Stride, which operates only in California but hopes to expand, pumps out its recommendations using algorithms based on earlier customer feedback, proprietary information from insurers, and government data. This approach builds on a business model spearheaded by a company called eHealthInsurance, which has been around more than 10 years and helps guide consumer decisions using data collected from insurers and customers through its own platform.

Stride’s algorithms compare personal data consumers provide — such as age, gender, illnesses, medications, doctors they want to see and smoking habits — against information troves that include the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s drug database and claims data collected by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Then it spits out a list of plans that may suit your needs. The top pick is labeled as “best plan,” and the next as “runner up.” Stride also gives consumers the option of going without insurance, but labels this a “risky move” that carries a federal fine. That option wouldn’t make the company any money, but CEO Noah Lang says it’s important to give consumers a full range of choices.

The system lets users see which plans their specific doctors accept and how scenarios like sports injuries, heart attacks, or asthma might affect their out-of-pocket costs. Stride updates the cost estimates — and rankings — for each plan as consumers play with their preferences and put in more information. “They’ve used data sets that have been out there for a while and built them into an incredibly useful consumer application,” says Bryan Sivak, chief technology officer at the Department of Health and Human Services. “How many times have we signed up for various insurance plans without knowing what we were getting into beyond the monthly premium? They’re just at the tip of the iceberg on this.”