A new website has been launched to help consumers find the best health insurance options available to them. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has activated the HealthCare.gov website; the site is designed to provide clear, jargonfree information, including a consumerfriendly tool that will help individuals and small businesses navigate the complicated process of shopping for health insurance.
“We’ve passed a comprehensive health care reform bill that will make affordable health insurance available to every American by 2014, but the law will only work if people understand how it benefits them,” said Congressman Jim Oberstar. “Thisis an excellent tool for people to use to find out how the new law will benefit them and to quickly find information about the insurance plans offered in their states.”
Thecore of the new website is the powerful insurance options finder. After consumers input a few pieces of background information – such as state, age range, and current insurance status – the tool will generate a list of both private and public health insurance options. The tool will list details of insurance plans offered in that state and include contact information for each company so consumers can contact the companies that best fit their needs. Beginning in October, the tool will also include pricing information, further simplifying health insurance shopping.
“While the technology is impressive, I am most pleased to see that the website is written in plain English; there is a lot of information, but it is presented in a manner that is easy to understand,” said Oberstar.
The insurance options finder has a database of over 2 billion scenarios, with listings from more than 1,000 insurance carriers and over 5,500 insurance products. The website also hosts over 500 new pages of content, such as a health care reform implementation timeline and state-by-state information for individuals with pre-existing conditions.
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