Published: Thursday, July 1, 2010
Federal website helps to find health insurance options
WASHINGTON — The federal government has launched a new website that’s aimed at taking the guesswork out of finding a health care plan. Late on Wednesday night, the Department of Health and Human Services unveiled HealthCare.gov, a website that’s dedicated to helping people navigate their health insurance options and understand the provisions in the recently passed health care reform law.
The website was a requirement listed in the health care law passed in March and the agency had to get the site running by its July 1 deadline. In October, the website will launch a tool that lets people compare pricing of various insurance policy plans they qualify for, a feature that’s receiving backlash from some large insurance companies.
Last month, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s Washington-based lobbying arm, sent a letter to Health and Human Services voicing concerns with the insurance plan information that may be listed in the upcoming feature. For example, the agency asked insurance companies for data about how many claims its health plans deny.
“Providing information about claims denials without providing proper context does not begin to tell the whole story,” said AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach, who said claims are often denied because a provider sent a duplicate claim or submitted a claim to the wrong health plan.
Currently, the website has a feature that lets people find the public and private health insurance options available to them based on their circumstances and state they live in. After the user completes a short survey about themselves, the tool lists the various health care options they may qualify for.
The site also addresses confusion people may have about what has changed since the health care reform law passed. There’s a two minute video explaining the reforms in the law and the site has a tab on the homepage that’s dedicated to providing deeper information about the law.
The website also has its own Twitter account — (at)healthcaregov — which had almost 250 followers as of this morning.
“The site makes a system that thrived on complication and confusion easier to understand,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the White House blog. “This kind of transparency helps create informed consumers which increases competition, reduces prices and improves quality.”
The website was a requirement listed in the health care law passed in March and the agency had to get the site running by its July 1 deadline. In October, the website will launch a tool that lets people compare pricing of various insurance policy plans they qualify for, a feature that’s receiving backlash from some large insurance companies.
Last month, America’s Health Insurance Plans, the industry’s Washington-based lobbying arm, sent a letter to Health and Human Services voicing concerns with the insurance plan information that may be listed in the upcoming feature. For example, the agency asked insurance companies for data about how many claims its health plans deny.
“Providing information about claims denials without providing proper context does not begin to tell the whole story,” said AHIP spokesman Robert Zirkelbach, who said claims are often denied because a provider sent a duplicate claim or submitted a claim to the wrong health plan.
Currently, the website has a feature that lets people find the public and private health insurance options available to them based on their circumstances and state they live in. After the user completes a short survey about themselves, the tool lists the various health care options they may qualify for.
The site also addresses confusion people may have about what has changed since the health care reform law passed. There’s a two minute video explaining the reforms in the law and the site has a tab on the homepage that’s dedicated to providing deeper information about the law.
The website also has its own Twitter account — (at)healthcaregov — which had almost 250 followers as of this morning.
“The site makes a system that thrived on complication and confusion easier to understand,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on the White House blog. “This kind of transparency helps create informed consumers which increases competition, reduces prices and improves quality.”
Story tags »
• Federal • Health insuranceRelated
- Conservatives shrug at Obama's birth control rewrite 2/11/12
- Under fire, Obama adjusts his birth control policy (Video) 2/10/12
- Millions of young adults benefit from health care reform 12/14/11
- Health Squeeze: Britain's free health care under threat 12/11/11
- Some myths on Obamacare in GOP campaign 11/4/11
- Support slips away for health care reform, poll says 10/29/11
- Obama appeals health reform setback to high court 9/28/11
- Major court decision coming soon on health care reform 9/24/11
- Percentage of uninsured young adults falls, survey finds 9/21/11
Comments
(
