Big week for health reform implementation

[Greenbeard]

Three implementation developments this week.

1. The federal government launched its new health insurance web site (billed as a "one-stop shopping' place for health insurance") today:

A Web site that the Obama administration unveiled Wednesday aims to give everyone the full range of public and private health insurance plans available to them based on their individual circumstances.

Users of the site -- HealthCare.gov -- will not need to divulge personal information such as their name, address or income. Instead, the site asks a series of questions including age, Zip code, job status and degree of difficulty affording health insurance, then uses a person's answers to produce a detailed list of potential coverage options from among 5,500 private plans as well as the full array of federal and state programs such as Medicare and Medicaid. [...]

The site also inaugurates a substantial change in the private insurance market. Until now, consumers buying on the individual market and small-business owners shopping for group plans on behalf of their workers have largely had to do their own research or rely on brokers who work on commission and may be unwilling or unable to divulge the complete list of private plans available.

By allowing consumers to make side-by-side comparisons of all the options they potentially qualify for, the Web site could help them ensure they are getting the best possible deal, noted Sebelius.

Such evaluations will be more easily done starting in October, when the site will list prices for each plan and feature user-friendly charts comparing plans according to measures such as their deductible and co-pay levels. For now, users must click on links to the insurer to get pricing information for any given plan.

Check it out: HealthCare.gov. It's pretty snazzy right now but it'll get a lot more interesting in October.


2. The Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan (i.e. the new federal high-risk pool program) started accepting applications today:

The Department of Health and Human Services rolls out a new program Thursday to assist Americans who have unable to get health insurance coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

The Pre-existing Condition Insurance Plan will provide coverage to as many as 350,000 individuals. It will bridge the coverage gap until the Affordable Care Act goes into effect in 2014. [...]

To be eligible, patients must have been denied insurance by a private insurance company because of a pre-existing condition, been uninsured for at least 6 months, and must be a U.S. citizen or a legal resident.

Note that under the law every state has to set up a new high risk pool but states were given the choice of running it themselves or letting the federal government run it. The pools accepting applications now are the federally run pools being set up in 21 states. The state-administered pools being set up in 29 states and Washington, D.C. may not yet be accepting applications (see the list of which is which here).

Check the status of your state's pool on HealthCare.gov.

3. The Early Retiree Reinsurance Program started accepting applications on Tuesday:

The Department of Health and Human Services announced today it has begun accepting applications for the early retiree reinsurance program created by the healthcare reform law. The law sets aside $5 billion that businesses, unions and state and local governments can use to cover the healthcare costs of their retirees - and their spouses and dependents - who are older than 55 but don't yet qualify for Medicare.

Applications

 

[Modbert]

Great post Greenbeard and thanks for sharing the information.

 

[auditor0007]

Thanks for the info.