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NPR News and Kaiser Health News report
posted July 2, 2010
Consumers shopping for health insurance got some as of July 1 with the launch of www.healthcare.gov.
The health law Congress sought the site, which advocates say will make it easier to shop for a plan.
We’ll be able to see options available where we live, compare costs, and determine if they qualify for a government program.
Federal health officials say the site will work as a bridge (www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/June/23/hhs-web-portal-health-insurance.aspx) to help consumers until 2014, when the new health insurance exchanges - the marketplaces to make it easier for consumers and small business to buy insurance - kick in.
Here's a short Q&A on the new Web site:
What's on the site?
Currently, it has a basic list of all private health plans accepting new customers, by state and ZIP code. It has data on government programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare and high-risk pools that provide coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. It has coverage options for small businesses, such as tax-credit programs in the health law. You can compare quality of care at hospitals, learn about the health overhaul law, and get health prevention tips.
In October, a more comprehensive version of the site will be posted with extensive benefit and pricing data, including premiums, deductibles, and coverage limitations. Eventually, the site will have performance data on the plans, such as what percentage of claims the plans reject, how much the plans' premium revenue is spent on healthcare, and the number of times patients appeal coverage decisions.
How is this site different from existing online insurance brokers such as eHealthInsurance?
The federal site lists all available private health and government health insurance programs. EHealthInsurance lists only selected plans and doesn’t list government plans.
Can I sign up for a plan directly from the federal site?
No, there’s no enrollment feature for private health insurance on the site; it provides the health plans' web links/phone numbers so consumers can contact a plan directly to apply.
How does the site work?
The site takes you through a checklist: state, age range, disability, healthy, or have a medical condition. The site asks if you’re losing coverage from work, or if you have any coverage. Then, you're given the choice to learn more about private health plans, along with other options, such as Medicare, Medicaid, COBRA, and the high-risk insurance pools being set up by states and the federal government for those who haven’t been able to get insurance due to preexisting medical conditions. You enter your ZIP code to get a list of plans in your area.
What does the site tell me about the private health plans?
It has plans' contact data, including website links and customer service telephone contacts. The site links to a summary of the plan's benefits and the provider network so you can check if your doctors are there. You can locate the drug coverage offered by the plans.
What changes in 2014, when more of the health law kicks in?
Most of the functions of the new site will be taken over by state-based insurance exchanges, which will have their own sites to help consumers shop for coverage.
Federal health officials say the site will work as a bridge (www.kaiserhealthnews.org/Stories/2010/June/23/hhs-web-portal-health-insurance.aspx) to help consumers until 2014, when the new health insurance exchanges - the marketplaces to make it easier for consumers and small business to buy insurance - kick in.
Here's a short Q&A on the new Web site:
What's on the site?
Currently, it has a basic list of all private health plans accepting new customers, by state and ZIP code. It has data on government programs, such as Medicaid and Medicare and high-risk pools that provide coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. It has coverage options for small businesses, such as tax-credit programs in the health law. You can compare quality of care at hospitals, learn about the health overhaul law, and get health prevention tips.
In October, a more comprehensive version of the site will be posted with extensive benefit and pricing data, including premiums, deductibles, and coverage limitations. Eventually, the site will have performance data on the plans, such as what percentage of claims the plans reject, how much the plans' premium revenue is spent on healthcare, and the number of times patients appeal coverage decisions.
How is this site different from existing online insurance brokers such as eHealthInsurance?
The federal site lists all available private health and government health insurance programs. EHealthInsurance lists only selected plans and doesn’t list government plans.
Can I sign up for a plan directly from the federal site?
No, there’s no enrollment feature for private health insurance on the site; it provides the health plans' web links/phone numbers so consumers can contact a plan directly to apply.
How does the site work?
The site takes you through a checklist: state, age range, disability, healthy, or have a medical condition. The site asks if you’re losing coverage from work, or if you have any coverage. Then, you're given the choice to learn more about private health plans, along with other options, such as Medicare, Medicaid, COBRA, and the high-risk insurance pools being set up by states and the federal government for those who haven’t been able to get insurance due to preexisting medical conditions. You enter your ZIP code to get a list of plans in your area.
What does the site tell me about the private health plans?
It has plans' contact data, including website links and customer service telephone contacts. The site links to a summary of the plan's benefits and the provider network so you can check if your doctors are there. You can locate the drug coverage offered by the plans.
What changes in 2014, when more of the health law kicks in?
Most of the functions of the new site will be taken over by state-based insurance exchanges, which will have their own sites to help consumers shop for coverage.