Hi Arielle,

Thanks for writing to us. Congratulations on the job offer! Now that you have been offered the job, and hopefully have a good understanding of the benefits they do and don’t provide (things like vacation time, retirement plans, etc.), you can really weigh your options. And as a cancer survivor, understanding what your health insurance coverage will look like is critical. Given that your new company doesn’t offer health insurance, learning more about marketplace plans is a great place to start. I would recommend watching our 2018 ‘Health Insurance Options’ webinar for an overview of what you should consider when shopping for a plan on the marketplace, including how to understand pricing options: https://www.cancerandcareers.org/en/healthcare-professionals/presentation-archive/2018edserieshealthinsuranceoptions.

Additionally, healthcare.gov, the federal government website that operates the Health Insurance Marketplace, outlines the three things to know before making a decision: https://www.healthcare.gov/choose-a-plan/comparing-plans/.

Our content partner, Triage Cancer, also has a helpful ‘Health Insurance Basics’ webinar (https://vimeo.com/240739864) as well as a location resource directory that includes pertinent health insurance information by state: https://triagecancer.org/resources/stateresources. If you have additional questions as you review those resources, please feel free to email Triage Cancer at info@triagecancer.org.

I hope this is helpful. If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at cancerandcareers@cew.org or 646-929-8032.

Kind regards, 
Nicole Franklin, MPH 
Senior Manager of Programs 
Cancer and Careers