Frequently Asked Questions

Anyone with U.S. health insurance who wants help understanding claims, bills, denials, costs, or which plan to choose during open enrollment. mhico helps make sure no one overpays, with privacy built in and users in control.

No. mhico helps you understand your insurance, claims, and coverage in plain language. It does not provide medical advice, diagnoses, legal advice, or guarantees.

Yes. Your data is end-to-end encrypted with AES-256 at rest and TLS in transit, is never sold or used for advertising, and is never used to train AI models. AI responses run under a signed HIPAA Business Associate Agreement. See our privacy and security tips for practical steps you can take to protect your account.

The AI companion is configured with accurate knowledge of U.S. health insurance regulations, standard billing and coding practices, and how coverage rules are applied by insurers in practice. Its explanations reflect how the system actually works, not general guesses. When you connect your health plan, it also draws on your actual benefits and claims data for more precise answers. As with any tool, we recommend using mhico as a starting point and verifying important decisions with your insurer or a licensed professional.

No. We never make automatic submissions to insurers. We can help you draft appeal and dispute letters, but you stay in control and decide what to send.

Yes. You can close your account and request deletion of all your data at any time. See our Privacy Policy for full details.

mhico follows the FTC Health Breach Notification Rule and state breach laws. If a breach ever affects you, we notify you without unreasonable delay and no later than 60 days after we discover it, explain in plain language what happened and how to protect yourself, and notify regulators as required. If you think your account has been broken into, email julia@mhico.ai right away. See Section 10.2 of our Privacy Policy for details.

Email us any time at julia@mhico.ai. Use the same address for general questions, privacy or deletion requests, and to report an AI answer that looks inaccurate, biased, or harmful so we can review it. We reply to privacy questions and complaints within 5 business days and give a full answer within 30 days. In a medical emergency, call 911.

Insurance glossary

The terms you'll see on bills, EOBs, and plan documents - in plain English.

Allowed amount
The discounted price your insurer and provider agreed on. Your costs are based on this, not the full billed amount.
Billed amount (charged)
The full price your provider lists before any insurance discount. Almost no one actually pays this.
Claim
The request your provider sends your insurer after a visit, asking to be paid.
Coinsurance
Your share of a cost as a percentage (for example, 20%), usually after you've met your deductible.
Copay
A flat fee you pay for a service, like $30 for a doctor visit.
Coordination of benefits
The rules for which plan pays first when you're covered by more than one.
Deductible
The amount you pay yourself each year before your plan starts paying its share.
EOB (Explanation of Benefits)
A summary from your insurer showing how a claim was handled. It is not a bill. Learn how to read it.
Formulary
The list of drugs your plan covers, usually sorted into price tiers.
HSA / FSA
Tax-free accounts you can use to pay for healthcare. HSAs pair with high-deductible plans.
In-network / out-of-network
Whether a provider has a contract with your plan. Out-of-network care usually costs much more.
Out-of-pocket maximum
The most you'll pay in a year. After you reach it, your plan covers 100% of covered care.
Patient responsibility
The part of a claim you owe. On an EOB, this is the number that should match your bill.
Preferred / non-preferred drug
Whether a drug is on your plan's lower-cost list (preferred) or its higher-cost list that may need approval (non-preferred).
Premium
What you pay every month to have the plan, even if you never use any care.
Prior authorization
Approval your plan must give before it will cover certain services or drugs.