 22, 2026; retrieved November 7, 2026.
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https://financefirst.co/terms-of-service . Suggested attribution: FinanceFirst,
version 1.0. Retain hypothetical labels and the source/methodology route.
Underlying KFF data and other third-party content are not relicensed by
FinanceFirst. AI-assisted illustrations are not included in the package.
