Health-coverage information is only useful if you can trust it. This page explains where our information comes from, how we keep it current, and — just as important — what we deliberately do not do.
We are independent, and we sell nothing
- No products. We do not sell, broker, or recommend any insurance plan, and we earn no commission from any plan, insurer, or agent.
- No ads or affiliate links. There is no advertising on this site and no paid or affiliate links. Nothing you read is influenced by a sponsor.
- No data collection. We don't ask you to sign in or share personal information, and we don't track you across the web. See our Privacy Policy.
- Not affiliated with government or insurers. MediPrimer is an independent educational project. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or representing CMS, Medicare, Medicaid, the Social Security Administration, any state agency, or any insurance company.
Because we have nothing to sell, we can explain the tradeoffs plainly and point you to free, unbiased help instead of a sales line.
Where our information comes from
Our content is compiled from official, public government sources and checked against them, including:
- Medicare.gov and CMS.gov (the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services)
- Medicaid.gov and each state's official Medicaid and insurance agencies
- HealthCare.gov and Social Security
- The Federal Register for new rules and regulations
Where we describe how something works, we link the official source so you can verify it and see the current details yourself.
How we keep it accurate and current
- We don't hardcode figures that go stale. Program dollar amounts — premiums, deductibles, penalty amounts, income limits — change every year. Instead of printing a number that will be wrong next year, we explain how it works and link the official current figure.
- We watch for rule changes weekly. An automated process reviews new Medicare and Medicaid rules published in the Federal Register each week and updates our Policy & Rule Changes page and any affected pages, with a conservative bar: when in doubt, we leave it out until it's confirmed.
- We correct errors. If you find something wrong or out of date, it should be fixed — accuracy is the whole point of the site.
How we write
Plain language is a core standard. We aim to write member-facing pages at about an eighth-grade reading level, define any technical term the first time it appears, and use everyday words — without sacrificing accuracy. When a rule is genuinely complex or varies by state and plan, we say so rather than oversimplifying it.
What we do not do
MediPrimer provides general educational information only. We do not provide:
- Medical advice. We don't tell you what care to get. Talk to a licensed healthcare provider.
- Legal or financial advice. We don't interpret the law for your situation or tell you what to do. Consult a qualified professional.
- Plan recommendations. We explain the options and tradeoffs; we never tell you which specific plan to choose.
Program rules change and vary by state and plan. Always confirm the specifics with the official source and your own plan documents before acting. For free, unbiased help with your own situation, contact your State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP).
Who writes this
MediPrimer is edited by Kurt Hamm, who maintains every page on this site. Kurt has spent more than 25 years in enterprise technology, including work inside one of the nation's largest Medicaid and Medicare managed-care companies, helping build the systems that members and call-center agents use every day. He has served as a state-agency CIO and as Chief Administrative Officer of a state employment agency, where he ran call centers through the pandemic surge. A service-disabled veteran, he built MediPrimer because he has seen how confusing this system is from the inside — and believes someone should explain it plainly, with nothing to sell.
Content is written for a plain-language target enforced by an automated readability check, fact-checked against official sources (Medicare.gov, Medicaid.gov, CMS), and every page includes a last-reviewed date. MediPrimer receives no funding from health insurers, brokers, or benefits consultants, and no advertiser influences its independence.
Questions or corrections
If you spot an inaccuracy or something that's fallen out of date, that feedback is exactly what keeps a resource like this trustworthy. MediPrimer is maintained as an independent educational resource.