Browsers beware: The estimated monthly premiums on HealthCare.gov may be misleading. The troubled federal website allows visitors to anonymously surf the site for exchange plans sold in their areas and provides them with estimated prices for each health plan. (Just click on the "See Plans Now" button on the homepage and follow instructions.) But here's the problem: The monthly premium estimates provided on the website do not consider a person's specific age, household size or tobacco use – all critical factors when estimating premiums. HealthCare.gov visitors using the site's window-shopping tool are repeatedly told that "the final premium you pay may be lower, perhaps much lower, than the prices shown" once they fill out an application and apply for government subsidies.
